Written by Kris Land
While at first mention, achieving a clean burn using a waste product may not make much sense, there's actually some extremely green potential here. In order to understand how waste oil can be transformed into an effective alternative energy source, you must first delve into the concept of pyrocatalytic cracking. The main component in pyrocatalytic cracking is the heat source.
Burn Clean with Pyrocatalytic Cracking
In order to make pyrocatalytic cracking work, a pulse modulation electronic fuel injector controller must be used. The idea is that proper heating is used to "crack" heavy fuel into necessary gases to produce energy. A design utilizing this technology requires a starter subsystem, which begins the pyrocatalytic cracking process. The starter subsystem heats the fuel so that it turns into usable gas. As soon as this transformation is achieved and the fuel cycle begins, the starter subsystem is shut off.
The heavy fuel is carried using low-pressure air into a pyrocatalytic reactor chamber. Here, the liquid and air mixture will shift into a gas phase fuel. Small holes are added at the opposite end of the chamber. Through these holes, the fuel burns as it exits. When it does, the result is a yellow, white or blue flame that does not give off smoke or odorthe burn is entirely clean.
Implementing Pyrocatalytic Cracking Technology
Pyrocatalytic cracking technology can help significantly with fuel conservation. It also has another benefit. Many alternative fuels have been explored, including corn-based fuels, cellulose material, and solar energy. The concept behind the pyrocatalytic cracking system could be implemented in a way that makes these alternative fuel sources viable.
The most common process is FCC, in which the oil is cracked in the presence of a finely divided catalyst
which is maintained in an aerated or fluidized state by the oil vapors. The fluid cracker consists of a catalyst section and a fractionating section that operate together as an integrated processing unit. The catalyst section contains the reactor and regenerator, which, with the standpipe and riser, forms the catalyst circulation unit. The fluid catalyst is continuously circulated between the reactor and the regenerator using air, oil vapors, and steam as the conveying media.
A typical FCC process involves mixing a preheated hydrocarbon charge with hot, regenerated catalyst as it enters the riser leading to the reactor. The charge is combined with a recycle stream within the riser, vaporized, and raised to reactor temperature (900-1,000 F) by the hot catalyst. As the mixture travels up the riser, the charge is cracked at 10-30 psi. In the more modern FCC units, all cracking takes place in the riser. The "reactor" no longer functions as a reactor; it merely serves as a holding vessel for the cyclones. This cracking continues until the oil vapors are separated from the catalyst in the reactor cyclones. The resultant product stream (cracked product) is then charged to a fractionating column where it is separated into fractions, and some of the heavy oil is recycled to the riser.
The Sea Bird will help encourage better fuel conservation through advanced, experimental technology that
allows the ship clean operation. Using this and many other eco-friendly concepts, the Sea Bird could change the way the marine businesses of the world operate. These techniques can expand further to include many land-based industries as well. The first step is giving these new methods the chance to be used in a real, working environment.
We all have the opportunity to benefit from pyrocatalytic cracking technology and many other methods planned for implementation aboard the Sea Bird. With your support, the Sea Bird could become proof that this fuel-efficient engine design is the key to reducing emissions and lowering costs for many businesses and consumers. We can be less dependent on oil and the byproducts of inefficient technology thanks to the development of pyrocatalytic cracking systems.
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1944: Camano Class Light Cargo Ship was laid down for the US Army as FS-289 at Wheeler Shipbuilding in Whitestone, NY.
1945: Delivered to US Army.
1950: Acquired by the US Navy on July 1, 1950 and placed in service as USNS New Bedford (T-AKL-17).
1954: The movie, Mister Roberts, was made on the USNS New Bedford (T-AKL-17).
1955 - 1963: Used as a cargo supply ship for the Texas Towers, a network of advanced radar stations located off the Eastern Seaboard. In 1957, Capt. Sixto Mangual was commander of the AKL-17 and in 1961 it was rechristened the USNS New Bedford. The New Bedford, sailing out of State Pier, was keeping vigil when Texas Tower No. 4 callapsed off the New Jersey coast during a January 1961 nor'easter.
1963: Reclassified as Miscellaneous Unclassified (IX-308).
1971: The New Bedford (IX-308) served as a Torpedo Test Firing Vessel in the Puget Sound area.
1994: Ceremony in New Bedford.
1995: The ship was struck from the Naval Register on April 4.
2004: The Sea Bird's current disposition is a tuna long liner (fishing boat) out of San Diego, CA.
2006: Design of the Tesla Turbine began on June 11, 2006. The Sea Bird was sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service for commercial service.
2007: The Sea Bird was drydocked for renovations.
2008: The Sea Bird setting sail to Sea-Tac in Seattle, WA.
2009 - 2010: The Sea Bird is currently docked at Seattle Sea-Tac.
