Internal combustion engine for the production of synthesis gas

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Drawing sheet — no readable text.

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United States Patent Office 2,846,297 Patented Aug. 5, 1958

of the spark plugs, spark failures and premature igni 2,846,297 tion will be safely avoided.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE FOR THE In engine plants of the type hereinbefore described, PRODUCTION OF SYNTHESS GAS more particularly in plants consisting of a plurality of separate engine sets, it may be desirable or necessary for

Otto Herwig, Nurnberg, Germany, assignor to the firm practical reasons to run one or more of the engine sets Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg A. G., Nurnberg, temporarily as normal internal combustion engine, i. e. Bavaria, Germany for the production of mechanical power only, rather than Application October 8, 1954, Serial No. 461,160 for the generation of synthesis gas. In order to achieve 0. this aim according to a further feature of the invention

Claims priority, application Germany October 10, 1953 means are provided which permit to change the engine 1. Claim. (Cl. 48-196) even during normal operation, after the starting phase, from synthesis gas operation to pure power-producing

This invention relates to a method of operating internal 5 operation or vice versa. Moreover, according to a fur ther feature of the invention also the exhaust side of the combustion engines for incomplete or partial combustion of fuel and has special reference to a process for efficiently engine is adapted to be changed over in such a way that in case of pure power-producing operation the exhaust producing synthesis gas in an internal combustion engine gases coupled with the production of power by the engine which throughissue a into the open air directly or after passage waste heat economizer or heat exchanger suc is available for work in other phases of the gas genera 20 ceeding the internal combustion engine, while in case of tion or the synthesizing process.

It is already known to produce synthesis gas in an in the generation of Synthesis gas the exhaust gas is supplied ternal combustion engine. Thus, for instance, a mixture to thethat consumer of the synthesis gas. It will be under of methane and oxygen, with a share of oxygen which is stood in the production of synthesis gas the exhaust gas is supplied to the consumer of synthesis gas only after

Smaller than that corresponding to the stoichiometric pro 25 having-reached portion, may be burnt incompletely or partially. The starting, phase. a suitable composition in the course of the composition of the exhaust gas in this case is practically The invention will be better understood by reference a gas mixture consisting of hydrogen and carbon mon oxide and being adapted for synthesis. In addition to a of atheplant to following detailed description of an embodiment corresponding composition of the mixture to be burnt, pri 30 ane which for the generation of synthesis gas from meth plant is diagrammatically illustrated in the ac marily a favorable temperature and pressure level of the companying drawing. .

cyclic process is required to ensure that the chemical con version in the engine takes place in the desired manner are not essential forallcarrying

In the drawing, details have been omitted which out the process according and that the synthesis gas which is produced has a fa to the present invention. It will vorable composition. This, however, is not the case, 35 comprises a gas engine 1 having abeworking seen that the plant piston 2, an for instance, when starting the engine. It has been found admission valve 3, an exhaust valve 4 and an ignition de by experience that residues are thereby formed in the vice or spark plug 5. Arranged on the admission side working cylinders of the engine. Thus, for instance, car of the gas engine is a tank or container 6, to which pure bon may be deposited on the spark plugs, causing misfir oxygen (O2) can be supplied through a pipe 7 and to ing and finally complete failure of the ignition. Also 40 which methane (CH4) can be supplied through a pipe 8, premature ignition may be caused by such residues. under control of valves or other control members 9 or It is an object of the present invention to eliminate 10, respectively. The mixture tank 6 can be selectively these defects, and, more particularly, to avoid as much connected, through a pipe 11 and a three-way valve 12, as possible the formation of residues in the working cylin on ders of the internal combustion engine in the production 45 the the one hand to an exhaust or vent pipe 13 and on other hand to a pipe 14 leading to the admission valve of synthesis gas.

With this and further objects in view, according to the 315.of the gas engine, through an adjustable throttle valve present invention the engine is started with a mixture of serves to cut off valve

A shut-off 16 installed in the pipe line 11 the supply of the methane-oxygen mix gas and air or with fuel oil of the type used in internal ture from the mixture combustion engines in normal, i. e. conventional opera 50 between the adjustable tank 6. Connected to the pipe 14, throttle valve i5 and the three-way tion; hereby, even with cold engine a safe and reliable valve 12 and under control of a shut-off valve 17, is a ignition and combustion is ensured. When the engine pipe line 18 which is connected on the one hand with an has reached a condition which is favorable for the pro duction of synthesis gas as regards its temperature and air intake pipe i9 and on the other hand through a pipe pressure conditions, the engine is changed to operation 55 a20control with the pipe 8 leading to the mixture tank 6. By valve 21 and a shut-off valve 22 provided in the with synthesis gas. In this manner the formation of sub pipe stances is avoided which would disturb an unexception from 20 it is possible to control the supply of methane the pipe 20 when operating the engine with an air able operation of the engine or cause troubles in any other mixture, or to cut off the supply of methane completely respect.

Thus, for instance, in case of the above mentioned gen 60 when operating the engine for the production of synthesis eration of synthesis gas in an explosive combustion or gas.Provided on the exhaust valve side of the gas engine Otto cycle engine from a mixture of methane and oxygen the engine may be started and operated at first with a mix is an exhaust pipe 23 which through a three-way valve ture of methane and air of conventional composition. 24 can be connected either to a pipe 25 leading into the Only when the temperatures and pressures in the engine 65 open air or to a collecting tank 26 for synthesis gas from have reached values which are favorable for the gen which tank 26 the synthesis gas can be supplied to the eration of the desired synthesis gas and when the spark consumer through a pipe 27. It is also contemplated to plugs are heated up accordingly, the engine will be provide in pipe 25 a waste heat economizer 28 for utiliz changed from operation with the methane-air mixture ing the heat of the exhaust gases discharged through to operation with the methane-oxygen mixture which is 70 pipe 25.

required for the generation of the synthesis gas. In this The operation of the plant is as follows: The gas en way, detrimental depositions of carbon on the electrodes gine 1 is at first started with a methane-air mixture of

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the kind used in normal or conventional operation of a In both cases, i. e. in case of the generation of synthesis gas engine. gas and in case of operation with a normal air mixture During the starting period the valve 24 is adjusted in the speed of the gas engine is controlled by means of the such a way that the exhaust pipe 23 is connected to pipe shut-off valve 15, which in its turn is under control of a 25. On the admission side of the gas engine the valve 17 conventional centrifugal governor (not shown). The for the methane-air mixture is open while the valve 12 valves 17, 12 and 22 may either be operated individually prevents the admission of the methane-oxygen mixture by hand, or they may be interconnected mechanically or from tank 6 to pipe 14. The shut-off valve 22 in pipe 20 in any other manner for ensuring a simultaneous or ac on the other hand is in its open position. Therefore, air curately temporized operation of the various valves. In is sucked on by the gas engine in known manner through O this way, faults of operation in carrying out the change the pipe 19, a suitable proportion of methane being added over can be avoided to a large extent. If desired, the to the air through pipe 8, pipe 20 and control valve 21. three-way valve 24 on the exhaust side of the gas engine During this starting period a methane-oxygen mixture may also be included in the set of interconnected valves. of a suitable composition for the production of synthesis While the invention has been described in detail with gas may be prepared in the mixture tank 6. After open 5 respect to a now preferred example and embodiment of ing the shut-off valve 16 the methane-oxygen mixture the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention that various changes flows from the mixture tank through the three-way valve 12 at first into the vent pipe 13 while the pipe 14 to the and modifications may be made without departing from gas engine is still disconnected from the mixture tank 6 the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended, by the three-way valve 12. The control valve 9 in the therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in oxygen feed pipe 7 and the control valve 10 in the meth the appended claim.

ane feed pipe 8 to the mixture tank 6 serve for adjusting I claim: . .

the proper composition of the methane-oxygen mixture A plant for generating synthesis gas and producing me for partial combustion. chanical power, comprising an internal combustion en After the gas engine by its operation with a normal 25 gine having separate sources of fuel, oxygen and air, a methane-air mixture has reached the proper tempera fuel-oxygen mixture tank connected with said sources of ture and the methane oxygen mixture in the mixture tank fuel and oxygen, valve means for selectively connecting 6 has been prepared so as to have the proper composition, said fuel and air sources directly to said engine or con the plant may be changed to the generation of synthesis 30 necting said mixture tank to said engine for supplying gas. To this end, the shut-off valve 17 is closed and the to said engine either a substantially entirely combus three-way valve 12 is simultaneously readjusted in such tible fuel-air mixture or a partially combustible mixture a way that the mixture tank 6 is disconnected from the adapted for the generation of synthesis gas, a receiver for vent pipe 13 and connected to the pipe 14 leading to the synthesis gas, and exhaust valve means connecting said admission valve of the gas engine. The supply of meth 35 engine and receiver for selectively discharging the ex ane to pipe 18 will now be cut off by closing the shut-off haust gas from said engine into the open air or in the form valve 22. When the changeover operation has been com of synthesis gas into said receiver.

pleted, the exhaust pipe 23 of the gas engine is connected References Cited in the file of this patent with the synthesis gas collecting tank 26 through the three-way valve 24 for supplying the synthesis gas thus 40 UNITED STATES PATENTS generated to the consumer through pipe 27. 1,005,118 Rabsilber ------------- Oct. 3, 1911 By carrying out these operations in the reverse order, 1,926,170 Oberfell et al. --------- Sept. 12, 1933 the gas engine may be changed from operation for the 2,363,708 Urquhart -------------- Nov. 28, 1944 generation of synthesis gas to operation with ordinary 2,543,791 Malin ----------------- Mar. 6, 1951 methane-air mixture, according as synthesis gas and me 2,569,846 Cornell ---------------- Oct. 2, 1951 chanical power or mechanical power alone is to be 45 2,605,175 Barber ---------------- July 29, 1952 produced.