Patents by Inventor Paul J. Rubas

Paul J. Rubas has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11978931
    Abstract: Molten carbonate fuel cell configurations are provided that allow for introduction of an anode input gas flow on a side of the fuel cell that is adjacent to the entry side for the cathode input gas flow while allowing the anode and cathode to operate under co-current flow and/or counter-current flow conditions. It has been discovered that improved flow properties can be achieved within the anode or cathode during co-current flow or counter-current flow operation by diverting the input flow for the anode or cathode into an extended edge seal region (in an extended edge seal chamber) adjacent to the active area of the anode or cathode, and then using a baffle to provide sufficient pressure drop for even flow distribution of the anode input flow across the anode or cathode input flow across the cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Christopher Howard, Brandon J. O'Neill, Paul J. Rubas, Frank Hershkowitz, Lu Han, Lawrence J. Novacco, Frank J. Dobek, Jr., Keith E. Davis, Brian Bullecks
  • Publication number: 20240047725
    Abstract: A module assembly is provided including a fuel cell stack assembly, a heat exchanger, and a housing enclosing the fuel cell stack assembly and the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is configured to receive process gas from an external source and output said process gas to the fuel cell stack assembly, and configured to receive process gas from the fuel cell stack assembly and output said process gas. A fuel cell power plant is provided including a module assembly with a first end, a racking structure configured to hold the module assembly, balance of plant equipment, and ducting configured to provide fluid communication between the balance of plant equipment and the first end of the module assembly. The module assembly and the racking structure are configured such that the module assembly may be removed from the racking structure in a direction away from the first end of the module assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Keith E. Davis, Frank Hershkowitz, Lu Han, Clay R. Sutton, Paul J. Rubas
  • Patent number: 11664519
    Abstract: A module assembly is provided including a fuel cell stack assembly, a heat exchanger, and a housing enclosing the fuel cell stack assembly and the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is configured to receive process gas from an external source and output said process gas to the fuel cell stack assembly, and configured to receive process gas from the fuel cell stack assembly and output said process gas. A fuel cell power plant is provided including a module assembly with a first end, a racking structure configured to hold the module assembly, balance of plant equipment, and ducting configured to provide fluid communication between the balance of plant equipment and the first end of the module assembly. The module assembly and the racking structure are configured such that the module assembly may be removed from the racking structure in a direction away from the first end of the module assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignees: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY, FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Keith E. Davis, Frank Hershkowitz, Lu Han, Clay R. Sutton, Paul J. Rubas
  • Publication number: 20220255095
    Abstract: Molten carbonate fuel cell configurations are provided that allow for introduction of an anode input gas flow on a side of the fuel cell that is adjacent to the entry side for the cathode input gas flow while allowing the anode and cathode to operate under co-current flow and/or counter-current flow conditions. It has been discovered that improved flow properties can be achieved within the anode or cathode during co-current flow or counter-current flow operation by diverting the input flow for the anode or cathode into an extended edge seal region (in an extended edge seal chamber) adjacent to the active area of the anode or cathode, and then using a baffle to provide sufficient pressure drop for even flow distribution of the anode input flow across the anode or cathode input flow across the cathode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: Christopher Howard, Brandon J. O'Neill, Paul J. Rubas, Frank Hershkowitz, Lu Han, Lawrence J. Novacco, Frank J. Dobek, Keith David, Brian Bullecks
  • Publication number: 20210159534
    Abstract: A module assembly is provided including a fuel cell stack assembly, a heat exchanger, and a housing enclosing the fuel cell stack assembly and the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is configured to receive process gas from an external source and output said process gas to the fuel cell stack assembly, and configured to receive process gas from the fuel cell stack assembly and output said process gas. A fuel cell power plant is provided including a module assembly with a first end, a racking structure configured to hold the module assembly, balance of plant equipment, and ducting configured to provide fluid communication between the balance of plant equipment and the first end of the module assembly. The module assembly and the racking structure are configured such that the module assembly may be removed from the racking structure in a direction away from the first end of the module assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventors: Keith E. Davis, Frank Hershkowitz, Lu Han, Clay R. Sutton, Paul J. Rubas
  • Patent number: 7686868
    Abstract: A membrane separation module (10) has a shell (11) having inlet port (20), outlet port (21) and a plurality of membrane units (12) disposed therebetween. Each membrane unit (12) has a plurality of elongated membrane elements (13), with at least a portion of each membrane element (13) having a semipermeable surface to permit selective permeation of one or more components of a multi-component feed fluid. The plurality of elongated membrane elements (13) are attached to collecting manifolds (16) (17), with one of those manifolds (16) (17) being unrestrained, permitting axial movement of each membrane element (13) in response to temperature changes. At least one manifold (16) (17) from each membrane unit (12) is in fluid communication with a manifold (16) (17) from one other membrane unit (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventor: Paul J. Rubas