Combustion aerosol generator system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10539320-B1
Application number	US-201514835199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 25, 2015
Priority date	Aug 25, 2015
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

A system and method for generating combustion aerosols from liquid fuel. The system includes a furnace with an inner heating tube having a heating tape wrapped thereabout. Further, the system includes a fuel line extending through an inlet end of the heating tube and into the heating tube, and a means for dripping the liquid fuel onto a plurality of different locations on an inner surface of the heating tube. The system further includes a power supply to power the heating tape to heat the inner heating tube to a temperature which can ignite the liquid fuel dripped onto the inner surface of the inner heating tube whereby there is an immediate combustion to form combustion products. Finally, the system includes an air line connected to the heating tube for directing compressed air through the inner heating tube to mix with the combustion products and transport the formed combustion aerosols out of an outlet end of the inner heating tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for generating combustion aerosols from liquid fuel, comprising:
a furnace including an inner heating tube having an inlet end and an outlet end, and a means for heating said inner heating tube;
a fuel line extending through the inlet end and into the inner heating tube, wherein said fuel line connects to a liquid fuel manifold within the inner heating tube and wherein said manifold includes a plurality of lines of different lengths so that an outlet end of each of the plurality of lines is disposed over a different location on an inner surface of the inner heating tube, so that the liquid fuel from the fuel line passes into the manifold and then through said plurality of lines and is dripped from the outlet end of each of the plurality of lines onto a plurality of different locations on the inner surface of the inner heating tube; and wherein said means for heating is configured so that the inner surface of the inner heating tube is maintained at a temperature which exceeds the auto-ignition temperature of the liquid fuel so that there is an immediate combustion to form combustion products; and
an air line connected to the inlet end of the inner heating tube for directing compressed air through the inner heating tube to mix with the combustion products and transport the resulting combustion product aerosols out of the outlet end of the inner heating tube.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inner heating tube is cylindrical in shape and constructed of a material of high thermal conductivity.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inner heating tube has an end cap closing the inlet end of the inner heating tube, and wherein the fuel line and the air line extend through the end cap.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said means for heating said inner heating tube comprises heating tape wrapped around a portion of an outer surface of the inner heating tube, and a power supply to provide power to said heating tape.

5. The system of claim 1 , further including a syringe pump for delivering the liquid fuel into the fuel line.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the furnace includes:
an outer tube having the inner heating tube disposed therein; and
a layer of insulation material disposed between the inner heating tube and the outer tube.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein an airflow controller directs compressed air to the inner heating tube through said air line which extends through the end cap of the inner heating tube.

Assignees

• U S Army Edgewood Chemical And Biological Command
• Us Army

Inventors

• Bottiger Jerold R
• Kesavan Jana S
• Schepers Deborah R

Classifications

• F22B1/288 Primary

  Instantaneous electrical steam generators built-up from heat-exchange elements arranged within a confined chamber having heat-retaining walls · CPC title

• F23D5/04

  Pot-type evaporators, i.e. using a partially-enclosed combustion space · CPC title

• F23C2700/026

  with pre-vaporising means · CPC title

• F23C3/002 Primary

  the chamber having an elongated tubular form, e.g. for a radiant tube · CPC title