Patents Examined by Kaity V. Handal
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Patent number: 8945248Abstract: Biomass gasification systems including a biofilter assembly adapted to be disposed within a filter unit of a biomass gasification system are provided. The biofilter assemblies may be adapted to filter particulate matter from a producer gas flowing through the filter unit while allowing a remainder of the producer gas to pass through the biofilter assembly. The biofilter assembly may include a support structure and a biofilter disposed on the support structure and including a biomaterial adapted to be gasified in a biomass gasification reactor of the biomass gasification system.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2011Date of Patent: February 3, 2015Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Omprakash Mall, Amol Mahulkar
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Patent number: 8926719Abstract: A hydrogen generator including a reactor chamber having a feedstock inlet and an inlet seal positioned at the feedstock inlet. At least one pair of feed rollers is positioned to draw a feedstock through the inlet seal and into the reactor chamber. At least one pair of distressing rollers is positioned in line with the feed rollers to produce stress in the feedstock. Steam is provided to the reactor chamber through a steam inlet and hydrogen is collected from a hydrogen outlet.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2014Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLCInventor: Roy Edward McAlister
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Patent number: 8926720Abstract: The mass flow rate of a first reactant stream supplied to a fuel processor is controlled based on a combined feed-forward and feedback control regime. The method is particularly applicable for actively controlling the fuel supply to a fuel processor in a system comprising a combustion engine, in which the fuel processor is fluidly connected to receive at least a portion of an engine exhaust stream from the engine. In embodiments of the system and method, the supply of fuel is controlled based on three mass flow factors.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2008Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Westport Power Inc.Inventor: Xuantian Li
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Patent number: 8915979Abstract: The present application is directed to a gas-generating apparatus. Hydrogen is generated within the gas-generating apparatus and is transported to a fuel cell. The first fuel component is introduced into the second fuel component through a conduit which punctures a septum separating the reaction chamber and the first fuel component reservoir, and the fuel conduit introduces the first fuel component to different portions of the second fuel component to produce hydrogen.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2009Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: Societe BICInventors: Alain Rosenzweig, Kurt Rath
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Patent number: 8888873Abstract: A method for generating and purifying syngas and to an apparatus for generating and purifying syngas is presented.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2009Date of Patent: November 18, 2014Assignee: L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges ClaudeInventors: Natacha Haik-Beraud, Antoine Hernandez, Pascal Marty, Bernd Polster
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Patent number: 8882863Abstract: A fuel reformulation system for an engine comprising an annular body for a flow of fluids therethrough connected to the engine, a source of fuel for flowing through at least a portion of the annular body, and a catalytic member connected to the annular body for the flow of any fluids thereacross from the annular body.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2009Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: Alliant Techsystems Inc.Inventors: Dean Modroukas, Jason S. Tyll, John C. Leylegian, Florin Girlea, Richard Perlman
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Patent number: 8864857Abstract: An apparatus for generating hydrogen gas from a replaceable aluminum pack comprising an aluminum and hydride mixture encased in a breathable membrane that is raised and lowered into a fluid contained within an enclosed tank wherein contact with the fluid releases hydrogen gas from the aluminum. A pressure transducer and microprocessor chip are provided for monitoring and regulating the rate of hydrogen production by engaging and disengaging a reversible motor that raises and lowers an inner tray on which the aluminum pack resides accordingly.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2011Date of Patent: October 21, 2014Inventor: Harlo Mayne
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Patent number: 8864855Abstract: Portable hydrogen generators are disclosed. In the various embodiments, the generator may include a chamber configured to endothermically decompose a material positioned within the chamber to generate hydrogen gas. A heater may be in thermal communication with the material to stimulate a release of the hydrogen gas. An electrical power source may be controllably coupled to the heater, so that electrical power delivered to the heater may be controlled in response to at least one detected property of the hydrogen gas.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2009Date of Patent: October 21, 2014Assignee: Societe BICInventor: Joerg Zimmermann
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Patent number: 8858661Abstract: A gasification system reduces volume of a bulky carbonaceous feedstock by pyrolysis to bring about a significant reduction in volume. The system includes a pyrolysis chamber, a reformer, a syngas burner, and a syngas storage tank. Flue gas is provided from the chamber to the reformer. Hot gases are introduced to the reformer from the syngas burner. The pyrolysis reaction occurs in the reformer to produce syngas of at least 1200° C. Some of the produced syngas is used to heat the pyrolysis chamber and the rest returns to the reformer with the flue gas. The syngas burner is situated horizontally at the bottom of the reformer, while the pyrolysis chamber is situated vertically at the top of the reformer. The reformer is inclined relative to each of the syngas burner and the pyrolysis chamber.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2008Date of Patent: October 14, 2014Inventor: Hyun Yong Kim
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Patent number: 8845770Abstract: A gasification system including a gasifier, a feed injector, and a fuel feed system that includes a first feed line, a second feed line, and a controller that includes a processor. The processor is programmed to enable the first feed line to supply a fuel gas into the feed injector, enable the second feed line to supply oxygen into the feed injector, receive instructions to add a slurry to the gasifier, prevent the first feed line from supplying the fuel gas into the feed injector, enable the first feed line to supply the slurry into the feed injector, enable the second feed line to simultaneously supply the oxygen and the inert gas into the feed injector, and prevent the second feed line from supplying the inert gas into the feed injector.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2011Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ronald Frederick Tyree, Huan Van Ho
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Patent number: 8834585Abstract: A hydrogen generating device is adapted for a fuel cell. The hydrogen generating device includes a casing, a button, a solid reactant, a bag-shaped body, and at least one flexible element. The casing has a containing space and an opening. The button is integrally formed and connected to the casing to seal the opening. The solid reactant is disposed in the casing. The bag-shaped body is disposed in the casing and contains a liquid reactant. The flexible element is connected to the casing and is located in the containing space. The flexible element includes a bending end, wherein the flexible element is aligned to the button and is located between the button and the bag-shaped body. When the button is pressed, the button pushes the flexible element so the bending end pierces the bag-shaped body, and the liquid reactant flows out and reacts with the solid reactant to generate hydrogen.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2011Date of Patent: September 16, 2014Assignee: Young Green Energy Co.Inventors: Yu-Hsiang Lin, Hsuan-Yi Lu
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Hydrogen generating element, hydrogen generation device, power generation device, and driving device
Patent number: 8821601Abstract: A hydrogen generating element which can supply hydrogen efficiently and stably, is safe, and has low environmental load is provided. Further, a hydrogen generation device to which the hydrogen generating element is applied is provided. Furthermore, a power generation device and a driving device to each of which the hydrogen generation device is applied are provided. A hydrogen generating element in which a needle-like or dome-like silicon microstructure is formed over a base may be used and reacted with water, whereby hydrogen is efficiently generated. The hydrogen generating element may be applied to a hydrogen generation device. The hydrogen generation device may be applied to a power generation device and a driving device.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2012Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tomokazu Yokoi, Shuhei Yoshitomi, Kensuke Yoshizumi -
Patent number: 8784515Abstract: A process of catalytic partial oxidation of a hydrocarbon fuel with an oxidant to produce partially-oxidized reaction products including hydrogen, with simultaneous in-situ coke removal. The process involves feeding a hydrocarbon fuel and an oxidant to a reactor in a fuel-rich feed ratio; reacting the fuel and oxidant for a fuel-rich cycle-time so as to produce a partially-oxidized reaction product; varying the fuel feed, or the oxidant feed, or both feeds to produce a fuel-lean feed to the reactor; maintaining the fuel-lean feed for a fuel-lean cycle-time sufficient to reduce coke deposits while maintaining a substantially constant yield of partially-oxidized reaction product; and alternating between the fuel-rich and fuel-lean operating cycles.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2010Date of Patent: July 22, 2014Assignees: Precision Combustion, Inc., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Subir Roychoudhury, Richard Mastanduno, David Spence, Jun Iwamoto, Go Motohashi
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Patent number: 8764860Abstract: A system includes a gasification vessel configured to receive a fuel and an oxidizer. The system also includes a gasifier disposed in the gasification vessel. The gasifier is configured to partially oxidize the fuel and the oxidizer to generate a syngas. The system further includes a convective syngas cooler configured to cool the syngas via heat exchange with a coolant. The convective syngas cooler is disposed in an interior of the gasification vessel.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2012Date of Patent: July 1, 2014Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Aaron John Avagliano, James Michael Storey
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Patent number: 8764856Abstract: The invention relates to a solid fuel decoupled fluidized bed gasifying method and a gasifying apparatus. By physically separately performing drying and pyrolyzing of fuel, gasification of char, and tar/hydrocarbon reforming, the interactions between the separated chemical reactions and physical processes during fluidized bed gasification can be utilized. Specifically, in a fluidized bed reactor having two reaction chambers, drying and pyrolyzing of fuel, gasification of char, and tar/hydrocarbon reforming are performed, respectively, the reforming of tar/hydrocarbon is promoted through the catalytic effect of the char, and the evaporated fuel moisture is provided to the char gasification and tar/hydrocarbon reforming as an effective reaction agent. Accordingly, the tar content in product gas can be reduced, the use amount of external steam can be reduced, the overall efficiency of gasification can be improved, and this technique can also be applied to the processing of high water-containing fuel.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2007Date of Patent: July 1, 2014Assignee: IHI CorporationInventors: Guangwen Xu, Xinhua Liu, Toshiyuki Suda, Toshiro Fujimori
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Patent number: 8747496Abstract: A fuel processor for producing a hydrogen-containing product stream from a fuel stream and an oxidant stream, comprises a mixing tube from which the combined fuel and oxidant stream is directed substantially axially into a reaction chamber. The reaction chamber comprises a turn-around chamber and a turn-around wall at one end for re-directing the combined reactant stream, so that in the turn-around chamber the re-directed stream surrounds and is in contact with the combined reactant stream flowing substantially axially in the opposite direction. This design and opposing flow configuration creates a low velocity zone which stabilizes the location of a flame in the fuel processor and offers other advantages.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2008Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: Westport Power Inc.Inventors: Jacobus Neels, Xuantian Li, Richard Allan Sederquist, Andre Boulet, William Allison Logan
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Patent number: 8747501Abstract: A fuel gasification system including a gasification furnace including a fluidized bed formed by fluidizing reactant gas for gasifying fuel charged into gasification gas and flammable solid content, a combustion furnace for combustion of the flammable solid content into which the flammable solid content produced in the furnace is introduced together with bed material and that includes a fluidized bed formed by fluidizing reactant gas, a material separator such as hot cyclone that separates bed material from exhaust gas introduced from the combustion furnace, the separated bed material being fed through a downcomer to the gasification furnace, and a tar decomposing mechanism that heats the gasification gas produced in the furnace to decompose tar contained in the gasification gas.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2012Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: IHI CorporationInventors: Takahiro Murakami, Koubun Kyo, Toshiyuki Suda
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Patent number: 8747498Abstract: A hydrogen generator of the present invention includes a reformer (16) for generating a hydrogen-containing gas through a reforming reaction using a raw material; a combustor (102a) for heating the reformer (16); a combustion air supplier (117) for supplying combustion air to the combustor (102a); and an abnormality detector (110a) for detecting an abnormality; and a controller (110) configured to control the combustion air supplier (117) such that the reformer (16) is cooled with a higher rate in an abnormal shut-down process executed after the abnormality detector (110a) detects the abnormality, than in a normal shut-down process.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2009Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Kiyoshi Taguchi, Takanori Shimada, Yoshikazu Tanaka, Yoshio Tamura, Shigeki Yasuda
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Patent number: 8728181Abstract: The inventive stage system for producing hydrogen consists of at least two upstream/downstream stages, respectively, each of which comprises, optionally, a catalytic reactor (C1 to C5) followed by a separator comprising a space (E1 to E4) for circulation of a gaseous mixture contacting at least one oxygen extracting membrane and a hydrogen collecting space, wherein the reactor (C1) of the upstream stage is connected to a reaction gaseous mixture source, the circulation stage (E1) of the upstream stage separator is connected to the reactor (C2) of the downstream stage and the spaces for extracting/collecting oxygen from two separators are connected to a hydrogen collecting circuit (TC, 8) which is common for two stages.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2011Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: Compagnie Europeenne des Technologies de l'Hydrogene (C.E.T.H.)Inventors: Eric Gernot, Arnaud Deschamps
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Patent number: 8696773Abstract: In a reforming apparatus, for use in a fuel cell, for reforming a raw fuel into a hydrogen-rich reformed gas, a reformer generates the reformed gas from the raw fuel. A shift reactor reduces carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas through a shift reaction. A selective oxidation unit reduces the carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas that has passed through the shift reactor by performing selective oxidation on the carbon monoxide. A reforming reaction tube houses linearly the reformer, the shift reactor and the selective oxidation unit in this order.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2012Date of Patent: April 15, 2014Assignee: JX Nippon Oil & Energy CorporationInventors: Akira Fuju, Masataka Kadowaki, Kazumi Kobayashi, Kazuaki Nakajima, Yasushi Sato, Ken Samura