Patents Assigned to ClearEdge Power Corporation
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Publication number: 20140329160Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2010Publication date: November 6, 2014Applicant: ClearEdge Power CorporationInventors: Sitaram Ramaswamy, Paul R. Margiott, Paul R. Hanrahan, Mithun Kamat
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Publication number: 20140134060Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2011Publication date: May 15, 2014Applicant: ClearEdge Power CorporationInventor: Minhua Shao
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Patent number: 8652695Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 13, 2009Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: Clearedge Power CorporationInventors: Kazuo Saito, John W. Kowalski, Bryan F. Dufner, Sitaram Ramaswamy
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Patent number: 8623561Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 29, 2009Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: Clearedge Power CorporationInventors: Thomas Bruce Avis, Kazuo Saito, Michael T. Lines, Ricardo O. Brown
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Patent number: 8557452Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 22, 2008Date of Patent: October 15, 2013Assignee: ClearEdge Power CorporationInventors: Peter F. Foley, Joshua D. Isom, John L. Preston
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Patent number: 8492038Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 29, 2004Date of Patent: July 23, 2013Assignee: ClearEdge Power CorporationInventors: Richard D. Breault, Carl Rohrbach, Jr.