Coupled Thermochemical Reactors and Engines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Renewable energy sources face inefficiencies and high costs due to intermittency and waste of captured energy, limiting their adoption and viability compared to fossil fuels.
Innovation Solution
A system of coupled thermochemical reactors and engines that utilize waste heat from combustion engines to dissociate hydrocarbons into hydrogen-based fuels and structural building blocks, with reaction products being recycled back to the engine for enhanced combustion and energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If renewable energy sources are used to produce electricity, then energy production can be achieved, but energy efficiency is reduced due to intermittency and waste of captured energy
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts waste heat from the combustion engine into useful thermal energy for the thermochemical reactor. The exhaust heat that would normally be lost to the environment is instead utilized to drive the dissociation of hydrocarbons, turning a harmful waste product into a beneficial resource for fuel synthesis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges two separate systems - a combustion engine and a thermochemical reactor - into an integrated coupled system. The engine provides mechanical work and the reactor produces fuels, with thermal energy being transferred between them. This combination allows both systems to support each other's operations and improve overall energy utilization.
2Use of energy by moving object
If waste heat from combustion engines is used to dissociate hydrocarbons, then energy efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases due to coupling reactors and engines
Solution Approach 1:
The coupled system performs multiple functions simultaneously: the combustion engine generates mechanical work and provides thermal energy, while the thermochemical reactor produces hydrogen-based fuels and structural building blocks. The system also enables heat recovery and fuel synthesis in an integrated manner, making each component serve multiple purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to be self-sufficient by using its own waste heat to drive the fuel synthesis process. The coupled thermochemical reactors and engines create a self-supporting system where the engine's exhaust heat automatically feeds into the reactor without requiring external energy inputs, reducing the need for additional complex control systems.
3Ease of manufacture
If coupled thermochemical reactors and engines are used, then clean-burning fuels can be produced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the fuel production process into distinct functional zones within the thermochemical reactor, allowing different chemical reactions to occur simultaneously. The reactor is divided into regions that handle different aspects of hydrocarbon dissociation and fuel synthesis, making the complex chemical processes more manageable and controllable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes changes in thermal and chemical parameters to control the dissociation and synthesis processes. By adjusting temperature, pressure, and reactant composition within the coupled reactor-engine system, the process can be optimized for different fuel outputs without requiring fundamentally different equipment configurations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach improves energy efficiency and reduces waste by using waste heat to produce clean-burning fuels and structural materials, enhancing the viability of renewable energy sources and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Implementation Method 1
combustion engines that utilize waste heat from combustion engines
Implementation Method 2
dissociate hydrocarbons into hydrogen-based fuels and structural building blocks
Implementation Method 3
waste heat from combustion engines to dissociate hydrocarbons
Implementation Method 4
utilize waste heat from combustion engines to dissociate hydrocarbons
Data Source
AI summary
Coupled thermal chemical reactors and engines, and associated systems and methods. A system in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a reactor vessel having a reaction zone, a hydrogen donor source coupled in fluid communication with the reaction zone, and an engine having a combustion region. The system can further include a transfer passage coupled between the combustion region and the reaction zone to transfer a reactant and/or radiate energy to the reaction zone. The system can further include a product passage coupled between the reaction zone and the combustion region of the engine to deliver to the combustion region at least a portion of a constituent removed from the reaction zone.