Ultra clean burner for an AMTEC system suitable for hybrid electric vehicles

High power alkali metal thermoelectric converter (AMTEC) systems have the potential to make the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) program a success by meeting the challenging standards put forth by the EPA for the automobile industry. The premise of the whole concept of using AMTEC cells, as discussed by Hunt et al. (1995), for power generation in HEV's is based on the utilization of a high efficiency "external" combustion system. The key requirement being a burner which will produce extremely low quantities of carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen, emit minimal amounts of hydrocarbon, will have high radiative and convective efficiencies and at least a 4:1 turndown ratio. This work presents one such burner which has the potential to meet all of these demands and more.