Supercritical CO2 Fuel Injection for Heavy Residue Combustion
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for supplying heavy residue fuel into combustion chambers require heating it close to its coking temperature, leading to solid deposits and the use of expensive fuels like kerosene or water, which is inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses supercritical CO2 as a solvent to mix with heavy residue, avoiding the need for high temperatures and expensive additives, by forming a mixture that can be injected into the combustion chamber, with the CO2's high density and solvent properties reducing viscosity and facilitating atomization and dispersion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If heavy residue is heated close to its coking temperature to reduce viscosity for injection, then the fuel can be handled and injected, but solid coke deposits form that block piping and injectors
Solution Approach 1:
A heating medium is introduced as an intermediary substance that transfers heat to the heavy residue fuel, enabling viscosity reduction and injectability while maintaining the fuel temperature below its coking point. The heating medium acts as a controlled heat transfer agent, preventing direct overheating and coke formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The viscosity of heavy residue is reduced by controlled heating that changes its temperature parameter within a safe range (below coking temperature). This parameter change enables the fuel to achieve suitable flow properties for injection without reaching the harmful coking temperature threshold.
2Ease of operation
If heating medium is used to heat heavy residue, then viscosity is reduced for injection, but the heating medium consumes energy and increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The heating medium system is designed to utilize waste heat from the combustion process or other available heat sources within the same system, making the heating function self-sufficient. This eliminates the need for external energy sources and reduces overall system complexity while maintaining fuel injectability.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating function is merged with the existing combustion system by using waste heat recovery or integrating the heating medium circulation with the combustion process. This combination eliminates separate heating systems and reduces overall system complexity.
3Ease of operation
If heavy residue is heated to reduce viscosity, then injection is enabled, but energy is consumed for heating
Solution Approach 1:
The system recovers and reuses waste heat from the combustion process to heat the heavy residue fuel, making the energy requirement self-sufficient. This heat recovery approach eliminates additional energy consumption while maintaining fuel injectability.
Solution Approach 2:
Waste heat that would otherwise be discarded is converted into a useful resource for heating the heavy residue fuel. This transforms a harmful waste product into a beneficial heating source, eliminating additional energy consumption while enabling injection.
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
Prevents coking and reduces the need for expensive fuels by maintaining the heavy residue below its coking temperature and using CO2 to lower viscosity, ensuring efficient and complete combustion.
Implementation Method 1
A system for supplying a fuel into a combustion chamber (1) comprises a mixing system (24) for forming a mixture of fuel and supercritical pressure CO2
Implementation Method 2
with the CO2's high density and solvent properties reducing viscosity and facilitating atomization and dispersion
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The method for supplying a fuel into a combustion chamber (1) comprises mixing the fuel with supercritical pressure CO2 forming a mixture and injecting the mixture into a combustion chamber (1) having a pressure lower than the CO2 critical pressure.