초록 ▼

Slurry fuels and associated methods are disclosed herein. One aspect of the invention is directed toward a slurry fuel that includes a liquid hydrocarbon based fuel suitable for use in an air-breathing power plant, metallic particles (e.g., boron), and a fluoropolymer (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene

Slurry fuels and associated methods are disclosed herein. One aspect of the invention is directed toward a slurry fuel that includes a liquid hydrocarbon based fuel suitable for use in an air-breathing power plant, metallic particles (e.g., boron), and a fluoropolymer (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene). In selected embodiments the slurry fuel can further include a surfactant (e.g., polyolefin amide alkeneamine and/or Product NB463S84 produced by GE Betz, Inc.). Other aspects of the invention are directed toward a slurry fuel that includes a liquid hydrocarbon based fuel, metallic particles, and a surfactant having a composition that lowers the surface tension of the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel and reduces the tendency for the metallic particles to separate from the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. A slurry fuel, comprising: a liquid hydrocarbon based fuel suitable for use in an air-breathing power plant; metallic particles, the particles being mixed with and suspended in the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel, the metallic particles containing at least one of boron, aluminum, manganes

I claim: 1. A slurry fuel, comprising: a liquid hydrocarbon based fuel suitable for use in an air-breathing power plant; metallic particles, the particles being mixed with and suspended in the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel, the metallic particles containing at least one of boron, aluminum, manganese, magnesium, titanium, and beryllium; and a fluoropolymer mixed with the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel, the fluoropolymer having a composition containing a plurality of fluorinated monomers, wherein the fluoropolymer is configured to release fluorine and/or the fluorinated monomers upon thermal degradation. 2. The slurry fuel of claim 1 wherein: the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel includes JP-10; the particles include boron particles generally having a cross-sectional dimension of 10 microns or less and wherein the boron particles comprise between 0.1 and 66 percent of the slurry fuel by weight; the fluoropolymer includes a polytetrafluoroethylene powder mixed into the slurry fuel so that the include ratio of polytetrafluoroethylene to the boron particles ranges between 0.0001 and 0.20 by weight, and wherein the slurry fuel further comprises a surfactant, wherein the surfactant includes polyolefin amide alkeneamine, and wherein the ratio of surfactant to boron particles ranges between 0.0001 and 0.1 by weight. 3. The slurry fuel of claim 1 wherein the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel includes at least one of an alcohol base fuel and a kerosene based fuel. 4. The slurry fuel of claim 1 wherein the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel includes at least one of JP-4, JP-5, JP-7 JP-8, JP-10, and Jet A fuel. 5. The slurry fuel of claim 1 wherein the particles include at least one of boron, aluminum, manganese, magnesium, titanium, and beryllium. 6. The slurry fuel of claim 1 wherein the particles include boron particles generally having a cross-sectional measurement of 10 microns or less. 7. The slurry fuel of claim 1 wherein the fluoropolymer includes at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene and a perfluoropolymer. 8. The slurry fuel of claim 1 wherein the fluoropolymer includes a powder comprised of polytetrafluoroethylene and wherein the polytetrafluoroethylene particles in the powder have a cross-sectional measurement of 100 microns or less. 9. The slurry fuel of claim 1 wherein the fluoropolymer has a composition such that at least one of a halogen and a halogenated small molecule is released upon thermal degradation, the at least one of a halogen and a halogenated small molecule having a composition that improves the combustibility of the particles during thermal degradation of the slurry fuel. 10. The slurry fuel of claim 1, further comprising a surfactant having a composition that lowers the surface tension of the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel and reduces the tendency for the particles to separate from the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel. 11. The slurry fuel of claim 1, further comprising polyolefin amide alkeneamine. 12. The slurry fuel of claim 1 wherein the slurry fuel is suitable for use in an air-breathing power plant without the use of an oxidizing agent. 13. The slurry fuel of claim 1 wherein the particles comprise between 0.1 and 80 percent of the slurry fuel by weight. 14. The slurry fuel of claim 1 wherein the fluoropolymer is mixed with the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel so that the ratio of fluoropolymer to the metallic particles ranges between 0.0001 and 0.20 by weight. 15. A slurry fuel, comprising: a liquid hydrocarbon based fuel; metallic particles, the particles being mixed with and suspended in the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel; a surfactant having a composition that lowers the surface tension of the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel and reduces the tendency for the metallic particles to separate from the liquid hydrocarbon based; and a fluoropolymer mixed with the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel, the fluoropolymer having a composition containing a plurality of fluorinated monomers, wherein the fluoropolymer is configured to release fluorine and/or the fluorinated monomers upon thermal degradation. 16. The slurry fuel of claim 15 wherein: the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel includes at least one of an alcohol based fuel and a kerosene based fuel; the particles include boron particles; the surfactant includes polyolefin amide alkeneamine, and wherein the ratio of surfactant to boron particles ranges between 0.0001 and 0.1 by weight. 17. The slurry fuel of claim 15 wherein the surfactant includes polyolefin amide alkeneamine. 18. The slurry fuel of claim 15 wherein the fluoropolymer includes a powder comprised of polytetrafluoroethylene. 19. The slurry fuel of claim 15 wherein the slurry fuel is suitable for combining with an oxidizing agent. 20. A method for producing power with an air-breathing power plant, comprising: introducing a slurry fuel into the air-breathing power plant, the slurry fuel including: a liquid hydrocarbon based fuel; a plurality of metallic particles, the particles being mixed with the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel, wherein the solid particles individually containing a metal; a fluoropolymer mixed with the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel, the fluoropolymer having a composition containing a plurality of fluorinated monomers; releasing fluorine and/or the fluorinated monomers upon thermal degradation from the fluoropolymer; and reducing formation of a metal oxide on a surface of individual solid particles with the released fluorine and/or the fluorinated monomers. 21. The method of claim 20 wherein introducing a slurry fuel includes introducing a slurry fuel comprised of the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel, the particles, and the fluoropolymer, wherein: the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel includes an alcohol based fuel and a kerosene based fuel; the particles include boron particles; the fluoropolymer includes polytetrafluoroethylene. 22. The method of claim 20 wherein the air-breathing power plant is carried by an aerospace vehicle. 23. The method of claim 20 wherein the air-breathing power plant is carried by an aerospace vehicle and wherein the aerospace vehicle does not carry an oxidizing agent. 24. The method of claim 20 wherein the slurry fuel further includes a surfactant having a composition that lowers the surface tension of the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel and reduces the tendency for the metallic particles to separate from the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel. 25. The method of claim 20 wherein the slurry fuel further includes polyolefin amide alkeneamine. 26. A fuel suitable for use in an air-breathing power plant, comprising: a liquid hydrocarbon; a polytetrafluoroethylene mixed in the liquid hydrocarbon; and a plurality of solid particles suspended in the liquid hydrocarbon containing the polytetrafluoroethylene, the solid particles containing a metal selected from the group consisting of boron, aluminum, manganese, magnesium, titanium, and beryllium; and wherein the plurality of solid particles, the polytetrafluoroethylene, and the liquid hydrocarbon form a slurry. 27. The slurry fuel of claim 26 wherein: the liquid hydrocarbon based fuel includes JP-10; the solid particles include solid boron particles generally having a cross-sectional dimension of 10 microns or less, and wherein the boron particles comprise between 0.1 and 66 percent of the slurry by weight; and a ratio of the polytetrafluoroethylene to the boron particles ranges between about 0.0001 and about 0.20 by weight, and wherein the slurry further comprises a surfactant containing polyolefin amide alkeneamine, and wherein the ratio of the surfactant to the boron particles ranges between about 0.0001 and about 0.1 by weight.