Systems, methods, and apparatuses related to the use of gas clathrates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9416702-B2
Application number	US-201313862214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2013
Priority date	Apr 12, 2013
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

This disclosure relates generally to the use of gas clathrates. More particularly, this disclosure relates to systems, methods, and apparatuses related to the use of gas clathrates as a fuel source for automobiles. The gas clathrates may first be dissociated into at least one gas and the at least one gas delivered to the prime mover of a vehicle or the gas clathrates may be directly utilized by the prime mover as a fuel source.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising an engine configured to directly utilize gas clathrates as a fuel source and a vehicle fuel storage system comprising a first vessel configured to receive, store, and discharge said gas clathrates, further comprising a first transport device operably connected to said vehicle fuel storage system and operably connected to said engine, said first transport device configured to transfer said as clathrates from said vehicle fuel storage system to said engine.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said engine is configured to receive said gas clathrates as a solid.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said engine is configured to receive said gas clathrates as a slurry.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said first vessel is configured to maintain gas clathrates as a slurry.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said first vessel is configured to maintain gas clathrates as a solid.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first transport device comprises an auger, a grinder, an extruder, a pump, or a combination thereof.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said engine comprises an internal combustion engine.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein said internal combustion engine is a two-stroke engine comprising an intake port configured to receive said gas clathrates;
a crankcase in fluidic communication with said intake port, said crankcase operably sized and configured to receive said gas clathrates in sequence with rotation of a crankshaft rotatably engaged within said crankcase, and wherein said crankcase is configured to dissociate said gas clathrates into at least one gas and into a host material;
a combustion chamber in fluidic communication with said crankcase and configured to combust said at least one gas;
a piston slidably engaged within said combustion chamber and operably connected to said crankshaft; and
an exhaust port operably connected to said combustion chamber and configured to remove combustion products from said combustion chamber in sequence with movement of said position.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein said crankcase is further configured to at least partially vaporize said host material and said exhaust port is configured to remove vaporized host material from said combustion chamber.

10. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein said engine is configured to recover energy due to recondensation of vaporized clathrate host material.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the energy is recovered within an exhaust system of said engine.

12. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the energy is recovered within a cylinder of said engine.

13. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the energy is recovered within a cylinder of said engine.

14. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said engine comprises an external combustion engine.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein said external combustion engine comprises a stirling engine.

16. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein said engine is configured to recover energy due to recondensation of vaporized clathrate host material.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the energy is recovered within an exhaust system of said engine.

18. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein said external combustion engine comprises a steam engine.

19. The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein said steam engine further comprises a boiler operably connected to a combustion chamber, wherein said combustion chamber is operably connected to said vehicle fuel storage system, wherein said combustion chamber is configured to combust said gas clathrates, and wherein said combustion chamber is configured to supply heat to said boiler.

20. The vehicle of claim 19 , wherein said engine is configured to substantially recondense any vaporized host material dissociated from said gas clathrates.

21. A vehicle comprising an engine configured to directly utilize gas clathrates as a fuel source and a vehicle fuel storage system comprising a first vessel configured to receive, store, and discharge said gas clathrates, wherein said engine comprises an external combustion engine, wherein said external combustion engine comprises either:
(a) an alpha configuration stirling engine comprising a hot cylinder;

a first piston slideably engaged within said hot cylinder, said first piston operably connected to a flywheel;
a cool cylinder;
a second piston slideably engaged within said cool cylinder, said second piston operably connected to said flywheel; and
a regenerator fluidically connecting a working fluid within said hot cylinder and said cool cylinder and configured to transfer heat to and from said working fluid;
(b) a beta configuration stirling engine comprising a cylinder comprising a hot end configured to transfer heat during operation to a working fluid within said cylinder and comprising a cool end configured to remove heat from said working fluid;

a displacer piston slideably engaged within said cylinder and configured to move said working fluid back and forth between said hot end and said cold end during operation, said displacer piston operably connected to a flywheel; and
a working piston slideably engaged within said cylinder and operably connected to said flywheel;
(c) a gamma configuration stirling engine comprising a hot cylinder;

a displacer piston slideably engaged within said hot cylinder, said displacer piston operably connected to a flywheel;
a cool cylinder;
a second piston slideably engaged within said cool cylinder, said second piston operably connected to said flywheel; or
(d) a double-acting stirling engine comprising multiple cylinders, wherein each of said multiple cylinders comprises a hot end configured to transfer heat during operation to a working fluid within each of said multiple cylinders, and wherein each of said multiple cylinders comprises a cool end configured to remove heat from said working fluid;

multiple conduits, wherein each of said multiple conduits fluidically connects one said hot end of one of said multiple cylinders with one said cold end of a different one of said multiple cylinders, wherein said working fluid within each of said multiple cylinders is in fluidic communication with said working fluid within each of the other multiple cylinders;
multiple pistons, wherein one of said multiple pistons is slideably engaged within a different one of each of said multiple cylinders, wherein each of said multiple pistons is operably connected to a single swash plate, whereby reciprocating motion of said multiple pistons translates into rotary motion of said swash plate.

22. The vehicle of claim 21 , wherein said beta configuration stirling engine further comprises a regenerator fluidically connected to said hot end of said cylinder and to said cool end of said cylinder and configured to transfer heat to and from said working fluid within said cylinder.

23. The vehicle of claim 21 , wherein said engine further comprises a combustion chamber operably connected to said vehicle fuel storage system, said combustion chamber configured to combust said gas clathrates, said combustion chamber configured to supply heat to said hot cylinder of the alpha or gamma configuration stirling engines, to said hot end of the beta configuration stirling engine, or to each of said hot ends of the double acting stirling configuration engine.

24. The vehicle of claim 23 , wherein said combustion chamber is configured to

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Hyde Roderick A
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• F02G2254/00

  Heat inputs · CPC title

• F02B45/10 Primary

  operating on mixtures of liquid and non-liquid fuels, e.g. in pasty or foamed state · CPC title

• F02D19/04

  peculiar to engines working with solid fuels, e.g. pulverised coal · CPC title

• F01N5/02

  the devices using heat · CPC title

• F01N3/00 Primary

  Exhaust or silencing apparatus having means for purifying, rendering innocuous, or otherwise treating exhaust (electric control F01N9/00; monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus F01N11/00) · CPC title