Ethanol Engine Reformer Recovery Loop Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The ethanol engine system faces instability in reformed gas components and calorific value due to varying ethanol concentrations, leading to reduced thermal efficiency and complex control requirements.
Innovation Solution
The system stabilizes reformed gas components by recycling and re-supplying the recovery solution from a recovery tank to both the reformer and combustion chamber, maintaining consistent ethanol concentration and enhancing hydrogen concentration, thereby simplifying control and improving thermal efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If aqueous ethanol solution is directly injected into the combustion chamber and reformed gas is supplied to the engine, then thermal efficiency is enhanced through exhaust heat recovery, but ethanol concentration varies causing instability in reformed gas components and calorific value
Solution Approach 1:
The invention recovers and recycles the aqueous ethanol solution that has passed through the reformer back to the reservoir tank, creating a closed-loop system. This recovery approach maintains ethanol concentration stability while continuing to enable exhaust heat recovery for reforming, thus resolving the contradiction between energy efficiency and composition stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If ethanol concentration is monitored and controlled to maintain stability, then reformed gas components and calorific value are stabilized, but control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves self-regulation of ethanol concentration through the recycling mechanism. The aqueous ethanol solution that exits the reformer with reduced ethanol concentration is automatically returned to the reservoir tank, where it mixes with fresh ethanol solution, naturally maintaining concentration stability without requiring external monitoring or control systems.
3Quantity of substance
If dehydration process is used to concentrate ethanol, then fuel quality is improved, but manufacturing energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention maintains continuous useful action by recycling the aqueous ethanol solution back to the reservoir tank, ensuring that ethanol is continuously available for both direct injection and reforming processes. This continuous circulation eliminates the need for periodic dehydration processes, maintaining fuel quality while avoiding the high energy consumption associated with dehydration.
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 configuration stabilizes the reformed gas components, enhances hydrogen concentration, reduces cooling losses, and increases thermal efficiency by maintaining consistent ethanol concentration and hydrogen-rich gas supply, allowing for high-efficiency engine operation.
Implementation Method 1
the reformed gas including hydrogen can be generated from the aqueous ethanol solution by an endothermic reaction by utilizing its exhaust heat
Implementation Method 2
as hydrous ethanol has a great latent heat of evaporation to its calorific value, the inside of the combustion chamber can be cooled by directly supplying the hydrous ethanol to the engine
Implementation Method 3
a configuration that a reformed gas fed from the reformer and an unreformed aqueous ethanol solution are separated in a separator
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(a)~3(c)
AI summary
An ethanol engine system is provided that stabilizes components of a reformed gas generated by a reformer and a calorific value of fuel supplied to an engine and has a high thermal efficiency. The ethanol engine system has a characteristic that the system is provided with a reservoir tank 4 for an aqueous ethanol solution, a first supply device 103 that supplies the aqueous ethanol solution in the reservoir tank to the reformer 2, a separator 3 that cools a mixed gas fed from the reformer and including the reformed gas, condenses water vapor included in the mixed gas and separates into gas and liquid, a reformed gas supply device 101 that supplies the reformed gas separated by the separator to the engine 1, a recovery tank 5 that collects a recovery solution separated by the separator, and a first recovery solution supply device 102 that supplies the recovery solution in the recovery tank to the reformer or a second recovery solution supply device 104 that supplies the recovery solution in the recovery tank to a combustion chamber of the engine.