×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Ionization of Fuel Gas

Ionization of Fuel Gas

Ionization of Fuel Gas

(OP)
I was wondering if anybody has any experience in using magnets or other
system to ionize gas before it is combusted in a furnace or boiler. I
think that these types of systems can also be used on the fuel to car
engines.
I have read several articles on the technology, mainly by those selling the
systems, that give numerous benefits of the ionizing the fuel which
include...
Faster ignition & improved flame stability
Less soot formation and better heat generation efficiency
Cleaner heat transfer surfaces
Lower fuel consumption at a given heat duty
Lower total flow of stack gas
Lower stack concentration of carbon and NOx
However, none of the articles offer a valid scientific explanation on how
the system works. Some figures quoted show efficiency improvements of up
to 30% but surely this means that the boiler was up to 30% inefficient to
begin with!
Rather than reading articles with 'claimed' benefits, I was hoping that
someone would be able to offer their experience of trying ionized fuels.
Cheers,
Ben Jefferies

RE: Ionization of Fuel Gas


Benger, anyone who believes that using magnets to improve fuel combustion must still believe in the tooth fairy ... and anyone who sells such systems is a charlatan.

Milton Beychok
mbeychok@home.com
Air Pollution Dispersion Modeling
Visit my URL to learn about "Fundamentals of Stack Gas Dispersion",
the most comprehensive book on air dispersion modeling of
continuous, buoyant air pollution plumes. Site includes published
peer reviews and complete Table of Contents.

RE: Ionization of Fuel Gas

MIT is working on a system like this for automotive use.  I have no experience with it.  However, I have talked to them about it (I was very sceptical as well).  The improved igintability and flamabilty of the fuel allows leaner combustion compared to regular gasoline.  The efficiency and emissions benefits come from being able to run very lean.  They do require energy to generate the plasma, and lose some available energy of the fuel as it is decomposed to a plasma.  But they claim a net efficiency gain.  Again I have no data to prove this, it is just what they have told me.  They have some very generic publications as well, I think they were given on the MIT website.  I think the system is called "Plasmatron".

Hope this helps.

RE: Ionization of Fuel Gas

Dear Mr. Jefferies,

Ionizing fuel gas to improve combustion efficiency for automobile engine is possible.  Fuel could be ionized by subject the fuel/air mixture to high velocity electron.  The impact will breakdown non-conductive gasoline into radicals, thus became conductive.  The fuel/air mixture became easier to burn and burn more completely.  The result is increased horse power,less carbon deposit, and cleaner exhaust.  I can prove if with a device that I made it myself.  The device has been in four of my cars for many years with good result.

Tony Lee

RE: Ionization of Fuel Gas

Ben,

I cannot comment regarding the automotive uses of this technology..

However, in industrial boiler usage..this sound pretty
much like "snake oil" to me.

The chemistry of combustion is pretty clear when it come
to burning fuel oil and natural gas.

Nox and CO2 stack concentrations should have nothing
to do with ionizing the fuel. Take a look at this URL:

http://energyconcepts.tripod.com/energyconcepts/combustionfluegasses.htm

firetube

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources