System and method for an internal combustion engine using ammonia as a fuel source and heat exchange medium for engine cooling

Abstract

This relates to a system and method for generating hydrogen from ammonia on a vehicle. [Solution] The present invention relates to a system and method for producing hydrogen from ammonia on a vehicle, wherein the produced hydrogen is used together with ammonia as a fuel source for an internal combustion engine. The present invention utilizes ammonia not only as a co-fuel for the engine but also as a heat exchange medium used in a cooling system for the internal combustion engine, thereby transferring heat from the high-temperature engine coolant to the ammonia, which cools the engine coolant and preheats the ammonia into a gaseous state, providing a system and method for producing hydrogen from ammonia on a vehicle for use as a fuel source for an internal combustion engine.

Claims

1. A system for heat exchange between ammonia and engine coolant for an internal combustion engine, Ammonia tank for storing liquid ammonia; An expansion valve receives liquid ammonia from the ammonia tank, and the expansion valve facilitates the state change of the liquid ammonia to gaseous ammonia; A heat exchange unit fluidly coupled to the expansion valve and the internal combustion engine, the heat exchange unit receiving gaseous ammonia from the expansion valve; and A radiator is fluidly coupled to the heat exchange unit and the internal combustion engine, the radiator receives high-temperature engine coolant from the internal combustion engine, and the radiator supplies the high-temperature engine coolant to the heat exchange unit. Equipped with, Here, heat is transferred from the high-temperature engine coolant to the gaseous ammonia within the heat exchange unit, resulting in heated gaseous ammonia and cooled engine coolant. The heated gaseous ammonia exits the heat exchange unit and is supplied to the internal combustion engine, while the cooled engine coolant exits the heat exchange unit and is supplied to the radiator. Here, heat is transferred from the high-temperature engine coolant within the radiator to the cooled engine coolant exiting the heat exchange unit, and the cooled engine coolant exits the radiator and is supplied to the internal combustion engine. system.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the heated gaseous ammonia is supplied to the internal combustion engine for use as a combustion fuel.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein, while the internal combustion engine is in a low-temperature state, only the heated gaseous ammonia is supplied to the internal combustion engine together with hydrogen and nitrogen obtained as a result of ammonia decomposition for use as a combustion cofuel.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchange unit is an evaporator.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchange unit has a structure comprising a series of parallel plates that enable heat exchange via parallel flows of the ammonia and the high-temperature engine coolant.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the gaseous ammonia is preheated within the heat exchange unit, thereby maintaining its gaseous state as it traverses the heat exchange unit.

7. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the internal combustion engine utilizes only (i) the heated gaseous ammonia and (ii) constituent hydrogen and nitrogen generated from the liquid ammonia stored in the ammonia tank as combustion fuels.

8. A system for heat exchange between ammonia and engine coolant for an internal combustion engine, Ammonia tank for storing liquid ammonia; An expansion valve that receives liquid ammonia from the ammonia tank, the expansion valve that enables the change of state of the liquid ammonia to gaseous ammonia; and A heat exchange unit is fluidly coupled to the expansion valve and the internal combustion engine. The heat exchange unit receives gaseous ammonia from the expansion valve and receives high-temperature engine coolant from the internal combustion engine. Equipped with, Here, heat is transferred from the high-temperature engine coolant to the gaseous ammonia within the heat exchange unit, resulting in heated gaseous ammonia and cooled engine coolant. At this point, the heated gaseous ammonia and the cooled engine coolant exit the heat exchange unit and are supplied to the internal combustion engine. system.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the heated gaseous ammonia is supplied to the internal combustion engine for use as a combustion fuel.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein only the heated gaseous ammonia is supplied to an internal combustion engine for use as a combustion co-fuel together with constituent hydrogen and nitrogen obtained as a result of ammonia decomposition.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the heat exchange unit is an evaporator.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the heat exchange unit has a structure comprising a series of parallel plates that enable heat exchange via parallel flows of the ammonia and the high-temperature engine coolant.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein, during a cold start of the internal combustion engine, only the heated gaseous ammonia and the hydrogen and nitrogen produced as a result of ammonia decomposition are supplied to the internal combustion engine for use as combustion fuel.

14. The system according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the internal combustion engine utilizes (i) the heated gaseous ammonia and (ii) constituent hydrogen and nitrogen generated from the liquid ammonia stored in the ammonia tank as combustion fuels.

15. A system for heat exchange between ammonia and engine coolant for an internal combustion engine, Ammonia tank for storing liquid ammonia; An expansion valve that receives liquid ammonia from the ammonia tank, the expansion valve that enables the change of state of the liquid ammonia to gaseous ammonia; and A heat exchange unit is fluidly coupled to the expansion valve and the internal combustion engine. The heat exchange unit receives gaseous ammonia from the expansion valve and receives high-temperature engine coolant from the internal combustion engine. Equipped with, Here, within the heat exchange unit, the gaseous ammonia and the high-temperature engine coolant undergo heat exchange, resulting in heated gaseous ammonia and cooled engine coolant. Here, the heated ammonia gas exits the heat exchange unit and is supplied to the internal combustion engine along with hydrogen for use as a combustion fuel. At this point, the cooled engine coolant exits the heat exchange unit and is supplied to the internal combustion engine. system.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the heat exchange unit is an evaporator.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the heat exchange unit has a structure comprising a series of parallel plates that enable heat exchange via parallel flow of the mixed phase liquid, gaseous ammonia, and the high-temperature engine coolant.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein, during a cold start of the internal combustion engine, only the heated gaseous ammonia and the hydrogen and nitrogen produced as a result of ammonia decomposition are supplied to the internal combustion engine for use as combustion fuel.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein the internal combustion engine uses only hydrogen produced from the heated gaseous ammonia and the liquid ammonia stored in the ammonia tank as combustion fuels.

20. The system according to any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the heat exchange unit has a structure that enables countercurrent heat exchange between the mixed phase liquid, gaseous ammonia, and the high-temperature engine coolant.

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