Ener-core Power, Inc.

Ingersoll-rand Energy Systems Corporation

Flexenergy Energy Systems, Inc.

Jeffrey Armstrong

Douglas Hamrin

Richard Martin

Boris A Maslov

Shaun Sullivan

Eric Roslund

Eric Dolak

Joe Perry

Toni H Stamenov

Described herein are embodiments of systems and methods for oxidizing gases. In some embodiments, a reaction chamber is configured to receive a fuel gas and maintain the gas at a temperature within the reaction chamber that is above an autoignition temperature of the gas. The reaction chamber may also be configured to maintain a reaction temperature within the reaction chamber below a flameout temperature. In some embodiments, heat and product gases from the oxidation process can be used, for example, to drive a turbine, reciprocating engine, and injected back into the reaction chamber.

Gradual oxidation with flue gas

Gradual oxidation with heat transfer

Hybrid gradual oxidation

Gradual oxidation with adiabatic temperature above flameout temperature

Gradual oxidation below flameout temperature

Gradual oxidation with heat control

Staged gradual oxidation

A combustor for a gas turbine engine is disclosed which is able to operate with high combustion efficiency, and low nitrous oxide emissions during gas turbine operations. The combustor consists of a can-type configuration which combusts fuel premixed with air and delivers the hot gases to a turbine. Fuel is premixed with air and is delivered to the combustor with a high degree of swirl motion. This swirling mixture of reactants is conveyed through a flowpath that expands; the mixture reacts, and establishes a central recirculation zone. An imperforate trapped vortex cavity is disposed proximal to the swirler apparatus which provides for a second reaction zone. Fresh fuel/air reactants are exchanged with burned products in the trapped vortex and a pilot flame is established in the trapped cavity. The imperforate trapped cavity is not supplied with either fuel or air, but is cooled on a backside of the cavity with a flow of cooling air. The cooling air is then conveyed to the combustion chamber so as to not interfere with the critical flame holding flow features of the combustor.

Trapped vortex combustion chamber

A fuel-conditioning skid for an engine. The fuel-conditioning skid includes an inlet that is connectable to a source to receive a flow of fuel containing undesirable compounds. An outlet is connectable to the engine to deliver a flow of fuel that is substantially free of undesirable compounds. An inlet cleaner is in fluid communication with the inlet and is operable to remove a portion of the undesirable compounds. A compressor is in fluid communication with the inlet cleaner to receive the flow of fuel at a first pressure and discharge the flow of fuel at a second pressure. The second pressure is greater than the first pressure. A purifier is in fluid communication with the inlet cleaner to receive the flow of fuel. The purifier is operable to remove substantially all of the remaining undesirable compounds from the flow of fuel.

Fuel-conditioning skid

A combustion air delivery system comprising a compressor operable to provide a stream of compressed air and a bypass duct positioned to divide the stream of compressed air into a bypass flow stream and a primary flow stream. A recuperator is operable to preheat the primary flow to produce a flow of preheated compressed air. A premix chamber receives the bypass flow stream and mixes the bypass flow stream with a flow of fuel to produce a fuel-air flow. A can member at least partially defines a primary zone that receives the fuel-air flow and includes an aperture sized to admit a predetermined portion of the flow of preheated compressed air. The fuel-air flow and predetermined portion of the flow of preheated compressed air mix in the primary zone to produce a combustible flow. An igniter is operable to ignite the combustible flow.

System and method to stage primary zone airflow

Growing community of inventors

Exeter, NH, United States of America

Jeffrey Armstrong