High efficiency combustor and closed-cycle heat engine interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9683514-B2
Application number	US-201214006530-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2012
Priority date	Mar 21, 2011
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

A powering system includes an engine having a first side and an interface for providing heat to the first side of the engine. The interface includes a combustor having a combustion chamber positioned at least partially in an enclosure that receives a fuel and an oxidizer for combustion of the fuel and oxidizer into a combustion product. A conduit is connected to the combustion chamber for receiving the combustion product. A heat transfer fluid is positioned in the enclosure and engages an external surface of the combustion chamber and an external surface of the conduit within the enclosure. The heat transfer fluid is heated by the combustion product via the external surface of the combustion chamber and the external surface of the conduit such that the heat transfer fluid transfers heat to the first side of the engine. The heat transfer fluid may thereby decouples the engine from the combustor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A powering system comprising:
an engine having a first side;
an interface for providing heat to the first side of the engine, the interface comprising:
an enclosure;
a combustor having a combustion chamber positioned at least partially in the enclosure, the combustion chamber configured for receiving a fuel and an oxidizer without a diluent for combustion of the fuel and oxidizer into a combustion product, wherein the fuel is jet fuel, methane, an alcohol, kerosene, or a hydrocarbon fuel, wherein said fuel is a hydrocarbon fuel with a combustion exhaust temperature that exceeds 5,000 F when burned by said combustor with oxygen in the absence of said diluent;
a conduit connected to the combustion chamber for receiving the combustion product; the conduit being positioned at least partially in the enclosure;
a heat transfer fluid positioned in the enclosure, the heat transfer fluid adjacent an external surface of at least one wall of the combustion chamber and an external surface of the conduit within the enclosure, the heat transfer fluid being heated by the combustion product via the external surface of the combustion chamber and the external surface of the conduit such that the heat transfer fluid transfers heat to the first side of the engine; and
a heat transfer fluid movement mechanism connected to the enclosure, the heat transfer fluid movement mechanism moving the fluid;
wherein the heat transfer fluid is heated by the combustion product via the external surface of the combustion chamber and the external surface of the conduit such that the heat transfer fluid boils and vapor contacts the first side of the heat engine and condenses adjacent the first side of the heat engine to transfer heat to the first side of the engine;
wherein a portion of the conduit within the enclosure is coiled or serpentine tubing or is a conduit that defines a coiled or serpentine path within the enclosure;
wherein the heat transfer fluid is a liquid metal.

2. The powering system of claim 1 wherein the engine is a Stirling engine, Rankine cycle engine, Brayton cycle engine, external combustion engine, or a heat engine.

3. The powering system of claim 1 wherein the first side of the engine is a hot side of the engine and the hot side of the engine is comprised of a heat exchanger.

4. The powering system of claim 1 wherein the heat transfer fluid is a liquid and the combustion chamber and a portion of the conduit are positioned within the liquid.

5. The powering system of claim 1 wherein the combustion chamber does not receive any diluent and the external surface of the combustion chamber directly contacts the heat transfer fluid.

6. The powering system of claim 1 further comprising:
a recuperator connected to the conduit so that heat from the combustion product passing through the conduit preheats at least one of the fuel and the oxidizer prior to the at least one of the fuel and the oxidizer being fed to the combustion chamber.

7. The powering system of claim 6 , wherein the conduit has an exhaust outlet and the combustion product is passed through the exhaust outlet after passing through the recuperator.

8. The powering system of claim 1 wherein the portion of the conduit is a heat exchanger and the combustion of the fuel and oxidizer is a complete combustion when the combustor operates at a steady state condition.

9. The powering system of claim 1 wherein a first portion of the conduit is within the enclosure, a second portion of the conduit is within a recuperator and a third portion of the conduit is between the recuperator and the first portion of the conduit.

10. The powering system of claim 1 , wherein the engine generates mechanical work or electrical work.

11. The powering system of claim 1 wherein the engine is an engine of a vehicle.

12. The powering system of claim 1 wherein the first side of the engine is a component of a Rankine cycle engine and wherein the engine is a Rankine cycle engine.

13. The powering system of claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer fluid side of the combustor's combustion chamber section walls and the section of the conduit within the enclosure and in contact with the heat transfer fluid are formed or covered with a wick structure, knurling, texturizing structures, or thermal energy transfer fins to facilitate transfer of heat from the combustor and the conduit into the heat transfer fluid.

14. A powering system for a vehicle comprising:
a powertrain supported by said vehicle;
an engine coupled with said powertrain, said engine having a hot side; and
interface means for providing heat to the hot side of the engine, the interface means comprising:
an enclosure;
a combustor means configured for receiving a fuel and an oxidizer without a diluent for combustion of the fuel and oxidizer into a combustion product, the combustor means positioned entirely within the enclosure, wherein the fuel is jet fuel, methane, an alcohol, kerosene, or a hydrocarbon fuel, wherein said fuel is a hydrocarbon fuel with a combustion exhaust temperature that exceeds 5,000 F when burned with oxygen in the absence of said diluent;
a heat exchanger means for receiving the combustion product and cooling the combustion product; the heat exchanger means being connected to the combustor means and being positioned within the enclosure;
a heat transfer fluid positioned in the enclosure to decouple the engine from the combustor means, the heat transfer fluid engaging the combustor means and the heat exchanger mean to receive heat from the combustor means and the heat exchanger means to transfer the heat to the hot side of the engine; and
a heat transfer fluid movement mechanism connected to the enclosure, the heat transfer fluid movement mechanism moving the fluid;
wherein the heat transfer fluid is heated by the combustion product via interface with the combustor means and an external surface of the heat exchanger means such that the heat transfer fluid boils and vapor contacts the hot side of the engine and condenses adjacent to the hot side and thereby transfers heat to the hot side of the engine;
wherein a portion of the combustor means within the enclosure comprises coiled or serpentine tubing or comprises a conduit that defines a coiled or serpentine path within the enclosure;
wherein the fluid is a liquid metal.

15. The powering system of claim 14 wherein the enclosure is a housing.

16. The powering system of claim 14 wherein the engine is a Stirling engine and the hot side of the Stirling engine is a heater head of the Stirling engine, or the engine is a heat engine and wherein the engine produces mechanical work or electrical work.

17. The powering system of claim 14 wherein the combustor means is operated without use of any diluent.

18. The powering system of claim 14 wherein the heat transfer fluid is in direct contact with the hot side of the engine to transport heat to the hot side of the engine.

19. The powering system of claim 14 wherein a predetermined residence time of the gases that exit the combustor means and enter the heat exchanger is provided via a length of the heat exchanger means so that the any unburned propellants or reduction of incomplete combustion products are converted to their final equilibrium state to maximize furnace efficiency of the combustor means.

20. The powering system of claim 1 , wherein said coiled or serpentine tubing or said conduit has a length operable to transfer heat of said combustion product to within 99 F or less of the first

Assignees

• Herr John David
• Us Navy

Inventors

• Herr John David

Classifications

• F02G2254/10

  by burners · CPC title

• F02G1/055 Primary

  Heaters or coolers · CPC title

• F02G1/057 Primary

  Regenerators · CPC title