Method of burning a fossil fuel

Patent · Tue Feb 28 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6483192

Whelan, J M

A method is disclosed for burning a fossil fuel and air with the emmission of an exhaust gas consisting essentially of atmospheric gases, carbon dioxide and water vapor and essentially free of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitric oxide, which comprises burning the fossil fuel at a temperature between 1000/sup 0/C and 1500/sup 0/C with less than the stoichiometric amount of atmospheric oxygen required for complete combustion of the fossil fuel to yield a combustion gas containing uncombusted fossil fuel, partially combusted fossil fuel, water vapor, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and atmospheric nitrogen, said carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide being in the ratio of 100 parts carbon dioxide to between 1 and about 11 parts carbon monoxide; combining said combustion gas with a predetermined amount of an oxygen containing gas to give at last a 1% excess of the stoichiometric amount of oxygen for oxidizing the uncombusted and partially combusted fossil fuel and carbon monoxide; and passing the resulting mixture over a novel ceramic catalyst at a temperature between about 200/sup 0/C and about 1000/sup 0/C. The usable heat energy of said combustion gas may be employed for work. The fossil fuel may also contain sulfur which is oxidized to sulfur trioxide by said catalyst in the presence of excess oxygen.

• Assignee: Univ. of Southern California
• Patent Number(s): US 4076486
• OSTI ID: 6483192
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
421000* -- Engineering-- Combustion Systems
ACTINIDES
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
CATALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
COMBUSTORS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
METALS
OPERATION
OXIDATION
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
THORIUM
TIN
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
ZIRCONIUM