Catalytic combustion is a chemical process which uses a
catalyst
Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...
to speed desired oxidation reactions of fuel and so reduce the formation of undesired products, especially
pollutant
A pollutant or novel entity is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has undesired effects, or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource. These can be both naturally forming (i.e. minerals or extracted compounds like oi ...
nitrogen oxide gases (NO
x) far below what can be achieved without catalysts. The process was discovered in the 1950s by Catalytic Combustion LLC.
Chemical process
Catalysts may be used to control combustion reactions in the following ways:
# fuel preparation, such as splitting long molecules into shorter ones;
# fuel oxidation to release heat energy;
# the destruction of pollutant gases in the exhaust.
Technology
Catalytic combustion was developed by Norb Ruff in the 1950s.
[Worthy, Sharon. ]
Bio-Medicine: Connecticut chemist receives award for cleaner air technology
'. 23 June 2003. Retrieved 31 October 2012. He founded Catalytic Combustion LLC in the 1950s where he created and patented the first metal catalyst. Other early work was carried out by researchers at
Acurex,
Westinghouse,
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
and the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
. The technique was revisited in the 1990s, leading to two types of catalytic system:
Catalytica
Koninklijke DSM N.V. (Royal DSM, commonly known as DSM), is a Dutch multinational corporation active in the fields of health, nutrition and materials. Headquartered in Heerlen, at the end of 2017 DSM employed 21,054 people in approximately 50 c ...
's fuel-lean approach, and
Precision Combustion
Precision, precise or precisely may refer to:
Science, and technology, and mathematics Mathematics and computing (general)
* Accuracy and precision, measurement deviation from true value and its scatter
* Significant figures, the number of digit ...
's fuel-rich approach.
See also
*
Gas chromatography: Detectors
*
Lanny D. Schmidt
Lanny D. Schmidt (May 6, 1938 – March 27, 2020) was an American chemist, inventor, author, and Regents Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota. He is well known for his extensive work in surfac ...
References
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Catalysis
Chemical processes
Jet engine technology