Abstract:
Systems and apparatus for additive atomizing for severe operating environments are shown. An additive is introduced into a gas stream within a conduit, which provides atomization, into droplets, of the additive. The atomized droplets are then available for introduction into a severe operating environment, such as for example, a combustion chamber, furnace, incinerator, etc.

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE  
       [0001]     The present disclosure relates to additive atomization systems and apparatus. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to additive atomizing systems and apparatus for severe operating environments.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE  
       [0002]     The introduction of an additive into an operating environment may include atomization of the additive as it is being introduced into the operating environment. Atomization may be desirable for many reasons, such as greater liquid surface area for subsequent combustion, greater mixing potential with any material existing within the operating environment, etc.  
         [0003]     Two main approaches are used to introduce and atomize additives in low severity environments. In one approach air-atomizing nozzles with a fixed orifice located at the intersection of separate liquid and gas streams regulate liquid flow and provide some of the energy needed for atomization of the liquid stream. In this type of approach liquid and gas line stream pressures must be balanced carefully as they are introduced to the nozzle in order to achieve the proper combination of flow rate and spray characteristics (spray angle, droplet size, etc.)  
         [0004]     In another approach, hydraulic nozzles depend on liquid feed pressure to achieve both atomization and control feed rate.  
         [0005]     Both the balanced approach or liquid feed pressure approach require the use of a small fixed orifice at the spray-producing nozzle to generate liquid breakup. These small orifices are prone to plugging and fouling. Moreover, the use of a fixed orifice for liquid flow control usually provides minimal user flexibility since turndown is usually restricted to about 2.5:1. Additionally, in low flow applications, liquid pressure regulation may be difficult and result in swinging flow rates.  
         [0006]     In severe operating environments, injection systems may be used. For example, a fuel injection system is often used to introduce and atomize gasoline into a cylinder of an internal combustion automotive engine. Accordingly, a nozzle in a fuel injector or other injection apparatus may be designed so as to provide desired atomization characteristics, such as size of liquid droplet, pattern of droplets, etc.  
         [0007]     Of course, injection systems may fail, such as when an injector nozzle clogs. Occasionally the fuel itself may clog the injection through contaminates, etc. Moreover, the extreme operating environments, including temperature and pressure extremes, fouling effects of combustion side products, etc., often found in combustion chambers subject injectors to various environmental fluctuations that may require compensation to ensure reliable fuel injection.  
         [0008]     Accordingly, it is often difficult to maintain durability, reliability and other desired characteristics of additive apparatus and systems.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     The present invention comprises additive atomizing systems and apparatus for severe operating environments.  
         [0010]     In systems of preferred embodiments, an additive stream is fed into a gas stream via a conduit, resulting in atomization of the additive. The atomized additive is then available for use, e.g., feeding into an operating environment, etc.  
         [0011]     In apparatus of preferred embodiments, an additive chamber is connected to a conduit via an additive flow control device. A gas feed is connected to the conduit as well via a gas flow control device so that, in operation, a gas introduced by the gas feed via the gas control device atomizes any additive introduced via the additive chamber and additive flow control device. The atomized additive may then be provided via the conduit as desired, for example, introduced into an operating environment, etc.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     The features and advantages of the various embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description in which:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system, according to a preferred embodiment.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates a process according to a preferred embodiment.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates a preferred embodiment.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  illustrates a preferred embodiment.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  illustrates a preferred embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary block diagram of a system, according to one embodiment. Additive chamber  10  is connected to conduit  30  via additive flow control device  20 . In various embodiments, an additive chamber is to contain an additive, as is further described below. In this and other embodiments, physical parameters (shape, size, and/or other parameters) of an additive chamber may be varied as desired. For example, a chamber used for a relatively viscous additive may be tapered, so as to assist in gravity fed introduction of the additive into a conduit. As another example, additive chambers as known in the art may be used, appropriately modified (to include an additive flow control device, for example.)  
         [0019]     Additive flow control device  20  is to control the feeding of an additive into conduit  30 . Control may be of any desired parameter, including flow rate, volume, etc. and additive flow control device  20  may be as known in the art. For example, in various embodiments, additive flow control devices may be a metering device or devices as known in the art, e.g., rotameters, solenoid driven hydraulic injectors, piezo-crystal driven hydraulic injectors, etc. Additive flow control devices may also be other types of flow control devices as known in the art, for example, valves; reciprocating injectors (which may be actuated many ways, including electrically, hydraulically and mechanically); pumps; fixed and/or flow-limiting orifices; venturis; eductors; nozzles; etc. Preferred embodiments use valves; reciprocating injectors and pumps.  
         [0020]     Operation of an additive flow control device may be through manual and/or automatic means, as desired. Feedback or control loops may be implemented as well. For example, a flowmeter may be used to ascertain additive introduction rate, and to modify additive introduction rate when desired, e.g., if the rate is other than within a predetermined rate tolerance.  
         [0021]     In various embodiments it may also be desired to integrate a flow control device into an additive chamber as well.  
         [0022]     In preferred embodiments, turndown rate of additive introduction into a conduit may be varied as desired. A 10:1 range in turndown capacity is present in preferred embodiments; other embodiments may offer alternative ranges. In various embodiments the turndown capacity (and, as a result the turndown rate of additive introduction) may be varied manually and/or automatically. Thus variable additive flow and/or treatment rates may be used as desired.  
         [0023]     Returning now to  FIG. 1 , gas feed  40 , to supply gas, is shown as is gas flow control device  50 . “Gas” is used here to include both generally pure gas as well as aerosol gas, which may include additives to the gas, such particulates, colloidal suspensions, etc.  
         [0024]     Thus an embodiment may use atmospheric air as gas; another embodiment use oxygen with suspended water particles, etc.  
         [0025]     Any suitable gas may be used. For example, a gas may be chosen for its reactive capacity. So, for example, in various embodiments, particulates in a gas may provide one or more reactions upon encountering the additive, e.g., providing a new substance, etc. prior to introduction to a reaction chamber. In yet other embodiments a catalyst in gas may provide modifications of any reaction in a reaction chamber upon introduction to the combustion chamber.  
         [0026]     Additionally, one or more suitable gases may be provided as well if desired. So, for example, an embodiment may provide a first gas during a first period, and a second gas during a second period; other embodiments may mix gases to be provided; etc.  
         [0027]     Returning now to the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , gas feed  40  is to provide air through methods as is known in the art to gas flow control device  50 . It should be noted that in this and other embodiments a gas feed may supply more than one gas as desired.  
         [0028]     Gas flow control device  50  is to provide gas to conduit  30 . In this and other embodiments, a gas flow control device may be any suitable device, such as a rotameter, injectors, valves, etc. Gas flow control device  50  is to control variables of the gas to be supplied such as flow rate, volume, pressure, temperature, etc. through methods known in the art. Operation of a gas flow control device may be through manual and/or automatic means, as desired. In various embodiments it may also be desired to integrate a gas flow control device into a gas feed as well. Feedback or control loops may be implemented as well. For example, a gas flowmeter may be used to ascertain additive introduction rate, and to modify additive introduction rate when desired, e.g., if the rate is other than within a predetermined rate tolerance.  
         [0029]     In various embodiments, gas feed parameters may be established and/or modified. So, for example, in various embodiments gas feed parameters may include a parameter establishing sufficient gas velocity to generate a spray of additive droplets of desired characteristics, or desired level of atomization. As another example, gas feed parameters in various embodiments may be of sufficient flow rate to achieve any desired level of mixing of gas and additive. As yet another example, gas feed parameters in various embodiments may be varied to adjust for environmental and other variables, including additive characteristics, etc. So, for example, a higher velocity gas feed may be used with a more viscous additive while a lower velocity gas feed used with a less viscous additive.  
         [0030]     In certain embodiments, additives may be changed as desired. So, for example, in an embodiment with a single gas feed, different additives may be used through varying gas feed parameters.  
         [0031]     Returning now to the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , conduit  30  is to receive additive and gas from additive flow control device  20  and gas flow control device  50 . Any additive is usually supplied as a liquid stream, although other forms of supply may be used. For example, a series of streams, drops, etc. may be used in this and other embodiments. Any gas is usually supplied as a high speed compressed gas stream which may be varied as desired.  
         [0032]     When the additive meets the gas stream, it is at least partially atomized, and so droplets produced, through disintegration of the additive in the gas stream. Atomization also may occur as the at least partially atomized additive is conveyed along conduit  30  by means of the gas stream traveling through the conduit.  
         [0033]     Turning to  FIG. 2 , an example of atomization is shown. Additive stream a encounters gas stream b through injection at point  110 , which may be wetted from the additive, further facilitating introduction, within conduit  100 . Droplets aa are formed and travel within gas stream b. As droplets aa travel, they may be further reduced in size, as for example through impact with conduit wall  101 , further shearing action imposed by gas stream b, etc. In this and other preferred system embodiments, additive introduction and metering occurs in an area separate from an injection point (not shown.)  
         [0034]     Atomization of any additive in various embodiments may be controlled by adjusting conduit parameters, such as length, shape, including linear and cross sectional, size, wall texture, e.g., rough smooth, ribbed, etc. For example, in preferred embodiments, conduits may include elbows, unions, etc. and/or other flow elements, and conduit length may be increased, decreased, etc. in order to manipulate atomization. So, for example, a longer conduit compared to a shorter conduit will generally result in a smaller droplet of additive, and thus provide greater atomization, as larger droplets will tend to “fall out” of a gas stream more frequently in a longer conduit and impact a conduit wall more frequently, and thus smaller droplets be created as a result. In preferred embodiments, a conduit takes at least a partially conventional flow connection (e.g., pipe, tubing tee, etc.)  
         [0035]     It should also be noted that various types, etc. of material may be combined to be used as a conduit or conduits in various embodiments. So, for example, in sections where may be greater, such as in the areas of additive or gas input, sections may be of different materials to resist wear, be easily removable for replacement and maintenance, etc.  
         [0036]     Returning now to  FIG. 1 , conduit  30  terminates in end  35 . End  35  is for conveying the additive from the end of the conduit, in the form of atomized droplets, into a chamber comprising a severe operating environment, which comprises a chamber of a type used in gaseous, liquid, or solid burning systems, e.g. industrial, utility power, domestic furnaces, and/or incinerators, burning substances as known in the art, including fossil fuels, such as, oil or coal, natural gas, biomass, industrial wastes, refuse derived fuel or municipal solid waste, etc.  
         [0037]     End  35  is used as an injection point, and it should be noted that the term “injection point” is meant here to designate a conduit termination point. For example, if the conduit is a tube, the injection point comprises the end of the tube, which is introduced into a chamber. In certain embodiments, it may be desired to shape and/or the conduit termination point if desired as well.  
         [0038]     Embodiments may be used to supply an additive in various ways, such as:  
         [0039]     through combustion air to systems burning gaseous, liquid, and solid fuels;  
         [0040]     to a combustion chamber such as the bottom of furnaces burning gaseous, liquid, or solid fossil fuels;  
         [0041]     sparging additive into powdered coal or natural gas stream which is then supplied to a burner;  
         [0042]     sparging additive into powdered coal or natural gas stream in a burner.  
         [0043]     It should also be noted that various devices may be added to an end of a conduit as well, such as for example, check valves, suitably shaped and/or sized orifices or nozzles, etc.  
         [0044]     Replacement, repair and/or maintenance of various components of various embodiments may be done without shutting down or flushing the system of the embodiment. So, for example, replacement, repair and/or maintenance of various components in various embodiments (e.g., replacement of an additive flow control device for resizing and the like, etc.) may be done without removing additive from the additive chamber and/or additive flow control, without removing the gas feed, etc.  
         [0045]     Various additives may be used in various embodiments. For example, additives such as MMT (methyl cyclopentyldienyl manganese) produced by Afton Chemical, tricarbonyl femosyn and/or other carbon chelated and/or complex materials may be used in various embodiments. “Additive” is used here to include both generally pure additive as well as mixtures, which may include particulates, colloidal suspensions, etc. In certain embodiments, additives may be liquid, while in other embodiments additives may be other phases of matter. In various embodiments, more than one additive, and/or gas feeds may be present as well.  
         [0046]     Examples of additive categories include, but are not limited to, 1) combustion improvers; 2) slag modifiers and/or fouling inhibitors; and 3) adsorbents.  
         [0047]     Combustion improvers may be various types, such as liquids, solids, or gases. For example, liquid additives include:  
         [0048]     i. Oil Soluble metal compound or mixtures of metal compounds of K, Na, Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Sr, Y, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ba, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, and Ce formulated with appropriate ligands and solvents to give the viscometric characteristics suitable for dosing into or onto fuel, into combustion air, or into a combustion chamber in various embodiments. The metal compounds may be in any suitable organometallic form with ligands and counter ions derived from MCP, CP, Carbonyl, MCP/carbonyls, CP/carbonyls, carboxylates, phenates, sulfonates, salicylates, organonoperoxides, etc., or mixtures thereof. Preferred combustion catalysts are those derived from the metals Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Platinum group metals, and Ce. These may be injected into various combustion systems, for example, those that bum gaseous, liquid and solid fuels such as natural gas, fuel oil, and coal.  
         [0049]     ii. Water soluble metal compound or mixtures of metal compounds of K, Na, Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Sr, Y, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ba, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, and Ce. These may be in the form of oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, nitrates, halogenates, sulfates, sulfites, bisulfites, phosphates, phosphates, etc., and mixtures thereof and may be injected into various combustion systems, for example, those that bum gaseous, liquid and solid fuels such as natural gas, fuel oil, and coal.  
         [0050]     iii. Non metallic combustion improvers such as organonitrates (i.e. 2-ethylhexyl nitrate), organonitrites, organonitros, peroxides, organoperoxides (i.e. di-tert-butyl peroxide), oxygenates (i.e. ethers, polyethers, polyetheramines alcohols, esters, (i.e. fatty acid methyl esters), polyols, glymes (i.e. diglyme), azides, gas to liquids (GTLs), coal to liquid (CTLs), biomass to liquids (BTLs), etc. Non-metallic combustion improvers may be combined as co-catalysts with either or both oil soluble and water soluble metal based combustion catalysts, such as, for example, those identified above. These non metallic combustion improvers, alone or in combination with other additives, may be injected into various combustion systems, for example, those that burn gaseous, liquid and solid fuels such as natural gas, fuel oil, and coal.  
         [0051]     For example, solid additives may be various suitable powders, for example, K, Na, Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Sr, Y, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ba, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, and Ce and mixtures thereof. They may be in the form of the actual metals, or oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, nitrates, halogenates, sulfates, sulfites, bisulfites, phosphates, phosphates, etc, and mixtures thereof. These may be injected into various combustion systems, for example, those that burn gaseous, liquid and solid fuels such as natural gas, fuel oil, and coal.  
         [0052]     For example, solid additives may be various suitable low molecular weight gaseous compounds of energetic materials such as organonitrates organonitrites, organonitros (i.e. nitromethane), peroxides, organoperoxides oxygenates (i.e. ethers, alcohols, esters, azides, and volatile forms of gas to liquids (GTLs), coal to liquid (CTLs), biomass to liquids (BTLs), etc, and mixtures thereof. These may be injected into various combustion systems, for example, those that burn gaseous, liquid and solid fuels such as natural gas, fuel oil, and coal.  
         [0053]     Slag modifiers and/or fouling inhibitors may be various types, such as liquids, solids, or gases. For example, liquid and solid forms of Mg, Mn, Mo, Cu, Zn, Al, Si, Sn, and Ce, as metals, metal oxides, metal hydroxides, metal carboxylates, metal halogenates, metal carbonates, etc. may be used. Examples are MgO, Mg(OH)2, Mg-carbonates, Mg-carboxylate, Mg-silicates, Mg-aluminosilicates (i.e. vermiculites), MnO, Mn-carbonates, Mn-silicates, Mn-aluminosilicates, MMT and derivatives thereof, Mn-carboxylate, Mo-oxygenates, Cu-oxychlorides, Cu-carboxylates, Cu-silicates, Cu-aluminosilicates, ZnO, Zn-carboxylates, Zn-silicates, Al2O3, Al(OH)3.xH2O, Al-silicates (i.e. Kaolin), Al-silicates.xH2O, SiO2, SnO, CeO, Ce-carboxylates, etc. These may be injected into various combustion systems, for example, those that burn gaseous, liquid and solid fuels such as natural gas, fuel oil, and coal. With regard to slag modifiers and fouling inhibitors, preferred embodiments use an injection location downstream of the flame front and into the flue gas system.  
         [0054]     Adsorbents may be various types, such as liquids, solids, or gases. For example, liquid and solid forms of Mg, Ca, Al, Si, etc as oxides, hydroxides, aluminates, silicates, and carbonates may be used. Examples are MgO, Mg(OH)2, Mg-carbonates, Mg-silicates, Mg-aluminosilicates (i.e. vermiculites), ZnO, Zn-silicates, Al2O3, Al(OH)3.xH2O, Al-silicates (i.e. Kaolin), Al-silicates.xH2O, Activated Carbons, etc. These may be injected into various combustion systems, including flue gas systems of combustors, for example, those that burn gaseous, liquid and solid fuels such as natural gas, fuel oil, and coal.  
         [0055]     The identification of additive categories and/or specific additives with regard to various embodiments, it should be noted, is not meant to be all additives that may be used with various embodiments—any suitable additive may be used. For example, an additive may be chosen for its reactive capacity. So, for example, in various embodiments, particulates in an additive may provide one or more reactions upon encountering the gas, e.g., providing a new substance, etc. prior to introduction to a reaction chamber. In yet other embodiments a catalyst in an additive may provide modifications of any reaction in a reaction chamber upon introduction to the combustion chamber.  
         [0056]     Additionally, one or more suitable additives may be provided as well as desired. So, for example, an embodiment may provide a first additive during a first period, and a second additive during a second period; other embodiments may mix additives to be provided; etc.  
         [0057]     It should be noted that in this and other embodiments, one or more additive and/or gas supplies may be used. So, for example, in the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , additive chamber  110  is connected to conduit  130  via additive flow control device  120 . An additive chamber  140  is also connected to conduit  130  via additive flow control device  150 . Gas feed  160 , to supply gas, is shown as is gas flow control device  170 , and conduit  130  terminates in end  180 . Thus one or more than one additives may be supplied as desired.  
         [0058]     Another embodiment is shown in  FIG. 4 . Here additive chamber  210  is connected to a conduit  230  via additive flow control device  220 . Gas feed  215 , to supply gas, is shown as is gas flow control device  225 , and conduit  230  terminates in end  235 . Additive chamber  240  is connected to conduit  260  via additive flow control device  250 . Gas feed  245 , to supply gas, is shown as is gas flow control device  255 , and conduit  260  terminates in end  265 . Both ends  235  and  265  are introduced into chamber  270 . Thus one or more than one additives, through one or more conduits, may be supplied as desired.  
         [0059]      FIG. 5  shows another embodiment. Here is seen an additive chamber  310  which comprises a 1280 gallon storage tank. An additive flow control device  320  comprises a variable area rotameter with a 48 mL per minute water capacity. Conduit  330  comprises ⅜″ stainless steel tubing with end point  335  comprising an end of ⅜″ stainless steel tubing. Gas supply  340  comprises compressed air in a 1″ pipe. A gas flow control device  350 , for providing a gas flow rate on the order of 5 SCFM, comprises a variable area flowmeter having a separate ball valve with a 100 SCFM air capacity, which results in an additive feed rate on the order of 22 mL/min.  
         [0060]     Although the various embodiments have been illustrated by reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent that various changes and modifications may be made. Reference to “embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “various embodiments” or “preferred embodiments” appearing in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.  
         [0061]     The various embodiments are intended to be protected broadly within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.