Gas: heating and illuminating – Generators – Hydrogen
Patent
1995-10-20
1998-01-13
McMahon, Timothy
Gas: heating and illuminating
Generators
Hydrogen
48 79, 48144, 48199R, 48199FM, 48219, C10J 120
Patent
active
057074089
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for production of fuel gas for such devices as internal and external combustion engines, boilers, stoves, and fuel cells.
PRIOR ART
Conventional fuels for devices listed above have included fossile fuels such as petroleum and coal, alcohol, natural gas, or gases obtained from fossile fuels. These substances need steady high temperatures for efficient combustion. However, a disadvantage of high-temperature combustion is formation of nitrogen oxides (NOx).
In automobile engines, for example, without a denitrifying device have therefore to use a lower combustion temperature, which imposes a limit to the thermal efficiency (or, fuel consumption) of the engines. In addition, emission of NOx cannot be sufficiently controlled even with low combustion temperatures.
Another disadvantage is that the fuels listed above, except alcohol, are nonrenewable, and therefore lead possibly to depletion of the resources or damages on environment in mining.
Alcohol is renewable by a cycle: plants (biomasses) .fwdarw.alcohol.fwdarw.CO.sub.2 +H.sub.2 O .fwdarw.plants. It is also free from the problem of uneven distribution of resources. However, the volume of alcohol needed to obtain a given amount of energy is three times as much as that of gasoline, which results in problems such as high costs for transportation and storage, large volumes of fuel tanks for automotive application, low power per vehicle weight, and difficult cold start.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the problems described above, the present invention provides a method and an apparatus for production of fuel gas, from sources such as alcohol, petroleum or natural gas, which can be burnt at high temperatures with very low amount of nitrogen oxides formed, and has a calorific value higher than three times what is expected from conventional fuels, thus enabling the renewable alcohol to be employed as an automotive fuel.
The invention is based on discovery of a reaction in which a primary fuel gas, obtained by heating or combustion of a fuel, is mixed with air in spiral and/or vortex flow to decompose hydrocarbons in the primary fuel gas into carbon and hydrogen. The reaction produces carbon and hydrogen with increased reactivity which facilitates combustion at high temperatures. Combustion of carbon and hydrogen forms lower amounts of nitrogen oxides.
The invention achieves its purpose by a method of fuel gas production characterized by mixing a primary fuel gas, obtained by heating a fuel up to a temperature equal to or higher than the boiling point but lower than the flash point, with air in a single channel, both in the same flowing direction, forming at least one of spiral flow and vortex flow, to obtain a secondary fuel gas. Mixing of the primary fuel gas with air as flows in the same direction in a single channel decomposes hydrocarbons in the primary fuel gas into carbon and hydrogen with enhanced reactivity, thus forming a secondary fuel gas containing the easily burning hydrogen and carbon.
According to the invention, one of said primary fuel gas and air is injected into said channel at a position at or around the center of its cross section, while the other is flowing down the same channel. The simple injection of the one into the other results in a mixed flow which promotes the reaction.
According to the invention, the ratio of the cross section of the flow of said primary fuel gas to that of air is initially decreased, and again increased downstream. Said primary fuel gas is mixed with pressurized air at a point upstream to the point where the diameter of the channel is increased. Here the ratio of the cross section of the primary fuel gas to that of air flow is decreased, and again increased at the point where the inner diameter of the gas pipe is increased. At this point vortices are formed along the boundary to promote the reaction continuously and efficiently.
According to the invention, one of said primary fuel gas and air flows in a cross section smaller than
REFERENCES:
patent: 3257180 (1966-06-01), King
patent: 3920416 (1975-11-01), Houseman
patent: 3982910 (1976-09-01), Houseman et al.
Libo Yugen Kaisha
McMahon Timothy
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