Method and apparatus for starting up a gas generator for converting hydrocarbons into a fuel gas, and an internal combustion engine to be supplied with the fuel gas

Claim 1

In a method for starting a gas generator for the catalytic conversion of hydrocarbons with an oxygen containing gas to form a fuel gas and for starting an internal combustion engine which is supplied with the fuel gas, comprising the steps of temporarily electrically heating catalytic material disposed in a reaction chamber containing a catalytic charge, conducting a mixture of hydrocarbons and air, which is richer in oxygen than in continuous operation, over the catalytic material; and exothermically reacting the mixture for further heating up the catalytic charge and feeding the fuel gas produced to the internl combustion engine, the improvement comprising: (a) electrically heating a small part of the volume of the catalytic charge to the start up temperature of the catalyst; (b) then terminating the electric heating; (c) cranking the internal combustion engine; (d) introducing the hydrocarbon/air mixture and reacting it at the heated small part of the volume without flame causing the catalytic charge to be further heated through the spreading of the exothermic reaction; and (e) after the remainder of the volume of the catalytic charge is sufficiently heated feeding the hydrocarbons and the oxygen containing gas to the remainder of the volume of the catalytic charge in the generator together along with an oxygen component for the reaction during continuous operation.