Autonomous flameless thermochemical heating boiler with gravity feed of encapsulated composite metal fuel briquettes, passive bimetallic ash removal and in-situ catalytic hydrogen recombination

Abstract

The invention relates to an autonomous flameless thermochemical heating boiler operating on composite metal fuel briquettes (iron–aluminium–calcium oxide) with a unit mass of approximately 3 kg. The briquettes are protected by a thin paraffin- or polymer-based coating that prevents moisture penetration during long-term storage and decomposes automatically upon entering a hot thermal pre-chamber. Fuel sufficient for an entire heating season is loaded into a vertical gravity-fed shaft once a year. Hydrogen produced during the metal-steam reaction is immediately recombined on porous catalytic matrices, preventing free gas accumulation. Spent iron oxide is removed by an unpowered bimetallic snapping grid. After a brief electrical start-up phase the boiler operates in a self-sustaining mode with zero carbon dioxide emissions.