Title:
PLASMA REFORMING AND PARTIAL OXIDATION OF HYDROCARBON FUEL VAPOR TO PRODUCE SYNTHESIS GAS AND/OR HYDROGEN GAS
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2001/000310
Kind Code:
A2
Abstract:
Methods and systems for treating vapors from fuels such as gasoline or diesel fuel in an internal combustion engine (10), to form hydrogen gas or synthesis gas, which can then be burned in the engine to produce more power. Fuel vapor (20), or a mixture of fuel vapor and exhaust gas (18a) and/or air (30), is contacted with a plasma (22), to promote reforming reactions between the fuel vapor (20) and exhaust gas (18a) to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas, partial oxidation reactions between the fuel vapor (20) and air (30) to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas, or direct hydrogen and carbon particle production from the fuel vapor. The plasma (22) can be a thermal plasma or a non-thermal plasma (24). The plasma can be produced in a plasma generating device (22) which can be preheated by contact with at least a portion of the hot exhaust gas stream (18b), thereby decreasing the power requirements of the plasma generating device (22).
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Inventors:
KONG PETER C
DETERING BRENT A
DETERING BRENT A
Application Number:
PCT/US2000/015936
Publication Date:
January 04, 2001
Filing Date:
June 08, 2000
Export Citation:
Assignee:
BECHTEL BWXT IDAHO LLC (US)
International Classes:
B01D53/32; B01D53/92; C01B3/34; F01N3/08; F01N5/02; F02B43/10; F02M21/06; F02M25/08; F02M25/12; F02M27/04; F02D19/06; F02M31/12; (IPC1-7): B01J/
Foreign References:
| US6092512A | 2000-07-25 | |||
| US5807466A | 1998-09-15 | |||
| US5746051A | 1998-05-05 | |||
| US6038853A | 2000-03-21 | |||
| US6122908A | 2000-09-26 | |||
| US6003305A | 1999-12-21 | |||
| US5711147A | 1998-01-27 |
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Goodson, Gary W. (LLC P.O. Box 1625 Idaho Falls, ID, US)
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Claims:
WE CLAIM:
| 1. | A method of reforming fuel vapor in an internal combustion engine, the method comprising: (a) providing an internal combustion engine comprising a combustion chamber and a fuel tank adapted to provide liquid hydrocarbon fuel to the combustion chamber, the combustion chamber being adapted to combust the liquid hydrocarbon fuel; (b) combusting the liquid hydrocarbon fuel in the combustion chamber, thereby forming an exhaust gas stream directed to exit the combustion chamber, the exhaust gas stream comprising carbon dioxide and water; and (c) contacting a starting gas mixture comprising a first portion of the exhaust gas stream and a hydrocarbon fuel vapor with a plasma to form a product gas mixture comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen. |
| 2. | The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid hydrocarbon fuel is gasoline. |
| 3. | The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid hydrocarbon fuel is diesel fuel. |
| 4. | The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma is a nonthermal plasma. |
| 5. | The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma is a thermal plasma. |
| 6. | The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma is formed in a plasma generating device, and wherein the method further comprises preheating the plasma generating device by contacting the plasma generating device with a second portion of the exhaust gas stream. |
| 7. | The method of claim 1, further comprising directing the product gas mixture into the combustion chamber for combustion therein. |
| 8. | The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon fuel vapor is preheated prior to contact with the plasma. |
| 9. | The method of claim 1, wherein the starting gas mixture further comprises air. |
| 10. | A method of partially oxidizing fuel vapor in an internal combustion engine, the method comprising: (a) providing an internal combustion engine comprising a combustion chamber and a fuel tank adapted to provide liquid hydrocarbon fuel to the combustion chamber, the combustion chamber being adapted to combust the liquid hydrocarbon fuel; (b) combusting the liquid hydrocarbon fuel in the combustion chamber, thereby forming an exhaust gas stream directed to exit the combustion chamber; and (c) contacting a starting gas mixture comprising air and a hydrocarbon fuel vapor with a plasma to form a product gas mixture comprising carbon monoxide and water. |
| 11. | The method of claim 10, wherein the liquid hydrocarbon fuel is gasoline. |
| 12. | The method of claim 10, wherein the liquid hydrocarbon fuel is diesel fuel. |
| 13. | The method of claim 10, wherein the plasma is a nonthermal plasma. |
| 14. | The method of claim 10, wherein the plasma is a thermal plasma. |
| 15. | The method of claim 10, wherein the plasma is formed in a plasma generating device, and wherein the method further comprises preheating the plasma generating device by contacting the plasma generating device with at least a portion of the exhaust gas stream. |
| 16. | The method of claim 10, further comprising directing the product gas mixture into the combustion chamber for combustion therein. |
| 17. | The method of claim 10, wherein the starting gas mixture is preheated prior to contacting the starting gas mixture with the plasma. |
| 18. | The method of claim 17, wherein the starting gas mixture is preheated in a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger being heated by contacting the heat exchanger with at least a portion of the exhaust gas stream. |
| 19. | A method of forming hydrogen gas from hydrocarbon fuel vapor in an internal combustion engine, the method comprising: (a) providing an internal combustion engine comprising a combustion chamber and a fuel tank adapted to provide liquid hydrocarbon fuel to the combustion chamber, the combustion chamber being adapted to combust the liquid hydrocarbon fuel; (b) combusting the liquid hydrocarbon fuel in the combustion chamber, thereby forming an exhaust gas stream directed to exit the combustion chamber; and (c) contacting a starting gas mixture comprising a hydrocarbon fuel vapor with a plasma to form a product mixture comprising hydrogen gas and carbon. |
| 20. | The method of claim 19, wherein the liquid hydrocarbon fuel is gasoline. |
| 21. | The method of claim 19, wherein the liquid hydrocarbon fuel is diesel fuel. |
| 22. | The method of claim 19, wherein the plasma is a thermal plasma. |
| 23. | The method of claim 19, further comprising directing the product mixture into the combustion chamber for combustion therein. |
| 24. | The method of claim 19, wherein the hydrocarbon fuel vapor is preheated prior to contact with the plasma. |
| 25. | The method of claim 24, wherein the hydrocarbon fuel vapor is preheated in a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger being heated by contacting the heat exchanger with at least a portion of the exhaust gas stream. |
| 26. | A system for treating fuel vapors in an internal combustion engine, the system comprising: (a) an internal combustion engine comprising a combustion chamber; (b) a fuel tank adapted to provide liquid hydrocarbon fuel to the combustion chamber, the combustion chamber being adapted to combust the liquid hydrocarbon fuel; and (c) a plasma generating device in fluid communication with the combustion chamber and the fuel tank. |
| 27. | The system of claim 26, wherein the plasma generating device produces a nonthermal plasma. |
| 28. | The system of claim 26, wherein the plasma generating device produces a thermal plasma. |
| 29. | The system of claim 26, wherein the plasma generating device is preheated by contact with at least a portion of an exhaust gas stream from the combustion chamber. |
| 30. | The system of claim 26, further comprising a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, the fuel tank, and the plasma generating device. |
| 31. | The system of claim 30, wherein the heat exchanger is heated by contact with at least a portion of an exhaust gas stream from the combustion chamber. |
Description:
INTERNATIONALSEARCHREPORTInternational applicationNo. PCT/USOO/15936 C(Continuation).DOCUMENTSCONSIDEREDTOBERELEVANT Category*Citationofdocument,withindication,whereappropriate,
ofthepssg RdsnttoclaimNo. Y,PUS6,003,305A(MARTINetal.)21December1999,seeentire1-30 document. YUS5,711,147A(VOGTLINetal.)27January1998,-seeentire1-30 document.