Flameless Combustion for Kitchen Appliances

PCI is developing a high efficiency, ultra-low emissions, quiet and lightweight JP8-fueled 20 kBTU/hr catalytic flameless kitchen griddle technology that is controllable, modular, robust, and meets Army and other DoD field needs including for field use, maintainability and modular integration into kitchen systems. Phase I achieved successful proof-of-concept, with many objectives exceeded. Flameless combustion is achieved using a unique short contact time Microlith catalytic burner enabling compact size, sulfur-tolerant high fuel conversion efficiency, high heat transfer, and rapid startup and transient response. The design integrates several innovations to enable complete flameless combustion without coking and with lightweight heat recuperation for very high efficiency (85% achieved in Phase I) in a robust modular system that weighs less than the current MBU. MTBS service intervals are targeted to be 500 hours, with catalyst component life in the thousands of hours. Specific Phase II design and development will meet Army functional needs, will include prototype testing, modeling, and analysis, and a prototype will be delivered. This new design builds on prior PCI successes in fuel injection, catalytic combustion, recuperation and compact burners that have already been transitioned to Phase III in the Army and Navy.