Alcohol dissociation and waste heat recovery process for automobiles

Patent · Tue Jan 17 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6688173

Rutledge, G D; Yoon, H

A method of fuel treatment and distribution for an internal combustion engine including the steps as follows: (a) operating an adiabatic reactor without a substantial amount of exhaust heat within an operational temperature range, the catalyst bed reactor including a partial combustion catalyst and a dissociation catalyst; (b) providing a substantial amount of engine exhaust heat to an endothermic reactor having an endothermic dissociation catalyst therein, (c) vaporizing liquid alcohol to form alcohol vapor; (d) mixing the alcohol vapor with air to form a partial combustion mixture; (e) contacting the partial combustion mixture and the partial combustion catalyst whereby a dissociation mixture is formed and heat is evolved; (f) contacting the dissociation mixture and the dissociation catalyst to form a hydrogen rich fuel; (g) contacting the hydrogen-rich fuel and the endothermic dissociation catalyst to form a fuel product whereby at least a portion of any residual undissociated alcohol in the hydrogen-rich fuel is dissociated to hydrogen and carbon monoxide using the engine waste heat provided by the exhaust gas.

• Assignee: Conoco Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4425876
• OSTI ID: 6688173
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330100* -- Internal Combustion Engines
330800 -- Emission Control-- Alternative Fuels
ADIABATIC PROCESSES
ALCOHOL FUELS
AUTOMOBILES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CATALYTIC CONVERTERS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COMBUSTION CONTROL
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
COMPUTERS
CONTROL
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DESIGN
DISSOCIATION
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY RECOVERY
ENGINES
EQUIPMENT
EVAPORATORS
EXHAUST RECIRCULATION SYSTEMS
EXHAUST SYSTEMS
FUEL SYSTEMS
FUELS
HEAT ENGINES
HEAT RECOVERY
HYDROGEN
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
MICROPROCESSORS
NONMETALS
OPERATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
RECOVERY
SUPERHEATERS
SYNTHETIC FUELS
VEHICLES
WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION