Combustion-powered electrodynamic combustion system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9574767-B2
Application number	US-201414901668-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2014
Priority date	Jul 29, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

Technologies are provided for employing electrical energy to control a combustion reaction. Energy is received from a combustion reaction. A portion of the received energy is converted to generated electricity. The generated electricity converted from the combustion energy is used to control the combustion reaction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction, comprising:
a dedicated energy converter configured to receive energy from a combustion reaction and output the received energy as generated electricity; and
an electrodynamic system operatively coupled to receive some portion of the generated electricity from the energy converter and configured to be powered, at least in part, by the generated electricity from the energy converter, and to output electrical energy to the combustion reaction.

2. The system for applying electricity electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated energy converter is configured to output the generated electricity exclusively to the electrodynamic combustion system.

3. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated energy converter includes:
a turbine rotor configured to convert at least a portion of a flow caused by the energy of the combustion reaction to rotation; and
an electrical generator configured to generate the generated electricity from the rotation.

4. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 3 , wherein the flow includes one or more of: a fuel, an oxidant, a combustion reaction product, a flue gas, a carrier gas, steam, air, or a combination thereof.

5. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 3 , wherein the flow includes a gas flow of the combustion reaction.

6. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated energy converter includes:
a closed-cycle heat engine configured to convert heating of a working fluid by the energy from the combustion reaction to rotation; and
an electrical generator configured to generate the generated electricity from the rotation provided by the closed-cycle heat engine.

7. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 6 , wherein the closed-cycle heat engine includes: a steam engine, a Stirling cycle engine, a Brayton cycle engine, an Ericsson cycle engine, or a Kalina cycle engine.

8. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated energy converter includes an electric energy converter configured to convert the energy in the form of heat to the generated electricity.

9. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 8 , wherein the electric energy converter includes one or more of: a thermoelectric element, a pyroelectric element, or a thermionic converter.

10. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated energy converter includes a magnetohydrodynamic generator configured to generate the generated electricity from the energy in the form of motion of ions of the combustion reaction.

11. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 10 , wherein the dedicated energy converter is configured to generate the generated electricity from the energy while substantially maintaining a temperature of the combustion reaction.

12. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated energy converter includes a photoelectric element configured to convert the energy in the form of light emitted by the combustion reaction to the generated electricity.

13. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 12 , wherein the photoelectric element is configured to convert the energy in the form of infrared light emitted by the combustion reaction to the generated electricity.

14. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated energy converter is electrically isolated from ground.

15. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated energy converter is electrically isolated from any other voltage source.

16. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the dedicated energy converter is configured to be located inside a combustion volume configured to support the combustion reaction.

17. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated energy converter includes a heat engine, further comprising a thermal reservoir operatively coupled to at least a portion of the energy converter and configured to provide heat transfer from the combustion reaction through the energy converter to the thermal reservoir.

18. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 17 , wherein the thermal reservoir includes one or more of a heat pipe, a heat sink, or an active cooling apparatus.

19. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 17 , wherein:
at least a portion of the dedicated energy converter is configured to be located in a combustion volume configured to support the combustion reaction; and
at least a portion of the thermal reservoir is configured to be located outside of the combustion volume.

20. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , further comprising a thermal protector operatively coupled to at least one of the dedicated energy converter or the electrodynamic system, wherein the thermal protector is configured to protect a portion of the energy converter and/or the electrodynamic system from heat of the combustion reaction.

21. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 20 , wherein the thermal protector includes one or more of a thermal insulator, a thermal shield, a heat pipe, a heat sink, or an active cooling apparatus.

22. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the electrodynamic system is configured to be located in a combustion volume configured to support the combustion reaction.

23. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated energy converter and the electrodynamic system are configured to be substantially located within a combustion volume configured to support the combustion reaction.

24. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , wherein the electrodynamic system further comprises:
one or more electrodes configured to apply an electric field to the combustion reaction;
a power supply powered by the generated electricity and operatively coupled to the one or more electrodes; and
a controller operatively coupled to the power supply and configured to control the power supply to drive the one or more electrodes to apply the electric field to the combustion reaction.

25. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , wherein the electrodynamic system further comprises:
one or more electrodes operatively coupled to the dedicated energy converter; and
a controller operatively coupled to the dedicated energy converter, the controller being configured to control the dedicated energy converter to drive the one or more electrodes to apply the electrical energy to the combustion reaction.

26. The system for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction of claim 1 , wherein the e

Assignees

• Clearsign Comb Corp

Inventors

• Anderson Kraig K
• Wiklof Christopher A
• Bell Lon E

Classifications

• F01B23/10

  Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators · CPC title

• H01L31/042

  Electricity · mapped topic

• F02G1/04 Primary

  of closed-cycle type · CPC title

• F23C99/001 Primary

  Applying electric means or magnetism to combustion (for combustion engines F02B51/04, F02M27/04) · CPC title

• F02G5/00

  Profiting from waste heat of combustion engines, not otherwise provided for · CPC title