Fuel combustion device

Abstract

The invention relates to a fuel combustion device ( 1 ) for the combustion of fuels in an exothermic chemical reaction, comprising a device ( 2 ) for supplying the fuels, a combustion chamber for combustion of the supplied fuels in a flame ( 10 ) and at least two electrodes ( 5, 9 ) through which an electrical field (E) is applied to the flame ( 10 ) with the purpose of producing a reaction plasma in said flame ( 10 ), wherein the reaction plasma produced has a high degree of ionization.

1 - 55 . (canceled)  
   
   
       56 . A fuel combustion apparatus for the combustion of fuels in an exothermic chemical reaction having: 
 (a) a device for supplying the fuels;    (b) a combustion chamber for combustion of the supplied fuels in a flame; and    (c) with the flame and a coil forming a resonant circuit, and with energy being coupled into the flame via a resonant coupling with a further resonant circuit.    
   
   
       57 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the secondary resonant circuit forms an open resonant circuit, a half-open resonant circuit or a closed resonant circuit.  
   
   
       58 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the energy is coupled into the flame in the secondary resonant circuit through a waveguide, with a DC field or direct current being superimposed on the resonant circuit.  
   
   
       59 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein at least one electrode and one opposing electrode are provided, by which an electric current with a DC component and an AC component is applied through the flame in order to produce a reaction plasma in the flame with the reaction plasma that is produced having a high ionization degree.  
   
   
       60 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 59 , wherein the opposing electrode and a flame envelope of the flame form a capacitor which is connected to the coil of a transformer to form the resonant circuit, into which energy is coupled via a further coil on the transformer from the primary resonant circuit in order to stabilize the flame.  
   
   
       61 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 60 , wherein the primary resonant circuit has a capacitor and the first coil of the transformer.  
   
   
       62 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the secondary resonant circuit has the capacitor and the second coupling coil of the transformer, with the flame resistance connecting the flame in parallel with the capacitor.  
   
   
       63 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein a voltage generator is connected to the primary resonant circuit.  
   
   
       64 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 60 , wherein a DC voltage source is connected to the opposing electrode.  
   
   
       65 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 60 , wherein the transformer is a Tesla transformer.  
   
   
       66 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 60 , wherein one of the two electrodes is a grid electrode.  
   
   
       67 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 63 , wherein the voltage generator produces AC voltage.  
   
   
       68 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 67 , wherein the transformer is intended for step-up transformation of the AC voltage which is produced by the voltage generator.  
   
   
       69 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 68 , wherein the AC voltage which is produced is virtually sinusoidal, with there being a difference in the area of the voltage function between the positive and the negative half-cycle.  
   
   
       70 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 68 , wherein the AC voltage which is produced is pulsed.  
   
   
       71 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 59 , wherein the field strength of the electrical field which is applied to the flame is between 0.1 and 10 kV/cm.  
   
   
       72 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 59 , wherein the frequency of the electrical field which is applied to the flame is between 50 Hz and 2 GHz.  
   
   
       73 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the combustion chamber is a closed combustion chamber.  
   
   
       74 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the combustion chamber is an open chamber.  
   
   
       75 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the fuel that is supplied is a gas mixture.  
   
   
       76 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 75 , wherein the fuels which are supplied are a hydrocarbon mixture.  
   
   
       77 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the opposing electrode has an electrode tip in order to increase the field strength of the electrical field.  
   
   
       78 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the electrode is a ring electrode.  
   
   
       79 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 73 , wherein waste substances are burnt by the flame in the closed combustion chamber.  
   
   
       80 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the shape of the flame in the combustion chamber can be adjusted by variation of the field strength and the frequency of the electrical field which is applied to the flame.  
   
   
       81 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein a mixing device is provided for premixing of the fuels which are supplied.  
   
   
       82 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein an ignition device is provided for ignition of the fuels which are supplied.  
   
   
       83 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein at least one of the electrodes is composed of a catalytically active material.  
   
   
       84 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 83 , wherein the catalytically active material is platinum.  
   
   
       85 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein one of the electrodes is a corona-discharge electrode, through which the fuels can be sprayed into the combustion chamber.  
   
   
       86 . The fuel combustion apparatus as claimed in  claim 85 , wherein the flame can be electrostatically charged by the corona-discharge electrode.  
   
   
       87 . A method for combustion of fuels by a flame in an exothermic chemical reaction comprising: 
 (a) the fuels are supplied in a combustion chamber in order to produce the flame, which has a flame core and a flame envelope;    (b) an AC voltage, which forms a potential difference, is applied to an electrode and to an opposing electrode in order to produce an electrical DC field and an electrical alternating field at the flame, so that a reaction plasma with a high ionization degree is produced in the flame;    (c) with the opposing electrode and the flame envelope of the flame forming a capacitor which is connected to a coupling coil of a transformer to form a secondary resonant circuit; and    (d) energy is coupled into the secondary resonant circuit via a first coupling coil on the transformer from a primary resonant circuit, in order to stabilize the flame.    
   
   
       88 . The method as claimed in  claim 87 , wherein the field strength of the electrical field is between 0.1 kV/cm and 10 kV/cm.  
   
   
       89 . The method as claimed in  claim 87 , wherein the field strength of the electrical alternating field has a sinusoidal waveform.  
   
   
       90 . The method as claimed in  claim 87 , wherein the field strength of the electrical alternating field has a pulsed waveform.  
   
   
       91 . The method as claimed in  claim 87 , wherein the frequency (f) of the electrical alternating field is between 50 Hz and 2 GHz.  
   
   
       92 . The method as claimed in  claim 87 , wherein the fuels that are supplied are ignited by application of the electrical field which is pulsed or is in the form of AC superimposed on a DC voltage, with the exothermic chemical reaction being initiated.  
   
   
       93 . The method as claimed in  claim 87 , wherein the fuels that are supplied are ignited by an ignition device that is provided.  
   
   
       94 . The method as claimed in  claim 87 , wherein the fuels are stoichiometrically mixed by a mixing device, and are then supplied to the combustion chamber.  
   
   
       95 . The method as claimed in  claim 87 , wherein the fuels are sprayed into the combustion chamber.  
   
   
       96 . A fuel combustion apparatus for combustion of fuels in an exothermic chemical reaction, having: 
 (a) a device for supplying the fuels;    (b) a combustion chamber for combustion of the fuels that are supplied, in a flame which has a flame core and a flame envelope;    (c) at least one electrode and one opposing electrode; and    (d) with the opposing electrode and the flame envelope forming a capacitor which is connected to a second coupling coil on a transformer to form a secondary resonant circuit, into which energy is coupled via a first coupling coil on the transformer from a primary resonant circuit in order to stabilize the flame.    
   
   
       97 . A fuel combustion apparatus for combustion of fuels in an exothermic chemical reaction, comprising: 
 (a) a device for supplying the fuels;    (b) a combustion chamber for combustion of the fuels that are supplied, in a flame which has a flame core and a flame envelope;    (c) at least one electrode and one opposing electrode, by which an electric current with a DC component and an AC component is applied by the flame in order to produce a reaction plasma in the flame, with the reaction plasma that is produced having a high ionization degree; and    (d) with the opposing electrode and the flame envelope forming a capacitor which is connected to a second coupling coil on a transformer to form a secondary resonant circuit, into which energy is coupled via a first coupling coil on the transformer from a primary resonant circuit in order to stabilize the flame.