Process for combustion of a liquid hydrocarbon

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for combustion of a liquid Fischer-Tropsch derived hydrocarbon fuel wherein the following steps are performed: (a) obtaining a mixture of liquid hydrocarbon droplets in an oxygen containing gaseous phase; (b) evaporating the liquid hydrocarbon droplets in a cool flame at a temperature of between 300 and 480° C. to obtaining a gaseous mixture comprising oxygen and hydrocarbons; and, (c) total combustion of the gaseous mixture obtained in step (b).

1 . A process for combustion of a liquid Fischer-Tropsch derived hydrocarbon fuel wherein the following steps are performed: 
 (a) obtaining a mixture of liquid hydrocarbon droplets in an oxygen containing gaseous phase,    (b) evaporating the liquid hydrocarbon droplets to obtaining a gaseous mixture comprising oxygen and hydrocarbons, and,    (c) combusting completely of the gaseous mixture obtained in step (b) to produce a heat of combustion.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein step (a) is performed by atomization of the liquid Fischer-Tropsch derived fuel by means of a spray nozzle and subsequently mixing the atomized fuel with air.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein step (b) is performed in a cool flame at a temperature of between 300° C. and 480° C.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein step (c) is performed in a porous material.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 (d) producing steam from the heat of combustion from step (c);    (e) super heating the steam; and,    (f) powering piston or expansion engine with the superheated steam.    
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein step (c) is performed at a porous surface to produce radiant heat.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , further comprising heating spaces with the radiant heat at the porous surface.  
     
     
         8 . The process of claims  1 , wherein step (c) further comprises aerodynamically stabilizing the flame.  
     
     
         9 . The process of claims  1 , wherein the fuel comprises a Fischer-Tropsch product comprising more than 80 wt % iso and normal paraffins.  
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein the fuel comprises more than 80 wt % of Fischer-Tropsch product.  
     
     
         11 . The process of claims  1 , wherein the fuel does not contain a metal based combustion improver and wherein in step (c) a flame detector is present of the ionization sensor type.