Patents by Inventor Alexis Lefevre

Alexis Lefevre 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: 9599101
    Abstract: A cryogenic pump has an associated heater for vaporizing cryogenic fluid. The heater has a chamber (bounded by an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve) disposed around at least a portion of the pump housing. The heater has a helical heating coil with a plurality of turns disposed within the chamber and a helical baffle having a plurality of turns interspaced with the turns of the heating coil for guiding heat exchange fluid over the turns of the heat exchange coil. The heater has an inlet for cryogenic fluid to communicate with the heat exchange coil and an outlet for the resulting vaporized fluid. Heat exchange fluid flows through an inlet of the heater chamber to an outlet of the heater chamber and then through a space defined between the inner sleeve and a portion of the pump housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: WESTPORT POWER INC.
    Inventors: Alexis Lefevre, Pierre Papirer
  • Publication number: 20140109599
    Abstract: A cryogenic pump for a cryogenic liquid has associated therewith a heater for vaporizing the cryogenic liquid. The heater comprises a chamber (bounded by an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve), a helical heating coil having a plurality of turns disposed within the chamber, an inlet for cryogenic liquid communicating with the heat exchange coil and an outlet for resulting heated fluid communicating with the heat exchange coil. An inlet and an outlet from the water chamber for heat exchange fluid are provided. The heater chamber has a helical baffle having a plurality of turns for guiding the heat exchange fluid over the turns of the heat exchange coil. The turns of the baffle are interspaced with the turns of coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Inventors: Alexis Lefevre, Pierre Papirer
  • Publication number: 20140109600
    Abstract: A cryogenic pump is typically used to supply high pressure natural gas to an engine. The pump has a piston operable to discharge cryogenic liquid from a pumping chamber within a pump housing. The cryogenic liquid exits the chamber through an outlet port in which a check valve is positioned. The check valve has a valve member which is loaded by a spring and is retained by a retaining member accessible from outside the housing. The check valve has an inlet which is axial with the valve member and an outlet which is transverse to the axis of the valve member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Inventors: Alexis Lefevre, Pierre Papirer