Patents by Inventor Donald Siefkes

Donald Siefkes 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).

  • Heat exchanger having close packed spheres
    Patent number: 5335639
    Abstract: An apparatus (16) for preheating combustion fluids such as air, fuel or fuel-air mixtures upstream of the combustion chamber in an internal combustion engine (10). The apparatus (16) generally includes a heat exchanger (18) and an assembly (46) for heating the heat exchanger. The improvement involves constructing the heat exchanger (18) from a plurality of closely-packed beads (20) each having a spherical shape and each comprised of homogeneous aluminum filling the entire space within the outer spherical shape to provide a high surface area heat exchanger for heating the combustion fluid as the fluid passes around the beads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Inventor: Donald Siefkes
  • Foamed metal heat device
    Patent number: 5231968
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for preheating combustion fluids such as air, fuel or fuel-air mixtures upstream of a combustion chamber (12) in an internal combustion engine (10). The apparatus generally includes a heat exchanger (18) and an assembly (30) for heating the heat exchanger. The improvement involves the use of reticulated foam metal as the heat exchanger (18) to provide a very high heating surface area (19) for thoroughly heating the fluids as the fluids pass through the reticulated foam metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Inventor: Donald Siefkes