OXY-HYDROGEN FUEL INTEGRATION AND CONTROL SYSTEM
An oxy-hydrogen generator control system may include an oxy-hydrogen generator for fuel production on demand. A controller may determine if ignition is present in a burner assembly prior to generating the oxy-hydrogen fuel and providing it to the burner assembly. The controller may also purge system lines of any residual oxy-hydrogen fuel when heating is no longer needed.
This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application having Ser. No. 61/472,978 filed Apr. 7, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention generally relates to fuel generation systems, and more particularly to an oxy-hydrogen fuel generation system.
Heating and hot water systems where people reside or work that rely on petroleum fuel can be cost prohibitive and waste fuel due to inefficient combustion. Inefficient combustion also produces higher levels of pollution.
Additionally, traditional storage of hydrogen alone involved keeping it as a liquid in a pressurized tank which can present dangerous conditions. For example, in storage tanks, there exists an ever present danger that the storage tank may explode.
As can be seen, there is a need for a safe fuel source that can be generated on demand. Additionally, there is a need for a fuel generator system that can be controlled to operate under safe conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect of the present invention, an oxy-hydrogen generator control system comprises a burner assembly; an oxy-hydrogen generator coupled to the burner assembly; a valve coupled between the oxy-hydrogen generator and the burner assembly; and a controller coupled to the valve and the burner assembly, the controller configured to: detect a heat distribution source signal to initiate oxy-hydrogen fuel generation, detect a burner assembly signal that an ignition source is enabled, and provide a valve opening signal to the valve to allow oxy-hydrogen fuel into the burner assembly.
In another aspect of the present invention, an oxy-hydrogen generator control system comprises a burner assembly; an oxy-hydrogen generator coupled to the burner assembly; a valve coupled between the oxy-hydrogen generator and the burner assembly; and a controller coupled to the valve and the burner assembly, the controller configured to: detect a signal from a heat distribution source to initiate oxy-hydrogen fuel generation, detect a signal from the burner assembly that an ignition source is enabled, and provide a signal to the valve to allow oxy-hydrogen fuel into the burner assembly.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention generally provides an oxy-hydrogen generation integration and control system. In one aspect, exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be useful in, for example, residential or commercial environments. Aspects of the present invention may supply an oxy-hydrogen fuel as an alternative heating source to petroleum based systems. Aspects of the present invention may generate oxy-hydrogen fuel on demand rather than storing a static supply of fuel. By contrast with heating systems that rely on petroleum fuel, oxy-hydrogen on demand generation uses water as the only fuel stored which presents no risk of combustion under any condition. Moreover, another aspect of the present invention provides a control system for enabling generation of oxy-hydrogen fuel under safety conditions.
Referring now to
In one aspect, the controller 110 may be configured to control the production of oxy-hydrogen and the feed of oxy-hydrogen to the burner assembly 120 safely. For example, the controller 110 may be a programmable device, for example, a microprocessor including non-volatile memory incorporating instructions to operate elements of the system 100. It will be understood that lines emanating from the controller 100 to other elements in the system 100 may be electrical connections carrying signals.
In one exemplary embodiment, the controller 110 may be coupled to a thermostat 115. The thermostat 115 may be programmable to indicate to the controller 110 a threshold temperature that is needed at a heat distribution source (not shown), for example, a furnace or a hot water system. A switch 170, for example, a relay, may be coupled between the controller 110 and the oxy-hydrogen generator 160. When the thermostat is below the threshold temperature, the controller 110 may be configured to close the switch 170 so that a power supply (not shown) is delivered to the oxy-hydrogen generator 160. In one exemplary embodiment, the oxy-hydrogen generator 160 may be an electrolysis system carrying a water reserve that is converted into oxy-hydrogen fuel on demand rather than stored.
Referring now to
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3A-3C, the system 100 and various configurations of the manifold 130 are shown in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The controller 110 may also be connected to the manifold 130. The manifold 130 may include an electrically activated pneumatic three position valve 135 allowing fluid to flow from the manifold 130 through conduit 175 to the micro-nozzle 125. The conduit 175 may include an internal volume insufficient to support combustibility within the line, for example, less than 200 mL. The controller 110 may control the position of the valve 135 between an oxy-hydrogen gas delivery mode, an air purge delivery mode, and a closed mode.
Referring now to
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
Claims
1. An oxy-hydrogen generator control system, comprising:
- a burner assembly;
- an oxy-hydrogen generator coupled to the burner assembly;
- a valve coupled between the oxy-hydrogen generator and the burner assembly; and
- a controller coupled to the valve and the burner assembly, the controller configured to: detect a heat distribution source signal to initiate oxy-hydrogen fuel generation, detect a burner assembly signal that an ignition source is enabled, and
- provide a valve opening signal to the valve to allow oxy-hydrogen fuel into the burner assembly.
2. The oxy-hydrogen generator control system of claim 1 wherein the oxy-hydrogen generator is an electrolysis system.
3. The oxy-hydrogen generator control system of claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to detect if electrical power is available to the electrolysis system.
4. The oxy-hydrogen generator control system of claim 1 wherein the valve includes an oxy-hydrogen gas delivery mode, an air purge delivery mode, and a closed mode.
5. The oxy-hydrogen generator control system of claim 4 wherein the controller is also configured to, during the purge delivery mode, purge a conduit leading to the burner assembly from the valve prior to closing the valve into the closed mode.
6. The oxy-hydrogen generator control system of claim 1 wherein the burner assembly includes a micro-nozzle coupled to the valve and the ignition source is disposed proximate the micro-nozzle.
7. An oxy-hydrogen generator control system, comprising:
- an oxy-hydrogen micro-nozzle burner;
- an oxy-hydrogen electrolysis generator coupled to the micro-nozzle burner;
- a water source coupled to the electrolysis generator;
- a conduit between the electrolysis generator and the micro-nozzle burner, the conduit having an internal volume of less than 200 ml; and
- a controller coupled to the valve and the burner assembly, the controller configured to: detect a signal that an ignition source proximate the micro-nozzle burner is enabled, and allow oxy-hydrogen fuel from the electrolysis generator into the micro-nozzle burner.
8. The oxy-hydrogen generator control system of claim 7 further comprising a switch coupled between the controller and the electrolysis generator, wherein the controller is configured to close the switch and allow power to the electrolysis generator for producing oxy-hydrogen fuel.
9. The oxy-hydrogen generator control system of claim 8 wherein the controller is configured to release a non-combustible air supply into the conduit purging oxy-hydrogen fuel from the conduit.
10. The oxy-hydrogen generator control system of claim 8 further comprising a thermostat coupled to the controller wherein the controller is configured to open the switch when a threshold temperature is detected on the thermostat.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 3, 2012
Publication Date: Oct 11, 2012
Inventor: MARK MACDONOUGH ROBINSON (Kingston, MA)
Application Number: 13/438,140
International Classification: F23N 1/02 (20060101); F23N 5/00 (20060101);