Johnson Matthey & Co., Limited

Bernard E Enga

Christopher Prasad

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and particularly to igniting the fuel/air mixture of the engine. In more detail a catalytic engine comprises one or more cylinders, each cylinder having an associated piston and an entry port disposed at the top or in the region of the top of the cylinder and leading into a passage in communication with a precombustion chamber, means for injecting fuel into the combustion chamber, and a catalytic unit disposed across the entry port or across the said passage for catalytically igniting an injected fuel/air mixture, the catalytic unit including a thermally stable and oxidation resistant member having a multiplicity of flow paths or channels, the surfaces of which possess catalytic activity.

Prechamber catalytic ignition system

This invention relates to boilers more particularly to shell boilers and improvements in their operation. In more detail this specification describes and claims a boiler comprising a housing, an inlet for leading a fuel or a fuel/gas mixture into a combustion chamber, at least one array of pipes in series with the combustion chamber, an exit for leading exhaust gases away from the boiler and means for cooling the pipes and the combustion chamber, characterized in that the boiler includes a catalyst disposed in such a position that at least a proportion of any unburnt fuel leaving the combustion chamber undergoes catalytic combustion.

Boilers

A method of heat treatment of foodstuff in which a stream of oxygen-containing gas and fuel is passed over one or more catalysts to raise the temperature of the gas stream and the resulting hot, gas stream is contacted with foodstuff in which a proportion of the total fuel may be injected initially and a further proportion or proportions of fuel is subsequently injected preceding passage of the gas and fuel stream over a catalyst and the gas and fuel stream may be passed over catalysts in parallel or in series or so that a portion is continually divided off from the main stream flowing to a main catalyst and passed over a subsidiary catalyst and returned to a point in the mainstream upstream of where it was divided off.

Heat treatment of foodstuff

A boiler suitable for catalytic combustion of fuel comprises a pilot burner and at least two sections comprising a fuel injector, a catalytic combustor and a heat exchanger. The catalytic combustor may comprise a monolith support for the catalyst. Combustion of the fuel takes place in stages with intermediate abstraction of heat, combustion being completed in the final catalytic combustor in which the oxygen content preferably is reduced substantially to zero.

Catalytic combustion

This invention relates to Rankine cycle engines and to improved methods of operation whereby catalytic oxidation of a major proportion of the fuel takes place in the boiler section of the engine. In order to improve the operation of a Rankine engine, the engine is modified to include a combustor having a thermally stable and oxidation resistant monolith containing a multiplicity of flow paths or channels, the monolith being made from a catalyst material or supporting a catalyst material for the catalytic combustion of the combustible gases and injected fuel.

Engines

This invention relates to Stirling engines and to improved methods of operation whereby catalytic oxidation of a major proportion of the fuel takes place in the external combustor. An external combustion unit of a Stirling engine comprises a catalytic combustor having a thermally stable and oxidation resistant monolith made from and/or carrying a catalytic material and including a multiciplity of flow paths for catalytic combustion of combustible gases and injected fuel. The use of a catalytic combuster in accordance with this invention enables a Stirling or other engine fitted therewith to be used in areas such as mines and underwater installations where conventional flame combustion is impracticable or is controlled by stringent regulations.

This invention relates to an apparatus and a process for improving the efficiency which may be obtained in the operation of power generation systems which utilize the combustion of fuel.

This invention relates to power sources which may be used underwater and to such sources in which catalytic combustion of the fuel takes place. The power source according to the invention includes two or more catalytic combustors each comprising a fuel injector, a supported catalyst having a ceramic or metallic support, a high surface area refractory metal oxide coating on the support and a catalytic layer on the coating the catalytic layer comprising a platinum group metal selected from the group consisting of Ru, Rh, Pd, Ir, Pt alloys of the said metals with each other and alloys of one or more of the said metals with one or more base metals such that at least 10% by weight of the said catalyst is a platinum group metal each combustor having a separate fuel supply and a separate heat exchange unit which form part of the same boiler.

Growing community of inventors

Maidenhead, United Kingdom

Bernard E Enga