Combustion aerosol generator system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11280490-B1
Application number	US-202016743261-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 15, 2020
Priority date	Aug 25, 2015
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

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 method for generating combustion aerosols from liquid fuel, comprising:
supplying liquid fuel through a fuel line into a furnace, wherein said furnace includes an inner heating tube having an inlet end and an outlet end, and a means for heating said inner heating tube; and said fuel line extends through the inlet end and into the inner heating tube, wherein said fuel line connects to a liquid fuel manifold 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
directing air through an air line connected to the inlet end of the inner heating tube so that air flows through the inner heating tube to mix with the combustion products and transports the resulting combustion product aerosols out of the outlet end of the inner heating tube.

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

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

6. The method 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 method of claim 1 , wherein an airflow controller directs said air into the inner heating tube through said air line.

Assignees

• Combat Capabilities Dev Command Chemical Biological Center
• Us Army

Inventors

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

Classifications

• F23C3/002 Primary

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

• F23C2700/026

  with pre-vaporising means · CPC title

• 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