Method and system for obtaining exhaust gas for use in augmenting crude oil production

• US 20060218905A1
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCO2 Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: NCO2 Company, LLC
• Inventors: Alexander, Wade J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/301
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/92 characterised by their form or by the form of their components, e.g. encapsulated material C09K8/70 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/168 Injecting a gaseous medium
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2430/06 by varying fuel-air ratio, e.g. by enriching fuel-air mixture
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2570/14 Nitrogen oxides
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/005 for draining or otherwise eliminating condensates or moisture accumulating in the apparatus F01N3/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/02 for cooling, or for removing solid constituents of, exhaust by means of electric or electrostatic separators F01N3/01 ; mixing air with exhaust in tailpipes F01N13/082, F01N13/20
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/10 by thermal or catalytic conversion of noxious components of exhaust by using other chemical processes, chemical aspects of catalytic conversion, e.g. using specified catalysts, B01D53/34
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/04 Cooling of air intake supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A method and system of providing compressed low NO_x exhaust gas for industrial purposes including for use in augmenting crude oil production including the steps of extracting exhaust gas from an engine consuming a controllable mixture of hydrocarbon fuel and air, compressing and cooling the exhaust gas to condense water therefrom, measuring the pH of the condensed water, employing the measured pH to adjust the ratio of the hydrocarbon fuel and air supplied to the engine to achieve a substantially neutral pH measurement and thereby obtain compressed exhaust gas having a low NO_x content.

Claims

1. A method of providing compressed low NO_x exhaust gas for industrial purposes including use in augmenting crude oil production comprising:

(1) extracting exhaust gas from an engine consuming a controllable mixture of hydrocarbon fuel and air;

(2) passing said extracted exhaust gas through at least one compression and cooling step by which water is condensed from the exhaust gas;

(3) separating out said condensed water to provide substantially dry exhaust gas;

(4) measuring the pH of said condensed water;

(5) using measurements obtained from Step (4) to regulate the ratio of hydrocarbon fuel and air consumed in said engine so that said condensed water has a substantially neutral pH and thereby said exhaust gas has a low NO_x content; and

(6) compressing the dry and low NO_x exhaust gas to provide compressed gas for industrial applications.

2. A method of providing compressed low NO_x exhaust gas according to claim 1, including, after Step (1) of passing said exhaust gas through a catalytic converter before Step (2).

3. A system for providing substantially dry low NO_x exhaust gas comprising;

(1) a hydrocarbon fuel and air consuming engine that produces exhaust gas;

(2) at least one compressor/cooler stage by which said exhaust gas from said engine is compressed and cooled to below the dew point temperature thereof to condense water therefrom providing condensed water that is disposed of;

(3) a pH monitor for measuring the pH of said condensed water;

(4) a mixture regulator for controlling the ratio of hydrocarbon fuel and air consumed by said engine; and

(5) a mixture control for controlling said mixture regulator in response to the measured pH of said condensed water whereby said ratio is controlled to produce condensed water having a substantially neutral pH and corresponding compressed exhaust having a low NO_x content.

4. A system for providing substantially dry and low NO_x exhaust gas according to claim 3 including a catalytic converter in series with said engine through which exhaust gas from said engine passes prior to compressing and cooling the exhaust gas to condense water therefrom.