1. A process for preparing a non-pyrophoric catalyst, comprising:
forming a mixture of a copper precursor and a water-insoluble alumina precursor;
coextruding the mixture;
drying the coextrudate; and
calcining the dried coextrudate at a temperature of at least 600\xb0 C. to form the non-pyrophoric catalyst;
wherein the non-pyrophoric catalyst comprises about 2 to 20 wt. % of a copper component, and at least 50 wt. % of the copper component is in the form of a copper oxide, aluminum oxide-spinel.
2. The process of claim 1, wherein the non-pyrophoric catalyst comprises at least 80 wt. % of alumina.
3. The process of claim 1, wherein the calcination temperature is at least 650\xb0 C.
4. The process of claim 1, wherein the formation of the mixture comprises mulling a paste of a water-insoluble alumina precursor and an aqueous solution of a water-soluble copper salt.
5. The process of claim 1, wherein the process further comprises activating the non-pyrophoric catalyst with a reducing gas stream comprising a reductant component and an inert gas at a temperature of about 150 to 300\xb0 C.
6. The process of claim 5, wherein the reductant component comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide or a combination thereof.
7. The process of claim 5, wherein the reducing gas stream is substantially dry.
8. The process of claim 5, wherein the process further comprises passivating the non-pyrophoric catalyst with a gas stream comprising oxygen and an inert gas at a temperature below 50\xb0 C.
9. The process of claim 8, wherein the gas stream comprising oxygen and the inert gas is substantially dry.
10. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of adding a porous structure modifier to at least one of the copper precursor, the water-insoluble alumina precursor, and the mixture thereof.
11. The process of claim 10, wherein the porous structure modifier is wood flour.
12. A process for activating a non-pyrophoric catalyst, comprising:
(a) contacting the non-pyrophoric catalyst comprised of a mixture of a copper precursor and a water-insoluble alumina precursor with a reducing gas stream comprising a reductant component and an inert gas at a temperature of about 150 to 300\xb0 C.; and
(b) passivating the reduced non-pyrophoric catalyst with a gas stream comprising oxygen and an inert gas at a temperature below 50\xb0 C.;
wherein the non-pyrophoric catalyst comprises about 2 to 20 wt. % of a copper component, and at least 50 wt. % of the copper component is in the form of a copper oxide, aluminum oxide-spinel.
13. The process of claim 12, wherein the reductant component of (a) comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide or a combination thereof.
14. The process of claim 12, wherein the reducing gas stream of (a) is substantially dry.
15. The process of claim 12, wherein the gas stream of (b) is substantially dry.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A fluid metering pump, comprising:
a fuel cylinder;
a fuel piston reciprocally movable within the fuel cylinder for drawing fuel from a fuel reservoir and discharging the fuel through a discharge conduit;
an oil cylinder;
an oil piston reciprocally movable within the oil cylinder for drawing oil from an oil reservoir and discharging the oil through a discharge conduit, wherein the oil mixes with the fuel within the discharge conduit to form a batch of fuel-oil mixture with a predetermined fuel-to-oil ratio;
an oil shuttle valve in fluid communication with the oil reservoir, the oil cylinder, and the discharge conduit, wherein the oil shuttle valve moves between an intake position, which communicates the oil from the oil reservoir to the oil cylinder, and a discharge position, which communicates the oil from the oil cylinder to the discharge conduit;
a biasing spring operatively connected to the oil shuttle valve for biasing the oil shuttle valve to the intake position; and
a ratio adjustment device operatively connected between the fuel piston and the oil piston, wherein the ratio adjustment device is capable of setting the fuel-to-oil ratio of each batch of the fuel-oil mixture.
2. The fluid metering pump of claim 1 wherein an amount of the fuel-oil mixture in a batch is selected by selecting a length of stroke of the fuel piston; and
wherein the ratio adjustment device determines the fuel-to-oil ratio by setting the length of stroke of the oil piston to a corresponding length of stroke of the fuel piston.
3. The fluid metering pump of claim 1, further comprising:
a fuel dump shuttle valve in fluid communication with the fuel reservoir, the fuel cylinder, and the discharge conduit, wherein the fuel dump shuttle valve moves between an operating position, which communicates the fuel from the fuel cylinder to the discharge conduit, and a dump position, which communicates the fuel from the fuel cylinder to the fuel reservoir.
4. The fluid metering pump of claim 3, further comprising:
a lever operatively connected to the fuel dump shuttle for moving the fuel dump shuttle between the operating position and the dump position.
5. The fluid metering pump of claim 1, further comprising:
a cap removeably attached to the oil reservoir;
a guide rod extending from the cap into the oil reservoir;
a piston slidably attached to the guide rod;
a biasing spring operatively attached to the piston plate for biasing the piston against the oil within the oil reservoir.
6. The fluid metering pump of claim 1, further comprising an integrated container for storing the fuel to be used as the fuel reservoir.
7. The fluid metering pump of claim 1, further comprising a static mixer positioned within the discharge conduit for mixing the fuel with the oil to form the fuel-oil mixture.
8. The fluid metering pump of claim 1 wherein an amount of the fuel-oil mixture in the batch is selected by selecting a length of stroke of the fuel piston.
9. The fluid metering pump of claim 1, wherein the ratio adjustment device component comprises:
guide rods attached to a housing of the fluid metering pump;
a variable length rod pivotally connected between the fuel piston and the housing;
a rack slidably attached to the guide rods; and
a pin operatively connected between the rack and the variable length rod so that an operator can set the fuel-to-oil ratio.
10. A fluid metering pump, comprising:
a first cylinder;
a first piston reciprocally movable within the first cylinder for drawing a first fluid from a first fluid source and discharging the fluid through a discharge conduit;
a second cylinder;
a second piston reciprocally movable within the second cylinder for drawing a second fluid from a second fluid source and discharging the second fluid through the discharge conduit, wherein the second fluid mixes with the first fluid within the discharge conduit to form a batch of fluid mixture with a predetermined fluid ratio;
a shuttle valve in fluid communication with the first fluid source, the first cylinder, and the discharge conduit, wherein the first shuttle valve moves between an intake position, which communicates the first fluid from the first reservoir to the first cylinder, and a discharge position, which communicates the first fluid from the first cylinder to the discharge conduit;
a biasing spring operatively connected to the first shuttle valve for biasing the first shuttle valve to the intake position; and
a ratio adjustment device operatively connected between the first piston and the second piston, wherein the ratio adjustment device is capable of selecting the fluid ratio of each batch of the fluid mixture.
11. The fluid metering pump of claim 10, further comprising:
a first dump shuttle valve in fluid communication with the first fluid source, the first cylinder, and the discharge conduit, wherein the first dump shuttle valve moves between an operating position, which communicates the first fluid from the first cylinder to the discharge conduit, and a dump position, which communicates the first fluid from the first cylinder to the first fluid source.
12. The fluid metering pump of claim 10, further comprising:
a second shuttle valve in fluid communication with the second fluid source, the second cylinder, and the discharge conduit, wherein the second shuttle valve moves between an intake position, which communicates the second fluid from the second fluid source to the second cylinder, and a discharge position, which communicates the second fluid from the second cylinder to the discharge conduit.
13. A fluid metering pump, comprising:
a fuel cylinder;
a fuel piston reciprocally movable within the fuel cylinder for drawing fuel from a fuel source and discharging the fuel through a discharge conduit;
an oil cylinder;
an oil piston reciprocally movable within the oil cylinder for drawing oil from an oil reservoir and discharging the oil through a discharge conduit, wherein the oil mixes with the fuel within the discharge conduit to form a batch of fuel-oil mixture with a predetermined fuel-to-oil ratio;
an oil shuttle valve in fluid communication with the oil reservoir, the oil cylinder, and the discharge conduit, wherein the oil shuttle valve moves between an intake position, which communicates the oil from the oil reservoir to the oil cylinder, and a discharge position, which communicates the oil from the oil cylinder to the discharge conduit;
a biasing spring operatively connected to the oil shuttle valve for biasing the oil shuttle valve to the intake position; and
a means for selecting the fuel-to-oil ratio of each batch of the fuel-oil mixture operatively connected between the fuel piston and the oil piston.
14. The fluid metering pump of claim 13, wherein the means for selecting the fuel-to-oil ratio, comprises:
guide rods attached to a housing of the fluid metering pump;
a variable length rod pivotally connected between the fuel piston and the housing;
a rack slidably attached to the guide rods; and
a pin operatively connected between the rack and the variable length rod so that an operator can set the fuel-to-oil ratio.
15. The fluid metering pump of claim 13, further comprising:
a fuel dump shuttle valve in fluid communication with the fuel reservoir, the fuel cylinder, and the discharge conduit, wherein the fuel dump shuttle valve moves between an operating position, which communicates fuel from the fuel cylinder to the discharge conduit, and a dump position, which communicates fuel from the fuel cylinder to the fuel reservoir.
16. The fluid metering pump of claim 13, further comprising:
an oil shuffle valve in fluid communication with the oil reservoir, the oil cylinder, and the discharge conduit, wherein the oil shuffle valve moves between an intake position, which communicates oil from the oil reservoir to the oil cylinder, and a discharge position, which communicates the oil from the oil cylinder to the discharge conduit.
17. A method of metering fluids with a fluid metering device having a fuel cylinder, a fuel piston reciprocally movable within the fuel cylinder, an oil cylinder, an oil piston reciprocally movable within the oil cylinder, and a ratio adjustment device operatively connected between the fuel piston and the oil piston, wherein the ratio adjustment device is capable of setting a fuel-to-oil ratio of each batch of fuel-oil mixture, the method comprising the steps of:
providing an oil reservoir;
filling an oil reservoir with oil;
providing a fuel reservoir;
filling a fuel reservoir with fuel;
selecting a fuel-oil ratio on the ratio adjustment device;
providing an oil shuttle valve in fluid communication with the oil reservoir, the oil cylinder, and the discharge conduit;
moving the oil shuttle valve to an intake position, to provide fluid communication between the oil reservoir and the oil cylinder;
raising the fuel piston with an intake stroke so that the fuel is drawn from the fuel reservoir to the fuel cylinder and the oil is drawn from the oil reservoir to the oil cylinder;
moving the oil shuttle valve to a discharge position to provide fluid communication between the oil cylinder and the discharge conduit; and
lowering the fuel piston with a discharge stroke so that the fuel and the oil mix within the discharge conduit into a fueloil mixture with a selected fuel-to-oil ratio and discharge through a spout.
18. The method of metering fluid of 17, further comprising the step of:
moving a dump shuttle valve between an operating position, which communicates the fuel from the fuel cylinder to the discharge conduit, and a dump position, which communicates the fuel from the fuel cylinder to the fuel reservoir.
19. The method of metering fluid of 17, wherein the ratio adjustment device comprises:
guide rods attached to a housing of the fluid metering device;
a variable length rod pivotally connected between the fuel piston and the housing;
a rack slidably attached to the guide rods; and
a pin operatively connected between the rack and the variable length rod so that an operator can set the fuel-to-oil ratio.