Patents by Inventor Norman T. Holcombe

Norman T. Holcombe 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: 6994930
    Abstract: A system of a fuel cell bottoming an internal combustion engine. The engine exhaust gas may be combined in varying degrees with air and fed as input to a fuel cell. Reformer and oxidizers may be combined with heat exchangers to accommodate rich and lean burn conditions in the engine in peaking and base load conditions without producing high concentrations of harmful emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Rodney A. Geisbrecht, Norman T. Holcombe
  • Patent number: 5167676
    Abstract: A combustion of a fuel-air mixture is used to provide a high-temperature and high-pressure pulse of gaseous combustion products for the back-flush cleaning of ceramic filter elements contained in a barrier filter system and utilized to separate particulates from particulate-laden process gases at high temperature and high pressure. The volume of gaseous combustion products provided by the combustion of the fuel-air mixture is preferably divided into a plurality of streams each passing through a sonic orifice and conveyed to the open end of each filter element as a high pressure pulse which passes through the filter elements and dislodges dust cake supported on a surface of the filter element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Curtis V. Nakaishi, Norman T. Holcombe, Paul L. Micheli