The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 05, 2001
Filed:
Jul. 23, 1999
Brian S. Ahern, Boxboro, MA (US);
Charles W. Haldeman, Concord, MA (US);
John T. Preston, Hingham, MA (US);
Quantum Energy Technologies, Woburn, MA (US);
Abstract
There is provided a water-hydrocarbon mixture. In one example, the mixture includes liquid hydrocarbon and between about 5% and about 70% water. The mixture is at a pressure that is below the critical pressure characteristic of the mixture and is at a temperature that is at least the greater of about 250° C. and about the boiling point temperature of water at the mixture pressure. The mixture provides a local environment of water molecules, tending to limit hydrocarbon polymerization and other undesirable side reactions and keeping the hydrocarbon from precipitating from the mixture. This provides for a faster, more complete combustion cycle that is characterized by lower emissions of carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, and volatile organic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbon preferably includes hydrocarbon micro-droplets of a diameter of no more than about 1 &mgr;m. The water in the mixture is preferably in a gaseous state, and one or more hydrocarbon constituents in the mixture are also preferably in a gaseous state. In one embodiment, both the water and the hydrocarbon of the mixture are in a gaseous state.