Patents by Inventor Hartmut Spliethoff

Hartmut Spliethoff 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).

  • Publication number: 20250006963
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method of operating a fuel cell system (1) in fuel cell mode, the fuel cell system (1) comprising at least one fuel cell (2) comprising an anode (2a), a cathode (2b) and an electrolyte (2c) provided between the anode (2a) and the cathode (2b), the fuel cell (2) being arranged for an internal reformation of hydrocarbon compounds inside the anode (2a), an anode exhaust conduit (4) connecting the anode outlet (2d) and a fuel conduit (6) and comprising a methanation unit (3a), a water-gas shift reactor (3b), and a water vapor condenser or water removal unit (12), the anode exhaust conduit (4) or the fuel conduit (6) comprising a carbon dioxide separation unit (11), and the fuel conduit (6) connecting a fuel cell system inlet (7) and an anode inlet (2e), the method comprising the steps of a) feeding feed gas into the fuel conduit (6) via the fuel cell system inlet (7), the feed gas comprising hydrocarbon compounds, b) controlling the methanation unit (3a) to produce methane and controlling
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Publication date: January 2, 2025
    Applicant: Technische Universität München
    Inventors: Stephan HERRMANN, Felix FISCHER, Hartmut SPLIETHOFF, Maximilian HAUCK, Jeremias WEINRICH
  • Publication number: 20240243318
    Abstract: A fuel cell system arranged for the conversion of pure hydrogen comprising a) at least one fuel cell comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte, and arranged for an internal reformation of methane, b) a fuel conduit connecting a fuel conduit inlet with an anode inlet, c) an anode exhaust conduit connecting an anode outlet and a methanation unit capable of producing methane from anode exhaust, and d) a methanation unit exhaust conduit connecting a methanation unit exit and the fuel conduit, and e) a water removal and/or water condenser unit coupled to the methanation unit exhaust conduit, wherein the fuel introduced into an inlet of the fuel conduit is pure hydrogen, and the amount of methane produced in the methanation unit is equal to the amount of methane reformed inside of the fuel cell so that the content of methane cycling through the fuel cell system is constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Publication date: July 18, 2024
    Applicant: Technische Universität München
    Inventors: Stephan HERRMANN, Felix FISCHER, Hartmut SPLIETHOFF, Maximilian HAUCK, Jeremias WEINRICH
  • Publication number: 20230392089
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved methanation process, wherein energy released during the methanation process is used to drive a turbocharger to drive and/or maintain the process. The present invention is further concerned with a system for the production of methane-enriched gas and power from hydrogen and carbon-containing starting materials comprising at least one methanation reactor and at least one turbocharger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicant: Technische Universität München
    Inventors: Stephan HERRMANN, Felix FISCHER, Hartmut SPLIETHOFF
  • Patent number: 11799109
    Abstract: A fuel cell system comprising at least one fuel cell arranged for a reformation of a hydrocarbon and a hydrocarbon generation unit connected to an anode outlet of the fuel cell for generating the hydrocarbon from carbon monoxide and hydrogen included in a partially unconverted exhaust stream of the anode outlet of the fuel cell, where the fuel cell is thermally decoupled from the hydrocarbon generation unit so that the exothermal hydrocarbon generation reaction and the endothermal reformation reaction proceed without one reaction thermally interfering the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Technische Universität München
    Inventors: Stephan Herrmann, Hartmut Spliethoff, Matthias Gaderer
  • Patent number: 11339687
    Abstract: The invention relates to a power plant (1) for generating electric energy (100) and process steam (200), comprising: —a gas turbine (2) for driving a first generator (3) in order to generate electric energy (100) by combusting a fuel into flue gas (300), —a steam turbine (4) for driving a second generator (5) in order to generate electric energy (100), comprising a first stage (4a) for converting fresh steam (400) into residual steam (201), which constitutes at least part of the process steam (200), and —a waste heat steam generator (6) for generating the fresh steam (400) from fresh water (500) using the exhaust heat of the flue gas (300), wherein —the residual steam (201) has a residual steam pressure which is lower than the pressure of the fresh steam (400), —the waste heat steam generator (6) comprises a pre-heater (7) for pre-heating the fresh water (500) in order to form feed water (600) and an evaporator (8) for evaporating the feed water (600) in order to form the fresh steam (400), and —the feed wate
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: E.ON Energy Projects GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Herrmann, Hartmut Spliethoff
  • Publication number: 20200392874
    Abstract: The invention relates to a power plant (1) for generating electric energy (100) and process steam (200), comprising: —a gas turbine (2) for driving a first generator (3) in order to generate electric energy (100) by combusting a fuel into flue gas (300), —a steam turbine (4) for driving a second generator (5) in order to generate electric energy (100), comprising a first stage (4a) for converting fresh steam (400) into residual steam (201), which constitutes at least part of the process steam (200), and —a waste heat steam generator (6) for generating the fresh steam (400) from fresh water (500) using the exhaust heat of the flue gas (300), wherein —the residual steam (201) has a residual steam pressure which is lower than the pressure of the fresh steam (400), —the waste heat steam generator (6) comprises a pre-heater (7) for pre-heating the fresh water (500) in order to form feed water (600) and an evaporator (8) for evaporating the feed water (600) in order to form the fresh steam (400), and —the feed wate
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Stephan Herrmann, Hartmut Spliethoff
  • Patent number: 10731848
    Abstract: An arrangement having multiple heat exchangers and a method for evaporating a working fluid by transferring heat from a heat source medium is described herein. The arrangement is used in connection with a system for recovering energy from waste heat in a thermodynamic cycle, in which the waste heat is used as the heat source medium. Each heat exchanger has a heat source medium through-passage separated from a working fluid chamber are serially interconnected in a ring arrangement. A supply line is provided between the heat source medium through-passages of any two serially consecutive heat exchangers in the ring arrangement, which can be connected selectively to the inlet of the heat source medium through-passage of each heat exchanger. Further, a discharge line for the heat source medium is provided, which can be connected selectively to the outlet of the heat source medium through-passage of each heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Maschinenwerk Misselhorn MWM GMBH
    Inventors: Christoph Wieland, Moritz Gleinser, Hartmut Spliethoff, Manfred Moullion
  • Publication number: 20200153013
    Abstract: A fuel cell system comprising at least one fuel cell arranged for a reformation of a hydrocarbon and a hydrocarbon generation unit connected to an anode outlet of the fuel cell for generating the hydrocarbon from carbon monoxide and hydrogen included in a partially unconverted exhaust stream of the anode outlet of the fuel cell, where the fuel cell is thermally decoupled from the hydrocarbon generation unit so that the exothermal hydrocarbon generation reaction and the endothermal reformation reaction proceed without one reaction thermally interfering the other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Applicant: Technische Universität München
    Inventors: Stephan HERRMANN, Hartmut SPLIETHOFF, Matthias GADERER
  • Publication number: 20170336067
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement having multiple heat exchangers and a method for evaporating a working fluid by transferring heat from a heat source medium, which can be used in a particularly advantageous manner in connection with a system and a method for recovering energy from waste heat in a thermodynamic cycle, in which the waste heat is used as the heat source medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Applicant: Maschinenwerk Misselhorn MWM GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Wieland, Moritz Gleinser, Hartmut Spliethoff, Manfred Moullion
  • Patent number: 5131335
    Abstract: In a process for reducing the nitric oxide emission during the combustion of solid fuels, the flue gases leaving from a main combustion zone (2) consecutively flow through two reduction zones (6,9). The first reduction zone (6) is operated hypostoichiometrically at temperatures above 1,000.degree. C. and while adding a reducing fuel, while the second reduction zone (9) is operated hyperstoichiometrically at temperatures from 950.degree. C. to 1,000.degree. C. and in the presence of nitric oxide-reducing substances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1992
    Assignee: Saarbergwerke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Heinz Spliethoff, Hartmut Spliethoff
  • Patent number: 4981089
    Abstract: In a process to reduce the nitrogen monoxide emissions generated during the combustion of solid fuels, before the combustion takes place, the entire amount of solid fuel is degasified inside a performance combustion area (2). At least part of the gas obtained during the degasification of the solid fuel is utilized as reduction gas in one or several reduction areas (3) that have been placed following the performance combustion area (2). In an installation for the implementation of the process the degasification device for solid fuel has been configured as a degasification section (5) for the continuous passage of fuel and has been arranged inside the combustion unit (1), within the flue gas current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: Saarbergwerke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Heinz Spliethoff, Hartmut Spliethoff