Helical Micro-Combustion Device with Catalytic Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing micro-combustion devices for electrical power generation suffer from low global and combustion performance due to uncontrollable heat dispersions and inefficient temperature gradients, which limits their effectiveness in thermoelectric energy conversion.
Innovation Solution
A micro-combustion device with an elongated cylindrical combustion chamber featuring tangential injection of oxidizing agents and fuel, catalytic material on internal walls, and a turbo compressor group to induce helical motion and enhance combustion efficiency, combined with a fuel cell for additional electrochemical power generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If heat is generated to heat thermoelectric elements in a restricted area, then temperature gradient is increased, but heat dispersion becomes un controllable and global performance does not reach high values
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a helical combustion path through tangential injection of oxidizing agent, creating a rotational flow pattern within the cylindrical combustion chamber. This curved flow path increases the residence time of reactants and distributes heat generation more uniformly along the chamber walls, reducing localized heat dispersion while maintaining the temperature gradient needed for thermoelectric conversion.
Solution Approach 2:
The helical combustion path ensures continuous contact between the combustion gases and the catalytic material deposited on the internal cylindrical walls throughout the chamber length. This continuous interaction maintains sustained combustion and steady heat generation along the entire combustion path, preventing heat loss and improving global combustion performance.
2Productivity
If combustion path is lengthened to improve combustion reaction, then residence time is increased, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
By introducing helical motion through tangential injection, the combustion path becomes a spiral that winds through the cylindrical chamber. This three-dimensional curved path significantly increases the effective combustion length and residence time within the same physical chamber volume, allowing improved combustion efficiency without proportionally increasing device size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses fluid dynamic principles by injecting the oxidizing agent tangentially to create a rotating flow field. This pneumatic design utilizes the kinetic energy of the injected flow to generate the helical motion, extending the combustion path through fluid dynamics rather than simply increasing the physical chamber dimensions.
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
The device achieves higher global performance with reduced size and energy losses by lengthening the combustion path and residence time, and utilizing catalytic acceleration, resulting in increased electrical power production with fewer losses and compact design.
Implementation Method 1
the internal cylindrical walls have a deposition of catalytic material, in order to accelerate the combustion reaction
Implementation Method 2
The injection of said oxidising agent takes place tangentially to the internal cylindrical wall, so as to induce a helical combustion path
Implementation Method 3
a combustion chamber, having an inlet end, a discharge end with at least a discharge duct and injection ducts for inserting a combustion agent, a fuel and/or a mixture thereof
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A micro-combustion device (1) for the generation of electrical power, capable of raising the global performance of the system, with greater compactness and fewer losses by exploiting the principles of a combustion chamber with induced helical path, comprising: one or more injection ducts (7, 8) for inserting a combustion agent, a fuel and/or a mixture thereof wherein at least the injection of said combustion agent takes place tangentially to the internal cylindrical wall, so as to induce a helical combustion path, the internal cylindrical walls of the chamber having a deposition of catalytic material to accelerate the combustion reaction; a turbo compressor group (10), comprising a compressor (11), feeding under pressure said combustion chamber (2) through said one or more injection ducts (8), and a turbine (12), receiving the flue gases from said discharge duct (15), compressor (11) and turbine (12) being keyed on the same axis (13), whereon a generator (14) of electrical power, in turn, is keyed; and a fuel cell (16), fed by the flue gases through said turbine (12) and by an oxidising agent, implementing an electrochemical process for the generation of additional electrical power.