COMBUSTION DEVICE AND METHOD

摘要

A combustion device (10) and a method are provided for combusting ethanol fuel (82). The liquid ethanol (82) is provided from a reservoir (12) to maintain a predetermined level of fuel (82) in an evaporation chamber (30), where it is heated. The heated liquid ethanol (82) seeps into lower ends (38) of tubes (36,42), evaporates and flows upwardly in the tubes (36,42) to a combustion zone (62), where it is combined with air and burnt. The combustible mixture of air and ethanol vapour is dehydrogenated in contact with a copper containing catalyst (60), supported on a burner (52) that is connected to a heating element (32) in the evaporation chamber (30). Heat from the combustion zone is transferred via the burner (52) and heating element (32) to the liquid ethanol (82) in the evaporation chamber (30).