A liquid-injected cogeneration warm air furnace and a battery backup system for boilers are also on the horizon. The 12-vdc permanent magnet motor doubles efficiency, while the fan is an improved design. The prototype burner developed cuts electrical power tenfold, Oman stated. Using 12- vdc components allows standalone operation with survival heating levels of about 24 hrs. Brownell also provided a presentation on the development of liquid-injected cogeneration for the home.
Power is extracted from combustion products before heat is supplied for end use.
The system uses a mono-tube instantaneous liquid heater with 3 oz. It produces electric power with less than half the fuel and CO2 emissions of central power plants. When you generate electric power in this way, you have to control the light spectrum that hits the photovoltaic cells. Light goes from the emitter to a filter, with a narrow band going to the cells. A lot of work is being put into optimizing the filter, Butcher said.