Infrared Excitation and Hydrogen Blending for Engine Combustion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face limitations in achieving efficient combustion of hydrocarbon fuels in heavy-duty diesel engines and hydrogen-blended fuels due to issues with fuel homogeneity and combustion stability, leading to reduced performance and increased emissions.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses an infrared radiation source emitting wavelengths between 3-20 micrometers to excite hydrocarbon fuels, combined with a hydrogen source providing hydrogen gas for combustion in the engine cylinder, enhancing fuel efficiency and homogeneity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If infrared radiation is used to excite hydrocarbon fuel in heavy-duty diesel engines, then fuel combustion efficiency is improved, but the fuel excitation effect becomes limited due to extensive fuel flow requirements and very short time intervals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines infrared radiation excitation with hydrogen fuel addition to create a synergistic effect. The infrared radiation excites the hydrocarbon fuel molecules to higher vibrational states, lowering activation energy, while hydrogen addition provides additional fuel that burns faster and more completely. This merging of two technologies overcomes the limitation of infrared excitation alone in handling extensive fuel flows at very short time intervals in heavy-duty diesel engines.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the energy state parameters of the hydrocarbon fuel by applying infrared radiation at specific wavelengths (3-20 μm) to excite molecular vibrations. This parameter change in the fuel's internal energy state enables more efficient combustion even under the extreme conditions of heavy-duty diesel engines with high fuel flow rates and short combustion times.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If hydrogen is added as an alternate fuel to accompany fossil fuels, then engine emissions are reduced, but uncontrollable hydrogen self-ignition and intensive combustion knock occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses infrared radiation to change the energy parameters of the hydrocarbon fuel, exciting it to higher vibrational states. This parameter change in the fuel's internal energy allows for more controlled and efficient combustion when hydrogen is added, preventing uncontrolled self-ignition and intensive combustion knock while maintaining the emission benefits of hydrogen blending.
Solution Approach 2:
The infrared radiation acts as an intermediary that mediates between the hydrogen fuel addition and the hydrocarbon fuel combustion. By first exciting the hydrocarbon fuel with infrared radiation, the system creates a more controlled combustion environment that prevents the harmful effects of uncontrolled hydrogen self-ignition while still achieving the emission reduction benefits.
3Productivity
If infrared radiation is used to excite fuel, then fuel conversion efficiency is improved, but the technology requires extensive infrastructure and system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges infrared radiation excitation with hydrogen fuel addition technology, creating a combined system that achieves superior fuel conversion efficiency. This merging allows the system to leverage the emission benefits of hydrogen while using infrared excitation to control the combustion process, overcoming the infrastructure complexity challenge through integrated design.
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 engine performance by increasing torque and power, reducing fuel consumption, and decreasing emissions, while maintaining compatibility with various hydrocarbon fuels and engine types without requiring engine modifications.
Implementation Method 1
Hydrocarbon molecules are known to be infrared-active and absorb infrared photons in 3-20 μm wavelengths to cause molecular vibrations in stretching and/or bending movement
Implementation Method 2
When a photon is absorbed by a molecule, it ceases to exist and its energy is transferred to the molecule in one of vibrational, rotational, electronic, and translational forms
Implementation Method 3
hydrogen gas to be burned along with the infrared-excited hydrocarbon fuel in engine cylinder
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a system and a method for achieving efficient combustion of hydrocarbon fuels in internal combustion engines to enhance the engine performance with reduced fuel consumption and emissions, comprising at least an infrared radiation source emitting infrared at wavelengths covering at least a portion of 3-20 micrometers wavelength range for exciting the hydrocarbon fuel and a hydrogen source providing hydrogen gas to be burned along with the infrared-excited hydrocarbon fuel in engine cylinder. The hydrocarbon fuel can be any of hydrocarbon-based fuels, including methane, propane, gasoline, ethanol, diesels, biodiesels, and renewable fuels, that are used to power internal combustion engines. The expectation is to provide an effective means of improving hydrocarbon fuel efficiency in engines for better engine performance with increased torque and power, improved fuel economy, and reduced exhaust emissions.