(141a) Innovative Hydrocavitation Technology Process to Create Composite Fuels

Goal of the Project

The primary goal of the
project is the creation of composite fuels for combustion processes containing
biomass, coal, coal
residues, crude oil processing residues, and other combustible material for
effective firing in power plants

The principal
technological approach is hydrodynamic cavitation application to hydrocarbon
fuels. The components of composite fuels
are initially mixed and then processed in special cavitation devices where
homogenization, reactions and partial changing of fractional compositions of
the end product are realized. The hydrocavitation transformation development
for composite fuels (including biofuels) ultradispersed spray and
homogenization is an effective and inexpensive method to prepare waste
materials for combustion

Because
these composite fuels did not work well with current furnace spray nozzles,
improved combustion nozzles were developed.

Existing Technologies

Other technologies to make
use of biomass, coal, coal residues, crude oil processing residues,
and other combustible material include:  

Pyrolysis:
This technology is good for fuel oil formation but
is expensive from an energy consumption point of view. Biogas production: The
long term duration of biochemical reactions, energy expenses current control
for reactor conditions, formatted in reactor residues as the result of biogas
generation can be considered as disadvantages (although the residues can be
utilized like good fertilizer). Biodiesel:
Biodiesel can be a substitute for diesel fuel. Biodiesel needs an expensive
biomass (raps for example). The production of biodiesel is expensive and there is
substantial waste from its production. Bioethanol:
Bioethanol can be substituted for the use of gasoline. But bioethanol needs an
expensive biomass (sugar, corn) and in production a great deal of energy is
lost.

New
Process: PHCR Process ? Introduction

An
innovative hydrocavitation technology for creation and effective burning of
composite liquid fuels of new types based on technology of a new principle of cavitation transformations obtained by a
cascade aggregate of cavitators with different functional performance
capabilities. During the process of
hydro-cavitation, liquid composite fuel emulsions and slurries are obtained and
activation of physical and chemical transformations of hydrocarbons is
observed. Solid waste of coal production, waste from the oil-refining industry,
tank-washes, waste from production of different oils,
different wastes of organic and inorganic origin, peat, silt, biomass, and wood
can be used in this process.

There should be great interest in developing and
exploiting this new reactor process called the
pump-homogenizer-cavitator-reactor or PHCR for short. This process has the potential to enhance
fuels by increasing their octane or cetane number and to formulate composite
fuels. The process is also applicable to oil cleanup in ships or tanks and the
commercial use of the recovered oil. The
process will provide an important contribution to environmental cleanup and
recycling of oils. The objective is to help bring this reactor to near
commercialization. This process can be of importance to the United States gas
and oil industry as well as environmental firms.

PHCR
Process

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Pump: The pump moves the
fluid through the recycle pipe and back to the PHCR and builds pressure and
temperature in the system.

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Homogenizer: This part of the PHCR causes mixing of the
fuel and subsequent enhancement of the homogenization of the fuel.

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Cavitation: The introduction of cavitation in a small
volume is an important feature of the PHCR.
The introduction of liquid water in the mix contributes to the success
of the PHCR. A small cavitation space focuses energy on a water bubble and breaks
its bonds introducing Hydrogen in the PHCR.

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Reactor: The Hydrogen reacts with the hydrocarbons
increasing the quality of the fuel as measured by the octane or cetane
number. Concurrently the viscosity is
reduced. In addition the sulfur bonds
can appear in the discard stream.

Flow
Schematic of Process for Creating Composite Fuels

Composite
Fuels Examples

Example 1

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Input: 70% Waste Heavy Oil, 15% Diesel
Fuel, 15% Water

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Apply
the Cavitation Process

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Result: Form of Diesel Fuel with No Free
Water Observed

Example 2

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Input: Bitumen Tar, and Water

?     
(bitumen
and asphalt are mostly interchangeable words and is a mixture of organic
liquids that are highly viscous,
black and sticky, composed primarily of highly condensed polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons.)

?     
Apply
the Cavitation Process

?     
Gross Heat of Combustion 133,577 Btu/gal

?     
(Compared to #2 Heating Oil 137,000
Btu/gal)

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Sediment and Water  0.05 vol%

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Asphaltenes
3.23 wt%

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Ash 0.021 wt%

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Kinematic Viscosity at 50C 6.972 cSt

(Compared to #2 Heating Oil of 3+cSt)

Example 3

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Input: 20% Ground Rubber Tires and 80%
#6 Fuel Oil

?     
Apply
the Cavitation Process

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Results: Clean Paste with No Trace of
Hard Rubber

?     
Combustion of Paste is good.

Problem:
Reduce Viscosity with additive?

Devices
used in PHCR Process

Three key components of the process include a ROTOR-PULSATION DISPERSER for producing medium and high-viscosity emulsions and
producing suspensions with an option of adding up to 30 % of a not very
abrasive solid phase, a ROTOR CAVITATOR for producing low and
medium-viscosity emulsions and a RECESSES-TYPE CAVITATOR for
producing suspensions with an option of adding up to 70 % of a solid phase.

Experimental equipment used for creation
of composite fuels based on rotor-pulsation disperser.

Experimental devise for emulsive fuel creation ?
ROTOR CAVITATOR

Experiments
to Determine Fuel Combustion Quality

Experiments to determine combustion quality included
three key studies. The first process
included water-carbon-black oil suspension droplets, in which pulverized coal
is activated by model activator substances such as; NH₄NO₃,
NaNO₃, and NH₄ClО₄. A second examined brown coal with the use of
activator substances. A third study
involved the estimation of activators influence on pre-flaming processes is
carried out. The possibility of complete
combustion increase of coal conglomerate is shown. A products combustion balance of activation
slurries has been determined and the decrease of some substances in products
combustion balances have been calculated.

Hydro-Vortex Fuel
Injector

Tests
of hydro-vortex injectors on the composite fuel in boiler combustion of
composite slurry fuels with use of standard types of injectors is impossible
since the presence of a dispersed condensed phase in the fuel results to rapid
blocking of the fuel pipelines and calibrated orifices. used for composite slurry fuels combustion unique hydro-vortex injectors have
been developed . works based
on a combined effect of jet pneumatic and hydro-vortex dispersion. It makes it
possible to have a homogeneous ultradispersed spray of slurry fuel.

Models of the developed and tested
sprayers

Results and
Summary

Dramatic
improvement of both energy and ecological indices of the production and combustion
of these new composite liquid fuels has been obtained with the use of the
innovative hydrocavitation technology (PHCR).

This
process is developed to
substitute for natural gas with cheap composite liquid fuels at
different power plants based on solid waste of coal production, waste from
oil-refining industry, waste from production of
different oils, different waste of organic and inorganic origin such as peat,
silt, biomass, and wood.