Combustion Models -- Getting the Most Bang for the Fuel Buck! -- Part II

September 27, 2002

Understanding Pyrocatalytic Cracking

You are probably wondering by this time how you get such a clean burn from heavy waste products; the answer is really quite simple -- pyrocatalytic cracking. We use heat and the catalytic properties of metal to break long molecular chains of hydrocarbons into short chains.

Looking at the burner system photo, you'll see to the right of the burner a propane "starter subsystem". Propane is used to bring the system heat up sufficiently to "crack" the heavy fuel into gases, and is then shut down once the waste or renewable fuel cycle is operational. 

To the left of the burner you'll see a typical automotive fuel injector being used to pulse narrow-duration shots of heavy liquid fuel into a "T" connector. Low pressure "carrier air" mixes with the heavy fuel and moves the mixture into the red-hot pyrocatalytic reactor chamber (vertical 1/2-inch tube) where the liquid-air mix changes to a gas-phase fuel. Small holes drilled into the far end of the gas-phase chamber act as gas modulation ports; the gas phase fuel burns as it exits these ports. The resultant flame (as mentioned earlier) is blue, white, and yellow; there is no smoke or even a hint of foul oil odor. 

One of the key elements in controlling the quality of the burn is a pulse-modulation electronic fuel injector controller. Both frequency and pulse width must be tunable to produce the most efficient burn.

So here we have an ultra-clean burner capable of efficiently and odorlessly producing unlimited amounts of head from absolutely free-for-the-taking waste oil. From here we can produce sufficient steam to run a boundary layer or Tesla type turbine for home, commercial, or industrial use.

This same system can be used with renewable or growable oils, cellulose matter, biogas, or even solar-collector steam.

This is all part of a revolution taking place across the globe as more people wake up to the fact that cheap oil reserves are dwindling, demand for electrical and transportation power is rapidly escalating, and the global ecology is breaking down. Only fools persist in folly!

Ken Rieli

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