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Zwick Energy Research Organization, Inc.

Eugene B Zwick

William D Brigham

Kenneth L Hoffman

Dung D Nguyen

Gabriel D Ferramola

Joseph M Prawdzik

A storage tank is used to store a large quantity of pseudoplastic deicing fluid. The fluid is stored at an ambient storage temperature. The storage tank has an outlet which is preferably a valve located on the floor of the tank. A heater is provided to rapidly heat only a portion of the fluid in the tank to a required delivery temperature estimated at between 160 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Once a portion of the fluid is heated to the appropriate temperature, the valve is opened and the heated fluid is delivered out of the tank through the valve. Heat is transferred to the fluid in a heating area creating a predetermined dynamic temperature pattern within the fluid when the outlet is in the closed position and a predetermined steady state temperature pattern within the fluid when the outlet is in the open position. The predetermined steady state temperature pattern is defined by the fluid flowing through the outlet being at the delivery temperature, the fluid flowing through a delivery area being heated to the delivery temperature, and the fluid flowing from the stored area to the delivery area being heated to approach the delivery temperature according to its relative distance from the outlet.

Method and apparatus for heating and delivering deicing fluids

A storage tank is used to store a large quantity of pseudoplastic fluid. The fluid is stored at an ambient storage temperature. The storage tank has an outlet which is preferably a valve located on the floor of the tank. A heater is provided to rapidly heat only a portion of the fluid in the tank to a required delivery temperature estimated at between 160 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Once a portion of the fluid is heated to the appropriate temperature, the valve is opened and the heated fluid is delivered out of the tank through the valve. Heat is transferred to the fluid in a heating area creating a predetermined dynamic temperature pattern within the fluid when the outlet is in the closed position and a predetermined steady state temperature pattern within the fluid when the outlet is in the open position. The predetermined steady state temperature pattern is defined by the fluid flowing through the outlet being at the delivery temperature, the fluid flowing through a delivery area being heated to the delivery temperature, and the fluid flowing from the stored area to the delivery area being heated to approach the delivery temperature according to its relative distance from the outlet.

In direct fired fluid burner heater of the type where fuel is continuously injected and burned at one end of a cylindrical combustion chamber and combustion gases discharged at an opposite open end pass through a heat exchanger for heating a circulating medium, and where high heat capacity is achieved for a given chamber size by swirling the flame in the combustion chamber, acoustical low frequency buzzing is controlled by restricting the discharge area through which exhaust gases flow downstream of the heat exchanger.

Buzz suppression in burners of high capacity direct fired fluid heaters

A flexible cryogenic hose is comprised of an inner cryogenic tube surrounded by a concentric heat shield, a closed concentric chamber and an outer protective jacket. At normal ambient temperatures the chamber is completely filled with carbon dioxide gas. As cryogenic liquid is pumped through the inner cryogenic tube, heat is transferred from all structures within the hose, including in particular the carbon dioxide gas in the closed chamber, which runs the length of the cryogenic tube. As the carbon dioxide gas is cooled, it liquefies, thereby substantially evacuating the chamber. The chamber has sufficient structural rigidity to avoid collapse at normal atmospheric pressures. After the cryogenic hose is used, cryogenic flow ceases and the hose warms. In warming, carbon dioxide gas in the chamber gassifies and again refills the chamber. As a result, outgassing from flexible or plastic material from which the hose is made into the chamber, while it is evacuated, is substantially avoided even after repeated cycles of use. Materials particularly adapted for use in flexible hoses, which are normally unsuitable because of their outgassing characteristics for use in vacuum insulated hoses, now become satisfactory materials for use.

Apparatus and method for evacuating an insulated cryogenic hose

A removable pump assembly for use in a cryogenic storage tank pumps liquid cryogen directly from the primary storage container with low boiloff loss. The cryogenic storage tank has an outer vessel, an inner vessel, an evacuated insulation space therebetween and a access port connecting the inner and outer vessels and providing an open cylindrical access to the interior of the cryogenic tank. A pump mounting tube assembly is disposed into the interior of the inner vessel of the cryogenic tank through the access port and includes an inner pump mounting tube and an outer pump mounting tube which are joined at their upper and lower rims to define an insulating jacket between the two tubes. The inner and outer pump mounting tubes are affixed at their upper ends to a top and bottom plate. The top and bottom plate in turn is affixed to an insulating block. Only the insulating block, which is disposed in the access port of the cryogenic tube, is in contact with any portion of the cryogenic tank. The insulating block provides a poor thermal path and also provides a gas seal between the pump mounting tube and the access port of the cryogenic tank. The pump mounting tube thus defines a long heat path into the cryogenic tank and is insulated from the liquid cryogen by a pocket of trapped gas formed within the inner tube by heating cryogen. A pump is introduced through the inner pump mounting tube and is also insulated against contact with liquid cryogen by the trapped gas. Only the lowermost end of the pump is immersed in cryogen, thereby minimizing heat conduction into the cryogen within the tank.

Cryogenic storage tank with a retrofitted in-tank cryogenic pump

A unit fuel injector is modified for use with low lubricity, low viscosity fuels by the following: providing a replaceable, deformable fluid seal between the brushing and the injector body; providing a drain conduit extending through both the bushing and the injector body which connects a fluid collecting cavity in the bore of the bushing to an exterior drain outlet; providing a pair of non-galling materials respectively on the plunger and bushing; providing diametrically symmetrical fuel ports on the bushing; providing a diametrically symmetrical metering groove arrangement on the plunger; and increasing the spray tip orifices to provide approximately a 20% increase in fuel discharge rate.

Unit type fuel injector for low lubricity, low viscosity fuels

Time dependent fluctuations in a low pressure drop heat exchanger can be prevented by incorporating an improvement into the heat exchanger and practicing a method relating to the pressure drop across the heat exchanger tubes. The improvement comprises an orifice at or near the inlet of the tube wherein the flow flowing into the tube at a liquid inflow rate enters the tube in the liquid state and is then converted while in the tube into a gaseous state at some point downstream from the orifice. The tube is characterized at a given pressure. The fluid, now in a gaseous state, exits the tube at a gas outflow rate. The orifice is disposed at the input of the tube and is sized to provide an inlet pressure drop across the orifice to the liquid which enters the tube at a magnitude equal to a fractional portion of the low pressure drop across the tube itself. This magnitude is at least large enough so that the absolute magnitude of the change in the gas outflow rate produced by any given change in the tube pressure is greater than the absolute magnitude of the change in the liquid inflow rate produced by the same given change in the tube pressure.

Prevaporizing combustion method

A cryogenic storage tank with a built-in pump for pumping cryogen directly from the primary storage container consistent with low boil-off losses of cryogen has an outer vessel, an inner vessel and an evacuated insulation space therebetween. A pump mounting tube assembly extends into the interior of the inner vessel and includes an inner pump mounting tube and an outer pump mounting tube joined at their lower rims to define an insulating jacket between the two tubes. The inner pump mounting tube is affixed at its upper end to the outer vessel while the outer pump mounting tube is affixed at its upper end to the inner vessel. The inner pump mounting tube defines a relatively long heat path into the cryogenic container and is itself insulated from the liquid cryogen by a pocket of trapped gas formed within the inner pump mounting tube by heated cryogen. A pump may be introduced through the inner pump mounting tube and is also insulated against contact with liquid cryogen by the trapped gas such that only the lowermost end of the pump is immersed in cryogen thereby minimizing heat leakage into the tank.

Cryogenic storage tank with built-in pump

A burner having a burner body in which combustion air is injected in an air flow pattern which establishes a relatively stagnant air region positioned within the flow of combustion air. A pilot flame injector is positioned to generate a pilot flame extending into the stagnant air region. The pilot flame can, thus, be maintained during the operation of the burner because the stable air conditions within the stagnant air region minimize disruption of the pilot flame by the flow of combustion air. A method for maintaining a uniform pilot flame within a burner operating over a range of combustion air flow rates by introducing combustion air into the burner and providing the combustion air with a flow configuration that establishes a stagnant air zone within the burner that is relatively independent of the flow rate of the combustion air. The pilot flame is then positioned within the stagnant air zone. An injector for feeding finely divided fuel to a burner. The injector includes means to provide an annular passage through which air may flow at high velocity for discharge into a burner. Means are provided to feed fuel into the annular passage such that the fuel may be broken up into minute droplets by the air flow through the passage. Additionally the means to feed fuel are positioned to minimize contact between the fuel and the passage surfaces. Thus, the fuel may be broken up into minute droplets within the air flow stream with the finely divided fuel being discharged into a burner.

Burner construction

A burner body defines a combustion zone and a secondary dilution zone. A first inlet opening leads to the combustion zone to admit fuel and air while a second inlet opening leads to the secondary dilution zone. The burner body contains a tertiary dilution zone connected to a third inlet opening. The secondary dilution zone is positioned downstream from the combustion zone and the tertiary dilution zone is positioned downstream from the secondary dilution zone. The flow areas of the first inlet opening and the second inlet opening is arranged to have a constant ratio. An air passage supplies air to the first, second and third inlet openings and a flow controller is positioned to control the air flow through the third inlet opening. When the flow controller is closed, air flows from the passage through the first and second inlet openings, while, when the flow controller is open, air flows from the passage through the first, second and third inlet openings. The fuel flow to the combustion zone is varied in response to the temperature within the zone. Fuel vaporizer means are positioned downstream from the secondary dilution zone and upstream from the tertiary dilution zone. The first and second inlet openings are constructed to provide a quantity of cooling air through the second inlet opening which reduces the temperature of the exhaust gases from the combustion zone to a level sufficient to vaporize fuel within the fuel vaporizer means without thermally degrading the fuel to cause coking.

Prevaporizing burner and method

The system utilizes a heat engine which provides shaft power and heat such as a conventional diesel engine in which part of the shaft power drives a pump for fluid to be heated; for example, a cryogenic liquid. The engine heat is used to heat and/or vaporize the cryogenic liquid in a heat exchanger. The heat available from the engine for transfer to the liquid to be vaporized is proportional to the power level of the engine. The heat required to heat the fluid to a desired temperature is proportional to the flow rate of the cryogenic liquid. By providing a loading on the engine which is proportional to the fluid flow rate, a sufficient amount of heat is provided to effect complete vaporization of the liquid, the amount of heat being directly proportional to the flow rate of the liquid. An engine radiator is provided to get rid of excess heat so that the heat supplied equals the heat required. The loading of the engine can be accomplished by a power absorbing hydraulic drive connected to the engine shaft with the hydraulic medium used to drive the cryogenic liquid pump, or alternatively by providing back pressure on an engine coolant pump, or by providing back pressure directly on the cryogenic fluid being pumped.

Fluid pumping and heating system

A burner for producing exhaust gases that are low in nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons. The burner is divided into a combustion zone and a dilution zone and means are provided for splitting the air input to direct a first stream of air to the combustion zone and a second stream of air to the dilution zone.

Low emission burner construction

The combination of a burner and a gas turbine in which the burner is divided into a combustion zone and a dilution zone. Means are provided to vary the fuel-to-air ratio within the combustion zone by diverting air directly to the dilution zone to produce exhaust gases for driving the turbine which have a relatively low content of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons.

Low emission combustion apparatus

A process for forming low-emission combustion gases. A lean mixture of fuel and air provides a substantially homogeneous mixture within the combustion zone. The fuel is preferably vaporized and, alternatively, may be introduced into the burner as microscopic droplets. Combustion temperature is maintained below about 3,000.degree. F. to reduce nitrogen oxides and combustion is conducted under stable conditions which sufficiently exceed lean blowout to reduce formation of carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons. The flow velocity into the burner is higher than the turbulent flame velocity. A dilution zone may be provided downstream from the combustion zone. To control performance, input air may be split into a first stream to the combustion zone and a second stream to the dilution zone. A quantity of water may be admixed with the fuel and be prevaporized to form water vapor containing fuel droplets. A method of operating a gas turbine with a burner operated as above, generating combustion gases to the turbine. A burner for producting low emission exhaust gases. The burner has a combustion zone and a dilution zone with means to split air input into a first stream to the combustion zone and a second stream to the dilution zone. The combination of a burner and a gas turbine with the burner having a combustion zone and a dilution zone. Diversion means vary the fuel-to-air ratio in the combustion zone by diverting air to the dilution zone to produce low emission exhaust gases to drive the turbine.

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Huntington Beach, CA, United States of America

Eugene B Zwick