Fuel oxygenation apparatus and method

Abstract

In one aspect, a fuel oxygenation apparatus includes a fuel oil supply fluidically coupled to the inlet of a positive displacement pump for delivery of the fuel oil to a fuel oil burner. An oxygen supply is fluidically coupled to the inlet of the positive displacement pump. During the suction cycle, a momentary vacuum is created at the pump inlet side drawing oxygen gas into the fuel line where it admixes with the fuel oil supply. Oxygenating the fuel prior to combustion increases efficiency of the burner and reduces undesirable emissions.

1 . An apparatus for oxygenating fuel, comprising:
 a fuel tank constructed to contain a supply of fuel;   a source of pressurized oxygen gas;   a fuel pump having an inlet side and an outlet side, the inlet side including a pump inlet through which fuel is drawn from the fuel tank and the outlet side including a pump outlet, the fuel pump configured to receive the fuel at a first pressure and discharge the fuel at a second pressure greater than the first pressure;   a first fluid line in communication with the fuel tank and the pump inlet;   a second fluid line in communication with the source of pressurized oxygen and the pump inlet;   a check valve in the second fluid line, said check valve being normally closed to prevent the flow of oxygen gas through the second fluid line when the fuel pump is not operating, said check valve being configured to open when the pump is operating, thereby allowing oxygen to flow through the second fluid line and admix with fuel in the first fluid line.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said fuel pump is of a type which creates a negative pressure on the inlet side during operation. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said fuel pump is a positive displacement pump. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said check valve includes a valve head yieldably biased against a valve seat to a closed position, the valve head displaceable from the valve seat to an open position to permit oxygen to flow through the second fluid line responsive to said negative pressure. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said second fluid line is in communication with said source of pressurized oxygen and said first fluid line upstream of said pump inlet. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a filter in the first fluid line. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said second pressure is in the range of about 300 psi to about 3,200 psi. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said fuel is selected from an oil based fuel and a water based fuel. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more oil burner nozzles communicating with said pump outlet. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said oil burner nozzle is constructed to receive and atomize the fuel prior to delivering the fuel to a burner. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the burner is a burner of an associated boiler. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising one or both of:
 an accumulator communicating with the pump outlet, said accumulator constructed to absorb pulsations in the fuel when it is discharged by the fuel pump; and   a pre-heater communicating with the pump outlet, said pre-heater constructed to heat the fuel to a desired temperature, a desired viscosity, or both.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more gas pressure regulators in the second fluid line, said one or more gas pressure regulators constructed to reduce the pressure and/or volume of gas received from said source of pressurized oxygen. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said one or more gas pressure regulators includes:
 a first regulator for receiving gas from said source of pressurized oxygen at a first pressure and outputting the gas at a second pressure lower than the first pressure; and   a second regulator for receiving gas from the first regulator and outputting the gas at a third pressure lower than the second pressure.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the second regulator is selected from an adjustable regulator adjustable to adjust the third pressure and a gas metering device constructed to deliver a metered quantity oxygen received from said source of pressurized oxygen to said first fluid line. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a carbon monoxide sensor sensing a level of carbon monoxide in an exhaust gas produced by combustion of said fuel and adjusting said second regulator responsive to a sensed level of carbon monoxide. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a safety valve in the second fluid line. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the safety valve is a solenoid valve moveable between an open position permitting the flow of oxygen when the solenoid valve is energized and closed position preventing the flow of oxygen in the second fluid line when the solenoid valve is de-energized. 
     
     
         19 . A method for oxygenating fuel, comprising:
 storing fuel in a storage device;   operating a fuel pump to withdraw fuel from the storage device, the fuel pump having a pump inlet and a pump outlet, the pump inlet communicating with the storage device via a first fluid line;   establishing a volume of oxygen in a second fluid line, the second fluid line communicating with said first fluid line and a source of pressurized oxygen;   providing a check valve in the second fluid line, the check valve preventing the flow of oxygen in the second fluid line when the check valve is closed;   responsive to operating the fuel pump, establishing a negative pressure in the second fluid line; and   opening the check valve in response to the established negative pressure, wherein oxygen is admixed with the fuel when the check valve is open.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 sensing a level of carbon monoxide in an exhaust gas produced by combustion of said fuel and adjusting one or both of the volume and pressure of the oxygen admixed with the fuel responsive to a sensed level of carbon monoxide.