Integrated Evaporator Combustor for Liquefied Fuel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems that use liquefied fuels face challenges when they cannot rely solely on a fuel tank as an evaporator, necessitating an alternative method to efficiently evaporate and utilize liquefied fuels in combustion applications.
Innovation Solution
A liquefied fuel burner with an integrated evaporator housing inside the combustion chamber, functioning as a counter-current heat exchanger, which includes an inlet conduit, evaporator housing, and an evaporation element to efficiently evaporate liquid fuel by exposing it to heat from the combustion path, and a fuel injector with an evaporation chamber and metal strands to enhance evaporation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a fuel tank is used as an evaporator, then the system structure is simple, but the evaporation efficiency is insufficient for certain applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the evaporator housing with the combustion chamber into a single integrated structure. The evaporator housing is positioned inside the combustion chamber, allowing the combustion process and evaporation process to occur in the same spatial envelope, thereby improving evaporation efficiency without significantly increasing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The evaporator housing is nested within the combustion chamber, creating a compact configuration where the evaporator element is surrounded by the combustion environment. This nested arrangement allows the hot combustion gases to directly heat the evaporator element, enhancing heat transfer efficiency
2Productivity
If the fuel surface area is increased for evaporation, then the evaporation efficiency improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator element utilizes a porous structure that provides a large internal surface area for fuel evaporation. The porous material allows liquid fuel to distribute throughout its structure, creating numerous evaporation sites without requiring a complex external configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a simple surface evaporation approach to a volumetric evaporation approach by using the porous interior of the evaporator element. This three-dimensional utilization of space within the evaporator housing dramatically increases the effective evaporation surface area without proportionally increasing the external dimensions or complexity
3Use of energy by moving object
If a counter-current heat exchanger is used, then heat transfer efficiency improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger function is merged with the evaporator housing and combustion chamber structure. The evaporator housing serves dual purposes: containing the evaporation element and acting as the heat exchanger surface. The combustion chamber provides both the combustion environment and the heat transfer medium, eliminating the need for a separate heat exchanger component
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own combustion process to provide the heat necessary for evaporation. The hot combustion gases naturally circulate through and around the evaporator element, providing self-contained heat transfer without requiring external heating systems or complex heat exchange mechanisms
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 solution allows for efficient evaporation of liquefied fuels within the combustion chamber, ensuring reliable fuel combustion by multiplying the fuel's surface area and optimizing heat transfer, thereby overcoming the limitations of traditional fuel tank-based systems.
Implementation Method 1
the housing operates as a counter current heat exchanger with the surrounding flame to evaporate the fuel inside the housing
Implementation Method 2
an evaporation path extending from the evaporator inlet aperture to the evaporator outlet aperture in a counter-current flow direction opposite to the combustion path aperture
Implementation Method 3
to expose a multiplied surface of the liquid fuel to heat from the combustion path for evaporation
Implementation Method 4
exposing a multiplied surface of the liquid fuel to heat from the combustion path
Implementation Method 5
a fuel injector with an evaporation chamber and metal strands to enhance evaporation
Data Source
AI summary
The method can include injecting fuel from a liquefied fuel source into a combustion chamber having a combustion path, by circulating the fuel out from an inlet conduit into an evaporator housing, along the evaporator housing in a direction opposite the combustion path and across an evaporator element receiving fuel in the liquid state and exposing a multiplied surface of the liquid fuel to heat from the combustion path to evaporate the liquid fuel, and conveying the evaporated fuel into the combustion chamber and into the combustion path.