Patents Assigned to ClearEdge Power Corporation
  • Publication number: 20140329160
    Abstract: A thermal priority fuel cell power plant includes a cell stack assembly for generating an electrical power output. The cell stack assembly includes an anode, a cathode, and a waste heat recovery loop. The anode is configured to receive a fuel, the cathode is configured to receive an oxidizer, and the cell stack assembly is configured to generate the electrical power output by electrochemically reacting the anode fuel and the cathode oxidizer in the presence of a catalyst. The waste heat recovery loop includes a coolant inlet conduit and a coolant outlet conduit, and is configured to remove waste heat generated from the electrochemical reaction. A waste heat recovery loop is thermally coupled to the cell stack assembly for managing the waste heat of the cell stack assembly and for supplying thermal power to a thermal load demand. The waste heat recovery loop includes a heat exchanger in heat exchange relationship with the coolant outlet conduit and the thermal load demand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: ClearEdge Power Corporation
    Inventors: Sitaram Ramaswamy, Paul R. Margiott, Paul R. Hanrahan, Mithun Kamat
  • Publication number: 20140134060
    Abstract: A natural gas reforming catalyst includes a metal core and rhodium deposited on the metal core. A natural gas reformer includes a hydrocarbon inlet, a reforming catalyst for generating hydrogen from a hydrocarbon and water and a hydrogen outlet. The reforming catalyst includes a metal core and a rhodium layer deposited on the metal core. A method for preparing a natural gas reforming catalyst includes adding a rhodium compound and a metal core to a reaction vessel and depositing the rhodium compound on the metal core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: ClearEdge Power Corporation
    Inventor: Minhua Shao
  • Patent number: 8652695
    Abstract: A fuel cell system is disclosed that includes a heat exchanger having first and second heat exchanger portions arranged in a fluid flow passage. The second heat exchanger portion is arranged downstream from the first heat exchanger portion. The first and second heat exchanger portions include a coolant flow passage and are configured to transfer heat between the fluid flow and coolant flow passages. The first heat exchanger portion includes a first corrosion-resistant material and the second heat exchanger portion includes a second corrosion-resistant material that is less corrosion-resistant than the first corrosion-resistant material. A collector, which includes a tray and/or a mist trap, is configured to collect acid in the first heat exchanger portion from a gas stream in the fluid flow passage. Collected acid can be sprayed into a gas stream upstream from a flow field of the fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Clearedge Power Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Saito, John W. Kowalski, Bryan F. Dufner, Sitaram Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 8623561
    Abstract: The condenser heat exchanger includes a housing that provides a gaseous stream flowpath and a bottom wall. A gaseous stream contains acid. The housing has a fluid inlet configured to introduce a liquid, such as water. A coolant tube is disposed within the housing in the gaseous stream flowpath and provides a coolant path. Acid condenses on and falls from the coolant tube into a collection area that is provided at the bottom wall near the coolant tube. The collection area is configured to maintain storage of a predetermined amount of fluid that includes the liquid, which dilutes the condensed acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Clearedge Power Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Bruce Avis, Kazuo Saito, Michael T. Lines, Ricardo O. Brown
  • Patent number: 8557452
    Abstract: Fuel processing by a reformer (42) and a shift reactor (44) converts hydrocarbon feedstock (12) and steam (36) to hydrogen-rich reformate (11), such as for use in a fuel cell power plant (47). Some of the reformate is recycled through a restriction (18) to the inlet (15) of a feedstock pump (14), thereby increasing its pressure sufficiently to cause recycle flow through a hydrodesulfurizer (21) and the secondary inlet (26) of an ejector (28) driven by the steam (36). Recycle pressure (48) is maintained by steam pressure through a valve (34) regulated by a controller (17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power Corporation
    Inventors: Peter F. Foley, Joshua D. Isom, John L. Preston
  • Patent number: 8492038
    Abstract: A fuel cell assembly (20) has an extended operational life, in part, because of unique startup and shutdown procedures used for operating the fuel cell assembly. In disclosed examples, a purge gas mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen includes less than 2% hydrogen for selectively purging portions of the assembly during a startup or shutdown procedure. In a disclosed example, the hydrogen-nitrogen mixture contains less than 0.1% hydrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power Corporation
    Inventors: Richard D. Breault, Carl Rohrbach, Jr.