Patents by Inventor Paul Francis Martin
Paul Francis Martin 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).
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Patent number: 8211387Abstract: A combustor for oxidizing a combustion fuel and pre-heating one or more reactants for fuel reforming. The combustor includes an elongated housing having an inlet for receiving a combustion fuel and an outlet for exhausting combustion products. The elongated housing further includes a cylindrical side wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall. Inert particles are disposed within the housing adjacent the inlet. A combustion catalyst bed is disposed within the housing above the inert particles that is a mixture of inert particles and combustion catalyst. The inert particles and the combustion catalyst preferably have a volumetric ratio of inert particles to catalyst between about 2:1 and about 4:1. The combustor has at least one heat exchanger within the combustion catalyst bed for heating a reformer reactant and generating steam. Preferably, the combustor includes at least two heat exchangers within the combustion catalyst bed, the heat exchanging elements have different surface areas.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2006Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: Texaco Inc.Inventors: Vijay Anant Deshpande, Curtis L. Krause, Paul Francis Martin, Kevin Hoa Nguyen, James F. Stevens, William Spencer Wheat
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Patent number: 7101175Abstract: A combustor for oxidizing a combustion fuel and pre-heating one or more reactants for fuel reforming. The combustor includes an elongated housing having an inlet for receiving a combustion fuel and an outlet for exhausting combustion products. The elongated housing further includes a cylindrical side wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall. Inert particles are disposed within the housing adjacent the inlet. A combustion catalyst bed is disposed within the housing above the inert particles that is a mixture of inert particles and combustion catalyst. The inert particles and the combustion catalyst preferably have a volumetric ratio of inert particles to catalyst between about 2:1 and about 4:1. The combustor has at least one heat exchanger within the combustion catalyst bed for heating a reformer reactant and generating steam. Preferably, the combustor includes at least two heat exchangers within the combustion catalyst bed, the heat exchanging elements have different surface areas.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2003Date of Patent: September 5, 2006Assignee: Texaco Inc.Inventors: Vijay Anant Deshpande, Curtis L. Krause, Paul Francis Martin, Kevin Hoa Nguyen, James F. Stevens, William Spencer Wheat
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Publication number: 20040197718Abstract: A combustor for oxidizing a combustion fuel and pre-heating one or more reactants for fuel reforming. The combustor includes an elongated housing having an inlet for receiving a combustion fuel and an outlet for exhausting combustion products. The elongated housing further includes a cylindrical side wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall. Inert particles are disposed within the housing adjacent the inlet. A combustion catalyst bed is disposed within the housing above the inert particles that is a mixture of inert particles and combustion catalyst. The inert particles and the combustion catalyst preferably have a volumetric ratio of inert particles to catalyst between about 2:1 and about 4:1. The combustor has at least one heat exchanger within the combustion catalyst bed for heating a reformer reactant and generating steam. Preferably, the combustor includes at least two heat exchangers within the combustion catalyst bed, the heat exchanging elements have different surface areas.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2003Publication date: October 7, 2004Applicant: Texaco Inc.Inventors: Vijay Anant Deshpande, Curtis L. Krause, Paul Francis Martin, Kevin Hoa Nguyen, James F. Stevens, William Spencer Wheat
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Publication number: 20040197246Abstract: A compact fuel processing reactor. The reactor includes a housing having an inlet for receiving a process gas and an outlet for a directing a product gas out of the housing. A catalyst bed that includes discrete particles of a refractory material is located within the housing for contacting the process gas. A coiled tubing heat exchanger is at least partially disposed within the catalyst bed for cooling the catalyst bed. The coiled tubing can comprise a smooth continuous outer surface in intimate contact with the discrete particles. The circulating cooling medium comprises water in liquid, gas or a mixture of liquid and gas phases. The discrete particles in the catalyst bed are in intimate contact with at least a portion of the coiled tubing to promote heat transfer from the catalyst bed to the coiled tubing.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2003Publication date: October 7, 2004Applicant: Texaco Inc.Inventors: James F. Stevens, Curtis L. Krause, Paul Francis Martin, Vijay Anant Deshpande
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Patent number: 6793898Abstract: A plasma-based fuel reformer in which a fuel/air mixture is subjected to an electrical plasma arc that reforms the fuel/air mixture into a hydrogen-rich gas. The reformer includes a first electrode defining a reaction chamber and a second electrode axially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the first electrode. A plasma arc forms between the first and the second electrodes in the reaction chamber when an electrical voltage is applied. An insulator is positioned between the first and the second electrode to prevent the formation of a plasma arc between the first and the second electrodes except in the reaction chamber. Means for providing a fuel/air mixture to the reaction chamber and means for diverting the air flow into the reaction chamber so as to create a vortex-like flow of air in the reaction chamber are also included.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2002Date of Patent: September 21, 2004Assignee: Texaco Inc.Inventors: Christopher Stewart Brown, Frederick Jacobus Kirstein, Paul Francis Martin, Harold Troy Wong
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Publication number: 20040033177Abstract: A plasma-based fuel reformer in which a fuel/air mixture is subjected to conditions including an electrical plasma arc that reforms the fuel air mixture into a hydrogen-rich gas. The reformer includes a first electrode having an inner and outer wall and a longitudinal axis, the inner wall defining a reaction chamber and a second electrode, the second electrode being axially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the first electrode. The second electrode is positioned in the reaction chamber such that when an electrical voltage is applied to the first and second electrodes a plasma arc forms between the first and the second electrode in the reaction chamber. An insulator is positioned between the first and the second electrode so as to prevent the formation of a plasma arc between the first and the second electrodes except in the reaction chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2002Publication date: February 19, 2004Inventors: Christopher Stewart Brown, Frederick Jacobus Kirstein, Paul Francis Martin, Harold Troy Wong