US2024076246A1PendingUtilityA1

Solvated metal fuel combustion system and method

52
Assignee: PURDUE RESEARCH FOUNDATIONPriority: May 31, 2022Filed: May 30, 2023Published: Mar 7, 2024
Est. expiryMay 31, 2042(~15.8 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Steven F. SonCaleb Nathaniel HarperRyan Tolman MerrellAndrew Ryan NoelDhruval Natubhai Patel
C06B 43/00C06B 33/00
52
PatentIndex Score
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Claims

Abstract

The combustion system includes a metal additive and a polar outer-sphere electron transferring solvent. The metal additive is solvated in the polar outer-sphere electron transferring solvent. The polar outer-sphere electron transferring solvent may include liquid ammonia, methylamine, and/or hexamethylphosphoramide. The metal additive may include an alkali metal and/or an alkaline earth metal. For instance, the metal additive may include lithium, sodium, aluminum, zirconium, titanium, yttrium, hafnium, and/or magnesium.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A combustion system, comprising:
 a metal additive; and   an outer-sphere electron transferring solvent, wherein the metal additive is solvated in the outer-sphere electron transferring solvent.   
     
     
         2 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the outer-sphere electron transferring solvent includes liquid anhydrous ammonia. 
     
     
         3 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the outer-sphere electron transferring solvent includes at least one of methylamine and hexamethylphosphoramide. 
     
     
         4 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the metal additive includes at least one of an alkali metal and an alkaline earth metal. 
     
     
         5 . The combustion system of  claim 4 , wherein the metal additive includes at least one of aluminum, zirconium, titanium, yttrium, hafnium, and magnesium. 
     
     
         6 . The combustion system of  claim 4 , wherein the metal additive includes lithium. 
     
     
         7 . The combustion system of  claim 4 , wherein the metal additive includes sodium. 
     
     
         8 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , further comprising a hypergolic propellant. 
     
     
         9 . The combustion system of  claim 8 , wherein the hypergolic propellant includes white fuming nitric acid. 
     
     
         10 . A propellant fuel comprising a combustion system of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A method of manufacturing a combustion system, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing an outer-sphere electron transferring solvent;   providing a metal additive; and   dissolving the metal additive within the outer-sphere electron transferring solvent.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising a step of providing a hypergolic propellant. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising a step of igniting the dissolved metal additive within the outer-sphere electron transferring solvent. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of dissolving the metal additive within the outer-sphere electron transferring solvent utilizes an electrolysis process. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of dissolving the metal additive within the outer-sphere electron transferring solvent utilizes a dissolution process. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of dissolving the metal additive within the outer-sphere electron transferring solvent utilizes a radiation chemistry process. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of dissolving the metal additive within the outer-sphere electron transferring solvent includes a reaction having the formula:
   M+ m NH 3 →[M(NH 3 ) m ] +   e   − 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the metal additive is a porous metal. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of dissolving the metal additive within the outer-sphere electron transferring solvent includes passing the outer-sphere electron transferring solvent through the porous metal.

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