Claims
- 1. A device for enhancing the efficiency of a combustion process in which a hydrocarbon fuel is consumed in a combustion zone, and for thereby diminishing the emission therefrom of undesirable compounds such as carbon monoxide and incompletely oxidized hydrocarbons, comprising:
- means for positioning a solid material, convertible into a highly dispersed, gas transportable, combustion enhancing substance, within a flow of combustion air being inducted into said combustion process; and
- means for oscillating the temperature of said solid material between a first and second, relatively higher, range of temperature in order to convert said material into its gas transportable state.
- 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said material is in the form of a metallic foil applied directly to the surface of a heating element.
- 3. The device of claim 2, wherein said heating element is electrically heated.
- 4. The device of claim 1 wherein platinum foil is applied to the surface of an electric heating element.
- 5. The device of claim 4 wherein said first temperature range comprises 300.degree. to 700.degree. F. and said second temperature range comprises 900.degree. to 1500.degree. F.
- 6. The device of claim 1 wherein said temperature oscillating means comprises means for periodically heating said material so as to attain said second relatively higher temperature range while said flow of combustion air is subsequently relied upon to cool said material down to said first range of temperature.
- 7. The device of claim 6 wherein said material is applied to the surface of an electric heating element and current is supplied thereto for a preselected period of time at preselected intervals.
- 8. The device of claim 7 wherein said preselected periods of time are increased as a function of the rate of combustion airflow.
- 9. The device of claim 6 wherein said material is applied to the surface of an electric heating element and further comprising means of supplying current to said element until said second range of temperature is achieved after which current is discontinued until the first range of temperature is achieved whereby the flow of combustion air is relied upon to cool said element.
- 10. A method for enhancing the efficiency of a combustion process in which a hydrocarbon fuel is consumed in a combustion zone, and for thereby diminishing emission therefrom of undesirable compounds such as carbon monoxide and incompletely oxidized hydrocarbons, comprising the steps of:
- selecting a material that exists as a solid stable metal at ambient conditions while having the ability to significantly enhance the combustion process at ppb range concentrations upon conversion into a highly dispersed, gas transportable substance;
- positioning said material in the flow of combustion air inducted into said combustion process; and
- oscillating the temperature of said material between a first and a second, relatively higher, temperature range in order to convert said material into its gas transportable state.
- 11. The method of claim 10 wherein said temperature oscillation is achieved by periodically heating said material to said second temperature range followed by intervals in which the combustion air flow is relied upon to cool said material to said first temperature range.
- 12. The method of claim 11 wherein an electric heating element to which said material is applied is energized for preselected periods of time at preselected intervals.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein said preselected periods are extended as airflow is increased.
- 14. The method of claim 12 wherein said heating element is energized until said second temperature range is achieved and deenergized until said first temperature range is achieved.
- 15. The method of claim 11 wherein platinum foil is applied to an electric heating element and said first temperature range comprises 300.degree.-700.degree. F. while said second temperature range comprises 900.degree.-1500.degree. F.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This is a continuation-in-part of Patent application Ser. No. 07/650,766 filed Feb. 4, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,804.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0119086 |
Sep 1984 |
EPX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
650766 |
Feb 1991 |
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