Vaporizing Liquid Fuel Using Heat-Conductive Reticulated Screen
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oxidation reactors and fuel reformers are not suitable for compact, lightweight, and portable applications due to high-pressure electromagnetic fuel injectors that require air compression, increase weight, and are inefficient at low flow rates, and other vaporization methods are either costly or unreliable for distillate fuels.
Innovation Solution
A vaporization apparatus using a heat-conductive reticulated screen within a chamber, where a liquid fuel is delivered through a first inlet path and contacted with a flow of oxidant, and heated to vaporize and optionally ignite the fuel, with a recuperator transferring heat back to the oxidant, allowing for low-pressure operation and efficient fuel use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-pressure electromagnetic fuel injectors are used for vaporizing liquid fuel, then fuel vaporization can be achieved, but the device weight increases and requires air compression
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the high-pressure electromagnetic fuel injector and air compression system from the device, extracting the problematic heavy components while maintaining fuel vaporization capability through a simpler heating-based approach using a heat-conductive reticulated screen
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical high-pressure injection system with a thermal field-based vaporization system, where a heating element heats the reticulated screen to vaporize fuel, substituting mechanical complexity with thermal processing
2Reliability
If high-pressure electromagnetic fuel injectors are used, then fuel can be delivered, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reticulated screen serves dual functions: it acts as both the heating surface and the fuel distribution medium, eliminating the need for separate high-pressure injection systems and reducing overall energy consumption by utilizing the screen's thermal energy directly for fuel vaporization
3Reliability
If conventional vaporization methods are used for distillate fuels, then fuel can be vaporized, but the device becomes costly or unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a reticulated screen (porous material) as the core component for fuel vaporization, which provides reliable fuel distribution and heating surface area at low cost, making the device both manufacturable and reliable for distillate fuel applications
4Reliability
If high-pressure fuel injection is used, then fuel can be atomized, but noise level increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the noisy mechanical high-pressure injection and atomization system with a quiet thermal vaporization process where fuel is vaporized on the heated reticulated screen, eliminating the noise associated with high-pressure mechanical injection while achieving effective fuel-air mixing
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 apparatus enables efficient vaporization and ignition of distillate fuels at low pressure, reducing noise and energy demand, and maintaining operation for extended periods, suitable for logistics and field operations, with rapid cold start-up and efficient fuel combustion in both flame and catalytic modes.
Implementation Method 1
a heat-conductive reticulated screen positioned within the chamber
Implementation Method 2
heating the screen thereby vaporizing and, optionally, igniting the liquid fuel
Implementation Method 3
a recuperator in fluid communication with said chamber for transferring heat in said chamber to the second inlet path
Implementation Method 4
heating the screen to a temperature sufficient to vaporize and, optionally, ignite the liquid fuel
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and process for vaporizing and, optionally, igniting a liquid fuel, preferably, a distillate fuel. The apparatus includes the following components: a heat-conductive reticulated screen positioned within a chamber; a first inlet path into the chamber for delivering a liquid fuel onto the screen; a second inlet path into the chamber for contacting an oxidant with the screen and fuel; a means for heating the screen to a temperature sufficient to vaporize and, optionally, ignite the liquid fuel; and a recuperator in fluid communication with the chamber for transferring heat from the chamber to the second inlet path. The apparatus is suitably employed in compact and portable oxidation reactors, for example, in external combustion engines, catalytic partial oxidation reformers, and hybrid combustors operating in flame and/or catalytic modes.