Method and apparatus for conditioning liquid hydrocarbon fuels

• Main Authors: GAINES, GLEN C, ROBY, RICHARD J, KLASSEN, MICHAEL S, ESKIN, LEO D, GOKULAKRISHNAN, PONNUTHURAL, RAMOTOWSKI, MICHAEL J, JOKLIK, RICHARD G, FULLER, CASEY C
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.10.2008
• Subjects: AIR; BLASTING; BURNERS; CASINGS, LININGS, WALLS OR DOORS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FORCOMBUSTION CHAMBERS, e.g. FIREBRIDGES; COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES; DETAILS OF COMBUSTION CHAMBERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; DEVICES FOR DEFLECTING AIR, FLAMES OR COMBUSTION PRODUCTS INCOMBUSTION CHAMBERS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METHODSOR APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION USING FLUID FUELOR SOLID FUEL SUSPENDED IN; SAFETY ARRANGEMENTS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR COMBUSTIONAPPARATUS; WEAPONS

In one embodiment of a method for vaporizing liquids such as fuels, the liquid is sprayed into a chamber such that the spray does not impinge on any surface. The energy for vaporization is supplied through the injection of a hot diluent such as nitrogen or oxygen depleted air. Additional heat is added through the surface. In another embodiment, the liquid is sprayed onto a hot surface using a geometry such that the entire spray is intercepted by the surface. Heat is added through the surface to maintain an internal surface temperature above the boiling point of the least volatile component of the liquid. The liquid droplets impinging on the surface are thus flash vaporized. A carrier gas may also be flowed through the vaporizer to control the dew point of the resultant vapor phase mixture.