Method and system for fuel conditioning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12305595-B1
Application number	US-202418777210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 18, 2024
Priority date	Jul 18, 2024
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A system comprising a turbine assembly, a heat exchanger, and a compressor assembly is disclosed. The turbine assembly comprises a turbine housing configured to accept an exhaust stream generated by a fuel convertor and a turbine rotor configured to extract a driving energy from the exhaust stream based on an expansion of the exhaust stream through the turbine assembly. The heat exchanger comprises a first flow channel for accepting the exhaust stream from the turbine assembly, a second flow channel in thermal communication with the first channel for flowing a fuel for the fuel converter, and a third flow channel in fluid communication with the first flow channel. The compressor assembly comprises a compressor housing for accepting the exhaust stream from the first flow channel and a compressor rotor operable by the driving energy. A method and an energy recovery system are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving an exhaust stream from a fuel converter at a first pressure via a first flow path;
expanding the exhaust stream to a second pressure that is lower than the first pressure;
receiving the exhaust stream at the second pressure into a heat exchanger via the first flow path;
receiving a fuel stream into the heat exchanger via a second flow path, wherein the first flow path is fluidically isolated from the second flow path;
transferring thermal energy between the exhaust stream and the fuel to condition the fuel stream, the exhaust stream within the heat exchanger comprises a vapor-rich fraction and a liquid-rich fraction; and
evacuating the vapor-rich fraction from the first flow path, with a pressure of the vapor-rich fraction evacuated from the first flow path being greater than the second pressure.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising separating the vapor-rich fraction of the exhaust stream from the liquid-rich fraction of the exhaust stream, and at least one of condensing the liquid-rich fraction or accumulating the liquid-rich fraction.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising evacuating the liquid-rich fraction from the first flow path to an environment having a third pressure that is equal to or greater than the second pressure.

4. The energy utilization method of claim 3 , further comprising pumping the liquid-rich fraction from the first flow path into a third flow path.

5. The energy utilization method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid-rich fraction is a water rich fraction.

6. The energy utilization method of claim 1 , wherein transferring the thermal energy from the exhaust stream at the second pressure vaporizes the fuel stream.

7. The energy utilization method of claim 1 , further comprising feeding the conditioned fuel stream to the fuel converter.

8. The energy utilization method of claim 1 , wherein the fuel stream is a cryogenic liquid prior to conditioning.

9. A system, comprising:
a turbine assembly, comprising:
a turbine housing configured to accept an exhaust stream generated by a fuel converter; and
a turbine rotor configured to extract a driving energy from the exhaust stream based on an expansion of the exhaust stream through the turbine assembly;

a heat exchanger, comprising:
a first flow channel for accepting the exhaust stream from the turbine assembly;
a second flow channel for flowing a fuel for the fuel converter, and the second flow channel is in thermal communication with the first flow channel; and
a third flow channel in fluid communication with the first flow channel, and the third flow channel is configured to accumulate a condensable component of the exhaust stream; and

a compressor assembly, comprising:
a compressor housing for accepting the exhaust stream from the first flow channel; and
a compressor rotor operable by the driving energy.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a pressure isolating component, and an inlet of the pressure isolating component is in fluid communication with the third flow channel.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the fuel converter is configured to be supported on a vehicle during use.

12. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a shaft coupling the turbine rotor and the compressor rotor.

13. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a motor mounted on a shaft coupled to the turbine rotor.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the fuel converter is an internal combustion engine or a fuel cell.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the fuel converter is configured to consume at least one of hydrogen gas or natural gas.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the turbine assembly comprises at least one of a variable turbine wheel or a turbine bypass valve.

17. A turbocharger system comprising the system of claim 9 .

18. An energy recovery system for a fuel converter, the energy recovery system comprising:
a turbine configured to expand an exhaust stream of the fuel converter from a first pressure to a second pressure;
a compressor for evacuating the exhaust stream at the second pressure from the energy recovery system, wherein the compressor and the turbine are configured to operate in tandem with one another; and
a heat exchanger assembly for transferring thermal energy from the exhaust stream at the second pressure to a fuel for the fuel converter, wherein the heat exchanger assembly is configured to increase an energy yield from the energy recovery system.

19. The energy recovery system of claim 18 , wherein the heat exchanger assembly is configured to provide a dried fraction of the exhaust stream to the compressor.

20. The energy recovery system of claim 19 , wherein the heat exchanger assembly is configured to isolate a condensable component from the exhaust stream at the second pressure to produce the dried fraction of the exhaust stream.

Assignees

• Transp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Homison Christopher Joseph

Classifications

• F02M31/16 Primary

  Other apparatus for heating fuel · CPC title

• F02B37/10

  at least one pump being alternatively {or simultaneously} driven by exhaust and other drive, {e.g. by pressurised fluid from a reservoir or an engine-driven pump} · CPC title

• F01N5/02 Primary

  the devices using heat · CPC title