Power plants – Fluid motor means driven by waste heat or by exhaust energy... – Having fluid motor motive fluid treating – controlling or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-31
2001-10-16
Nguyen, Hoang (Department: 3748)
Power plants
Fluid motor means driven by waste heat or by exhaust energy...
Having fluid motor motive fluid treating, controlling or...
C060S614000, C060S597000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301890
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a gas mixture system of an internal combustion engine and more particularly to a system and method for preparing gas mixtures for combustion, reducing undesirable emissions during combustion, and treating and purifying resulting exhaust gas mixtures.
BACKGROUND ART
It has been known in the art to provide an internal combustion engine with a turbocharger to boost air pressure and engine power. Such engines typically have a fuel system which injects or otherwise provides fuel to mix with the boosted air and provide a gas mixture to a combustion chamber(s) of the internal combustion engine. Combustion of the gas mixture in the combustion chamber(s), under pressure ignition, generally provides good combustion and a relatively clean exhaust gas mixture. However, with more stringent government regulations, additional measures are required to obtain even cleaner exhaust gas mixtures with reduced emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxide, particle and soot emissions are needed.
Attempts have been made to reduce the amount of undesirable compounds in the exhaust emissions of an internal combustion engine. One system commonly used returns a portion of the exhaust gas mixture emitted from the combustion chamber after combustion back to the combustion chamber to be mixed with the gas mixture to be combusted. Such a system is successful in reducing somewhat some oxides of nitrogen in the exhaust gas mixture. However, additional treatment of the exhaust gas under more stringent regulations may be required.
Exhaust gas catalytic converters have been used in the exhaust system for many years. Such converters have been satisfactory in removing a greater amount of oxides of nitrogen. However, catalytic converters do not satisfactorily remove sulfur dioxide when fuel having a high sulfur content is used. As a result, the cost of operation of the internal combustion engine increases when low sulfur fuels are required. Finally, the exhaust gas catalytic converter consumes energy and reaction substances, for example, urea resulting in high operational costs.
In ship applications, strict restrictions apply in most regions of the world with respect to soot and particle emissions of the internal combustion engine. Steps in reducing emissions of nitrous oxides can lead to an increase in soot emissions of the internal combustion engine. Also, certain ship maneuvering operations can lead to a deterioration in combustion conditions in the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine (a too rich air/fuel ratio). No satisfactory solution to this problem has been made.
Exhaust gas turbine driven electrical generators are occasionally used to exploit mechanical residual working capacity of the exhaust gas mixture. The exhaust gas turbine driven generator is separate from and in addition to the exhaust gas turbine of the turbocharger and receives the exhaust gas mixture after the exhaust gas turbine the turbocharger. A separate exhaust gas turbine driven electrical generator, such as this, has a low efficiency because of the low useable pressure drop of the exhaust gas mixture and adds additional cost and complexity.
Separate steam turbine electrical generator assemblies are commonly used in combination with diesel engines to produce electrical energy. In such arrangements a condenser is required to dissipate heat, unused, into seawater or a cooling tower. The effectiveness of this combination is low however because of a high cost and an undesirable loss of condensation.
State of the art internal combustion engines have a high rate of turbocharging resulting in a reduced transient response capability. As a result, the turbocharger is not able to deliver sufficient energy in a relatively short period of time.
The present invention is directed at overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention a method of preparing gas mixtures of an internal combustion engine is provided. The method includes delivering an exhaust gas mixture of combustion gases, air and moisture from a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine to an exhaust gas turbine, from the exhaust gas turbine to an exhaust gas boiler, and from the exhaust gas boiler to an exhaust gas scrubbing and condensing heat exchanger. Delivering steam from a steam producer to the exhaust gas boiler and increasing the energy level of the steam in the exhaust gas boiler by increasing the temperature and pressure of the steam. Delivering the steam at the increased energy level from the exhaust gas boiler to a steam turbine and expanding the steam. Delivering the expanded steam to an exhaust gas scrubbing and condensing heat exchanger containing water, combining the expanded steam with the exhaust gas mixture, condensing the expanded steam to water, and aerating the water. Cleaning the exhaust gas mixture by transferring undesirable substances in the exhaust gas mixture to the aerated water.
In another aspect of the present invention, a gas mixture preparation system for an internal combustion engine, is provided. The gas mixture preparation system includes an exhaust conduit connected in fluid communication with a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. The exhaust conduit passes an exhaust gas mixture from the combustion chamber to an exhaust gas turbine connected in fluid communication with the exhaust conduit and the exhaust turbine rotates in response to receiving the exhaust gas mixture. The exhaust conduit further passes the exhaust gas mixture to an exhaust gas boiler connected in fluid communication with the exhaust gas turbine. The exhaust gas boiler receives the exhaust gas mixture passed from the exhaust gas turbine. A steam producer connected in fluid communication with said exhaust gas boiler and delivers a steam to the exhaust gas boiler. The exhaust gas boiler receives the steam and increases the energy level of the steam by increasing the temperature and pressure of the steam. The exhaust gas boiler is connected in fluid communication with an exhaust gas scrubbing and condensing heat exchanger having a water aerator and a containing water therein. The exhaust gas scrubbing and condensing heat exchanger is adapted to receive the exhaust gas mixture being passed from the exhaust gas boiler. A steam turbine is connected in fluid communication with the exhaust gas boiler and the exhaust gas scrubbing and condensing heat exchanger. The steam turbine is connected by a common shaft to the exhaust gas turbine. The steam turbine and exhaust gas turbine are rotatable together. The steam turbine receives the steam at the increased energy level and rotates in response thereto. The steam turbine expands the steam and delivers the expanded steam to the exhaust gas scrubbing and condensing heat exchanger. The exhaust gas scrubbing and condensing heat exchanger combines the expanded steam with the exhaust gas mixture, condenses the expanded steam to water, aerates the water to produce aerated water, cleans the exhaust gas mixture by transferring undesirable substances in the exhaust gas mixture to the aerated water and dries the cleaned exhaust gas mixture.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4214450 (1980-07-01), Nagashima et al.
patent: 4545208 (1985-10-01), Kuhn
patent: 4733536 (1988-03-01), DiBella et al.
patent: 38 36 463 (1998-09-01), None
Hickman Alan J.
MaK Motoren GmbH & Co. KG
Nguyen Hoang
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