Plasma-Assisted Cool Flame Generation via Ozone Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies face challenges in achieving stable and efficient low-temperature combustion, particularly in generating self-sustaining cool flames, which are crucial for reducing emissions and improving engine efficiency, as existing methods struggle with radical branching kinetics and stability at low temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A plasma-assisted combustion process using a heated counterflow flame arrangement with an ozone generating micro plasma dielectric barrier discharge, which generates ozone to accelerate the chain-branching process, allowing for the creation of stable cool flames with temperatures below 1050 K, suitable for various fuels like n-heptane and transportation fuels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional heating methods are used to establish cool flames, then the cool flame can be maintained, but the system complexity and wall heat loss management become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional thermal heating systems with a plasma generation system. Instead of using complex heating apparatus to maintain cool flame temperatures, the invention uses electrical discharge to generate plasma that directly initiates and sustains low-temperature combustion through chemical kinetics rather than thermal input.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental parameter for initiating combustion from thermal energy to plasma energy. By using plasma to generate reactive species (atoms, ions, electrons) that directly participate in chain-branching reactions, the system achieves cool flame conditions without requiring complex thermal management systems.
2Stability of the object's composition
If external heating is provided to establish cool flames, then combustion can be initiated, but the understanding of fundamental cool flame behavior remains limited due to wall interactions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces contact-based heating methods with non-contact plasma generation. The plasma is generated in the gas phase without requiring physical contact with reactor walls, thereby eliminating wall heat loss and wall interaction effects that complicate the study of fundamental cool flame behavior.
3Productivity
If plasma activation is used to accelerate chain-branching at low temperature, then self-sustaining cool flames can be achieved, but the system requires new reaction pathways
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses plasma-generated oxygen atoms and reactive oxygen species as strong oxidants to accelerate the chain-branching process. These highly reactive species directly attack fuel molecules and promote rapid oxidation reactions at low temperatures, providing new reaction pathways that bypass the slow kinetics of conventional thermal initiation.
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 enables the establishment of stable cool flames and flameless combustion, reducing soot and NOx emissions, enhancing fuel oxidation efficiency, and increasing fuel flexibility, particularly for solid oxide fuel cells, while reducing energy costs and enthalpy losses.
Implementation Method 1
plasma-assisted combustion process using a heated counterflow flame arrangement with an ozone generating micro plasma dielectric barrier discharge
Implementation Method 2
generates ozone to accelerate the chain-branching process
Implementation Method 3
heated counterflow flame arrangement
Implementation Method 4
stable cool flames with temperatures below 1050 K
Implementation Method 5
flameless combustion, reducing soot and NOx emissions, enhancing fuel oxidation efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary embodiment can be an exemplary method, which can include, for example, generating a cool flame(s) using a plasma-assisted combustion, and maintaining the cool flame(s). The cool flame(s) can have a temperature below about 1050 Kelvin, which can be about 700 Kelvin. The cool flame(s) can be further generated using a heated counterflow burning arrangement and a an ozone generating arrangement. The heated counterflow burning arrangement can include a liquid fuel vaporization arrangement. The ozone generating arrangement can include a micro plasma dielectric barrier discharge arrangement. The plasma-assisted combustion can be generated using (i) liquid n-heptane, (i) heated nitrogen, and (iii) ozone.