Hydrocarbon separation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9782717-B2
Application number	US-201514887601-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2015
Priority date	Oct 20, 2015
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A hydrocarbon separation system for an engine fuel supply system is disclosed. The hydrocarbon separation system may include an untreated gas conduit configured to transport a raw gas stream including methane, ethane and higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules. The system may also include a separator downstream of and fluidly coupled to the untreated gas conduit configured to segregate methane or ethane of the raw gas stream from the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules of the raw gas stream. A treated gas conduit may be located downstream of and fluidly coupled to the separator and be configured to transport the methane or ethane of the raw gas stream away from the separator. Lastly, the system may include an electronic controller configured to receive a breakthrough signal and transmit a regeneration signal in response to the breakthrough signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydrocarbon separation system for an engine fuel supply system, comprising:
an untreated gas conduit configured to transport a raw gas stream including methane, ethane and higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules;
a separator downstream of and fluidly coupled to the untreated gas conduit configured to segregate the methane or the ethane of the raw gas stream from the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules of the raw gas stream;
a treated gas conduit downstream of and fluidly coupled to the separator configured to transport the methane or the ethane of the raw gas stream away from the separator; and
an electronic controller configured to receive a breakthrough signal and transmit a regeneration signal in response to the breakthrough signal; and
a reject gas conduit downstream of and fluidly coupled to the separator configured to transport the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules and a reject gas sensor associated with the reject gas conduit configured to transmit the breakthrough signal to the electronic controller when the reject gas sensor detects the methane or the ethane in the reject gas conduit above a predetermined amount.

2. The hydrocarbon separation system according to claim 1 , further including a treated gas sensor associated with the treated gas conduit configured to transmit the breakthrough signal to the electronic controller when it detects the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules in the treated gas conduit above a predetermined amount.

3. The hydrocarbon separation system according to claim 2 , wherein the separator includes a first adsorbent bed configured to preferentially adsorb the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules.

4. The hydrocarbon separation system according to claim 3 , wherein the separator further includes a second adsorbent bed configured to preferentially adsorb the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules.

5. The hydrocarbon separation system according to claim 4 , wherein the raw gas stream begins flowing through the second adsorbent bed, and stops flowing through the first adsorbent bed, in response to the regeneration signal.

6. The hydrocarbon separation system according to claim 1 , wherein the separator includes a first adsorbent bed configured to preferentially adsorb the methane or the ethane of the raw gas stream.

7. The hydrocarbon separation system according to claim 6 , wherein the separator further includes a second adsorbent bed configured to preferentially adsorb the methane or the ethane of the raw gas stream.

8. The hydrocarbon separation system according to claim 7 , wherein the raw gas stream begins flowing through the second adsorbent bed, and stops flowing through the first adsorbent bed, in response to the regeneration signal.

9. The hydrocarbon separation system according to claim 1 , wherein the separator includes a first exclusion bed having pores sized to permit the methane or the ethane of the raw gas stream to enter into the pores, while precluding passage of the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules into the pores.

10. The hydrocarbon separation system according to claim 9 , wherein the separator further includes a second exclusion bed having pores sized to permit the methane or the ethane of the raw gas stream to enter into the pores, while precluding passage of the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules into the pores.

11. The hydrocarbon separation system according to claim 10 , wherein the raw gas stream begins flowing through the second exclusion bed, and stops flowing through the first exclusion bed, in response to the regeneration signal.

12. An engine system, comprising:
an engine;
an intake manifold upstream of and fluidly coupled to the engine configured to transport a treated gas stream including methane or ethane to the engine;
a treated gas conduit upstream of and fluidly coupled to the intake manifold configured to transport the treated gas stream to the intake manifold;
a separator upstream of and fluidly coupled to the treated gas conduit configured to isolate the methane or the ethane of a raw gas stream from higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules of the raw gas stream;
an untreated gas conduit upstream of and fluidly coupled to the separator configured to transport the raw gas stream including the methane, the ethane and the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules, to the separator;
a fuel source upstream of and fluidly coupled to the untreated gas conduit configured to deliver the raw gas stream including the methane, ethane and the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules;
an electronic controller configured to receive a breakthrough signal and transmit a regeneration signal in response to the breakthrough signal; and
a reject gas conduit downstream of and fluidly coupled to the separator configured to transport the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules of the raw gas stream, and a reject gas sensor associated with the reject gas conduit configured to transmit the breakthrough signal to the electronic controller when the reject gas sensor detects the methane or the ethane of the raw gas stream in the reject gas conduit above a predetermined amount.

13. The engine system according to claim 12 , further including a treated gas sensor associated with the treated gas conduit configured to transmit the breakthrough signal to the electronic controller when the treated gas sensor detects the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules in the treated gas conduit above a predetermined amount, wherein the separator includes a first adsorbent bed configured to preferentially adsorb the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules of the raw gas stream, the separator further includes a second adsorbent bed configured to preferentially adsorb the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules of the raw gas stream, and wherein the raw gas stream begins flowing through the second adsorbent bed, and stops flowing through the first adsorbent bed, in response to the regeneration signal.

14. The engine system according to claim 12 , wherein the separator includes a first adsorbent bed configured to preferentially adsorb the methane or the ethane of the raw gas stream, the separator further includes a second adsorbent bed configured to preferentially adsorb the methane or the ethane of the raw gas stream, and wherein the raw gas stream begins flowing through the second adsorbent bed, and stops flowing through the first adsorbent bed, in response to the regeneration signal.

15. The engine system according to claim 12 , wherein the separator includes a first exclusion bed having pores sized to permit the methane or the ethane of the raw gas stream to enter into the pores, while precluding passage of the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules of the raw gas stream into the pores, the separator further includes a second exclusion bed having pores sized to permit the methane or the ethane of the raw gas stream to enter into the pores, while precluding passage of the higher carbon chainlength hydrocarbon molecules into the pores, and wherein the raw gas stream begins flowing through the second exclusion bed, and stops flowing through the first exclusion bed, in response to the regeneration signal.

16. A method of delivering fuel to an engine, comprising:
configuring a separator to segregate methane or ethane of a raw gas stream from higher chainlength hydrocarbon molecules of the raw gas stream, wherein configuring the separator includes one of utilizing a first adsorbent bed configured to prefe

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Montgomery David T
• Sheldon Jr Victor L

Classifications

• B01D53/0454 Primary

  Controlling adsorption (controlling temperature swing adsorption B01D53/0462, controlling pressure swing adsorption B01D53/047) · CPC title

• C10L3/101

  Removal of contaminants · CPC title

• F02M35/10216

  Fuel injectors; Fuel pipes or rails; Fuel pumps or pressure regulators · CPC title

• F02C7/057

  Control or regulation (conjointly with fuel supply control F02C9/50, with nozzle area control F02K1/16) · CPC title

• F02C7/222

  Fuel flow conduits, e.g. manifolds · CPC title