Internal Combustion Engine Gas Destruction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for destroying harmful gases like methyl bromide are inefficient and contribute to stratospheric ozone depletion, with many technologies requiring complex recovery or recycling processes that are not fully effective in achieving complete destruction.

Innovation Solution

An internal combustion engine-based method that oxidizes target gases by mixing them with air to form an oxidizable mixture, compressing, and then combusting at high pressures and temperatures to achieve near-complete destruction, followed by scrubbing and desalination to neutralize residues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If methyl bromide is incinerated at high temperatures (600°C to 1,000°C), then destruction efficiency is improved, but energy consumption and process complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedestruction efficiencyVSAvoidprocess complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the temperature parameter from conventional high-temperature incineration (600-1000°C) to low-temperature catalytic decomposition (50-200°C), achieving complete destruction of methyl bromide without the need for complex high-temperature equipment and energy systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the thermal-mechanical incineration system with a chemical-catalytic system, substituting physical heat treatment with chemical catalytic action to achieve the same destruction goal with simpler equipment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If activated carbon is used to absorb methyl bromide followed by scrubbing with sodium thiosulphate, then gas destruction is achieved, but multiple processing steps and chemical agents are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegas destructionVSAvoidnumber of processing steps
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the absorption and decomposition functions into a single catalytic decomposition step, eliminating the need for separate activated carbon absorption and sodium thiosulphate scrubbing stages

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts and removes the need for multiple chemical agents (activated carbon, sodium thiosulphate) by using a catalyst that enables direct decomposition of methyl bromide into harmless products

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Object-generated harmful factors

If methyl bromide is recovered and recycled through adsorption and desorption, then emission reduction is achieved, but complete destruction is not accomplished and additional equipment is needed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveemission reductionVSAvoidequipment requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention converts the harmful methyl bromide gas directly into beneficial harmless products (methane and bromine) through catalytic decomposition, transforming the waste problem into a solution rather than requiring recovery and recycling infrastructure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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 method achieves destruction levels of 97% to 100% of target gases in a single cycle, significantly reducing residual harmful compounds and their environmental impact, with the oxidized exhaust gases being further processed to minimize emissions.

Implementation Method 1

combustion chamber to a temperature sufficient to thermally decay a proportion of the target gas mixture and combust the target gas mixture to oxidised exhaust gases

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOxidation: Oxidation

Implementation Method 2

combust the target gas mixture to oxidised exhaust gases

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCombustion: Combustion

Implementation Method 3

compressing, and then combusting at high pressures and temperatures

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Implementation Method 4

compressing the target gas and air mixture to a second pressure within the range of 25 to 35 atm, raising the temperature of the air/target gas mixture to at least 550°C. This second pre-combustion compression pressure in the combustion chamber commences the thermal decay process of the target gas mixture

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal decay: Pyrolysis

Data Source

PatentEP3579933B1Method for gas destruction
Publication Date: 2021.11.24 MEBROM RES & DEV PTY LTD
  • EP3579933B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

A method for the destruction of a target gas, the method including: a) compressing at a first pressure a mixture of air and target gas to produce a compressed target gas mixture; b) destroying the target gas by combusting the compressed target gas mixture with diesel fuel in a forced-induction internal combustion engine, at a combustion pressure greater than the first pressure in the turbocharger, to produce an oxidised exhaust gas, the combustion occurring while maintaining a load on the diesel engine with a load bank; and c) processing the oxidised exhaust gas to produce a vent gas for venting to atmosphere where the vent gas includes substantially no target gas.