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A method and system for more safely operating a diesel engine in a methane-rich environment, such as a mine. The method includes providing a diesel engine having an air intake, a combustion chamber, and an exhaust. Methane-rich air is introduced into the engine through the air intake and mixed with

A method and system for more safely operating a diesel engine in a methane-rich environment, such as a mine. The method includes providing a diesel engine having an air intake, a combustion chamber, and an exhaust. Methane-rich air is introduced into the engine through the air intake and mixed with diesel fuel, which is combusted. The exhaust gases are introduced into a converter comprising a bed of silica. The converter generates highly reactive hydroxyl radicals that are attracted to the combustion temperature at the cylinders. The hydroxyl radicals form supercritical water in the cylinders, and eliminate soot formation, increases engine efficiency, and reduce top combustion temperature. The disclosed methods and systems significantly reduce pollutants and the risk of explosions within or near the diesel engine. The methods and systems also result in single phase emissions, whether or not operated in a methane-rich environment.

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What is claimed is: 1. A method for safely operating a diesel engine in a methane-rich environment, comprising: operating a diesel engine in a methane-rich environment, comprising at least 1% by volume methane; generating exhaust gases by said diesel engine; step for generating a highly reactive at

What is claimed is: 1. A method for safely operating a diesel engine in a methane-rich environment, comprising: operating a diesel engine in a methane-rich environment, comprising at least 1% by volume methane; generating exhaust gases by said diesel engine; step for generating a highly reactive atmosphere comprising at least one of hydroxyl radicals or supercritical water; and step for preventing at least one of damage to the diesel engine by the methane-rich air or explosion of the methane-rich air during operation of the diesel engine. 2. A system for safely operating a diesel engine in a methane-rich environment comprising means for carrying out the method of claim 1. 3. A method for safely operating a diesel engine in a methane-rich environment, comprising: providing a diesel engine having an air intake and an exhaust, the diesel engine being configured to power a piece of mining equipment; introducing methane-rich air from a mine containing greater than about 1% by volume methane into the diesel engine through the air intake and mixing the air mixture with diesel fuel to produce an air-fuel mixture; combusting the air-fuel mixture by the diesel engine to form an exhaust product; providing a bed of silica or alumina particles; and introducing the exhaust product produced by the diesel engine into the bed in order for the particles to contact or come into close proximity to the exhaust product in order to yield hydroxyl radicals that act to catalytically eliminate at least a portion of the methane. 4. A system for safely operating a diesel engine in a methane-rich environment comprising means for carrying out the method of claim 3. 5. A method for operating a diesel engine having single phase emissions and substantially complete combustion, comprising: (a)operating a diesel engine to produce an exhaust stream; (b)forming hydroxyl radicals by inputting the exhaust stream into a catalytic chamber containing a bed of particles which consist essentially of at least one of silica, hydroxylbastnasite or alumina particles by means of an exhaust channel; (c)channeling the hydroxyl radicals back to the diesel engine through the exhaust channel; (d)forming supercritical water as a gas plasma from the hydroxyl radicals within cylinders of the diesel engine; and (e)interacting the supercritical water formed within the cylinders with fuel and air within the cylinders in order to enhance combustion efficiency of the diesel engine and substantially eliminate soot emission. 6. A method according to claim 5, wherein (e) results in complete valve seating, increased engine compression, and elimination of one or more of fuel blow by, clatter noise, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, methane, up to 99.999% of sulfur, up to 99% of hydrocarbons, up to 80% of CO2, NOx, or sparks from exhaust. 7. A method according to claim 5, wherein exhaust gases exiting the catalytic chamber have a temperature less than 200�� C. 8. A system comprising means for carrying out the method of claim 5. 9. A method for safely operating a diesel engine in a methane gas-rich environment in order to reduce methane-initiated explosions, comprising: providing a diesel engine having an air intake and an exhaust; introducing methane-rich air containing greater than about 1% by volume methane into the diesel engine through the air intake and mixing the methane gas-rich air with diesel fuel to produce an air-fuel mixture; combusting the air-fuel mixture by the diesel engine to form exhaust gases; generating a reactive atmosphere at the point of combustion by interacting said exhaust gases with at least one of silica, hydroxylbastnasite or alumina; and causing or allowing at least a portion of said reactive atmosphere to migrate at or near where said combusting occurs in order to substantially eliminate soot deposition on engine valve seats, thereby allowing engine valves to seat completely and prevent at least one of damage to the diesel engine by the methane-rich air in the air-fuel mixture or explosion of methane within the methane-rich air during operation of the diesel engine. 10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the diesel engine is a 2-cycle diesel engine. 11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the diesel engine is a 4-cycle diesel engine. 12. A method according to claim 9, wherein the methane gas-rich contains at least 5% by volume methane. 13. A method according to claim 9, wherein the methane gas-rich air contains at least 8% by volume methane. 14. A method according to claim 9, wherein the methane gas-rich air contains at least 12% by volume methane. 15. A method according to claim 9, wherein the methane gas-rich air is produced by a coal bed. 16. A method according to claim 9, wherein the reactive atmosphere comprises at least one of hydroxyl radicals or supercritical water. 17. A system for safely operating a diesel engine in a methane-rich environment comprising means for carrying out the method of claim 9. 18. A method according to claim 9, wherein substantially eliminating soot deposition on the valve seats substantially prevents air-fuel blow-by during combustion of the diesel engine. 19. A method according to claim 18, wherein substantially eliminating soot deposition on the valve seats and substantially preventing air-fuel blow-by yields single-phase combustion of the diesel engine. 20. A method according to claim 9, wherein the reactive atmosphere is formed by passing the exhaust gases through a bed of said silica or alumina particles maintained at an operating temperature in a range of about 30�� C. to about 600�� C. 21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the bed is maintained at an operating temperature in a range of about 50�� C. to about 500�� C. 22. A method according to claim 20, wherein the bed is maintained at an operating temperature in a range of about 75�� C. to about 450�� C. 23. A method according to claim 20, wherein the bed is maintained at an operating temperature in a range of about 100�� C. to about 400�� C.