Abstract: A fuel tank inerting system is disclosed. In addition to a fuel tank, the system includes a catalytic reactor with an inlet, an outlet, a reactive flow path between the inlet and the outlet, and a catalyst on the reactive flow path. The catalytic reactor is arranged to receive fuel from the fuel tank and air from an air source, and to react the fuel and air along the reactive flow path to generate an inert gas. The system also includes an inert gas flow path from the catalytic reactor to the fuel tank. The system also includes (a) an air distributor in the catalytic reactor arranged to distribute air along the reactive flow path, or (b) non-uniform catalyst loading or non-uniform catalyst composition along the reactive flow path, or both (a) and (b).

Abstract: Fuel tank inerting systems are provided. The systems include a fuel tank, an air source arranged to supply air into a reactive flow path, a catalytic reactor having a plurality of sub-reactors along the flow path, and a heat exchanger. The sub-reactors are arranged relative to the heat exchanger such that the flow path passes through at least a portion of the heat exchanger between two sub-reactors along the flow path. At least one fuel injector is arranged relative to at least one sub-reactor. The fuel injector is configured to inject fuel into the flow path at at least one of upstream of and in the respective at least one sub-reactor to generate a fuel-air mixture. A fuel tank ullage supply line fluidly connects the flow path to the fuel tank to supply an inert gas to a ullage of the fuel tank.

Abstract: An internal recycle reactor for catalytic inerting has a monolithic body having a motive fluid duct, a suction chamber, a mixing region, a reactor section, an outlet, and a recycle passage. The suction chamber includes a suction chamber inlet. The mixing region is configured to receive gaseous fluids from the motive fluid duct and the suction chamber inlet to produce a gaseous mixture. The reactor section includes a catalyst and is configured to receive the gaseous mixture from the mixing region. The outlet is configured to deliver an exhaust gas from the reactor section and the recycle passage is configured to deliver a portion of the exhaust gas to the suction chamber inlet.

Abstract: A fuel tank inerting system includes a primary catalytic reactor comprising an inlet, an outlet, a reactive flow path between the inlet and the outlet, and a catalyst on the reactive flow path. The catalytic reactor is arranged to receive fuel from the fuel tank and air from an air source that are mixed to form a combined flow, and to react the combined flow along the reactive flow path to generate an inert gas. The system also includes an input sensor that measures a property of the combined flow before it enters the primary catalytic reactor and an output sensor that measures the property of the combined flow after it exits the primary catalytic reactor.

Abstract: An internal recycle reactor for catalytic inerting has a monolithic body having a motive fluid duct, a suction chamber, a mixing region, a reactor section, an outlet, and a recycle passage. The suction chamber includes a suction chamber inlet. The mixing region is configured to receive gaseous fluids from the motive fluid duct and the suction chamber inlet to produce a gaseous mixture. The reactor section includes a catalyst and is configured to receive the gaseous mixture from the mixing region. The outlet is configured to deliver an exhaust gas from the reactor section and the recycle passage is configured to deliver a portion of the exhaust gas to the suction chamber inlet.

Abstract: A method for startup of a catalytic oxidation unit includes flowing air from an air source into the catalytic oxidation unit, recycling air from an outlet of the catalytic oxidation unit to an inlet of the catalytic oxidation unit through a recycle duct, and flowing a fuel from a fuel source into the catalytic oxidation to cause a catalytic reaction.

Abstract: A fuel tank inerting system is disclosed. In addition to a fuel tank, the system includes a catalytic reactor with an inlet, an outlet, a reactive flow path between the inlet and the outlet, and a catalyst on the reactive flow path. The catalytic reactor is arranged to receive fuel from the fuel tank and air from an air source, and to react the fuel and air along the reactive flow path to generate an inert gas. The system also includes an inert gas flow path from the catalytic reactor to the fuel tank. The system also includes (a) an air distributor in the catalytic reactor arranged to distribute air along the reactive flow path, or (b) non-uniform catalyst loading or non-uniform catalyst composition along the reactive flow path, or both (a) and (b).

Abstract: A fuel tank inerting system is disclosed. The system includes a fuel tank and a catalytic reactor with an inlet, an outlet, a reactive flow path between the inlet and the outlet, and a catalyst on the reactive flow path. The catalytic reactor is arranged to receive fuel from a fuel flow path in operative communication with the fuel tank and oxygen from an oxygen source, and to catalytically react a mixture of the fuel and oxygen along the reactive flow path to generate an inert gas. An inert gas flow path provides inert gas from the catalytic reactor to the fuel tank. An adsorbent is disposed along the fuel flow path or along the reactive flow path.

Abstract: A system for creating inert air for an aircraft or other application where inert gas may be required, utilizes a catalytic oxidation unit. The catalytic oxidation unit utilizes a catalyst to convert fuel and air to inert air, decreasing the amount of oxygen in the air. The inert air can be used in an inerting location on aircraft.

Abstract: A system and method satisfies temperature and pressure requirements of solid oxide fuel cell system in a manner that increases the overall efficiency and decreases the overall weight of system. The system and method include a secondary blower for boosting air stream pressure level sufficient for operation of a reformer that is designed to minimize pressure drop; an integrated heat exchanger for recovering heat from exhaust and comprising multiple flow fields for ensuring inlet temperature requirements of a solid oxide fuel cell are met; and a thermal enclosure for separating hot zone components from cool zone components for increasing thermal efficiency of the system and better thermal management.

Abstract: A system and method satisfies temperature and pressure requirements of solid oxide fuel cell system 10 in a manner that increases the overall efficiency and decreases the overall weight of system 10. The system and method include a secondary blower 30 for boosting air stream pressure level sufficient for operation of a reformer 12 that is designed to minimize pressure drop; an integrated heat exchanger 18 for recovering heat from exhaust 36 and comprising multiple flow fields 18A, 18B, 18C for ensuring inlet temperature requirements of a solid oxide fuel cell 14 are met; and a thermal enclosure 46 for separating hot zone 48 components from cool zone 50 components for increasing thermal efficiency of the system and better thermal management.

Abstract: A method for processing biomass to produce biofuel includes decomposing lignocellulosic material into byproduct polymers that include lignin, decomposing the lignin into targeted chemical fragments, and chemically converting the targeted chemical fragments into a biofuel.

Abstract: A method for regenerating at least one impurity-adsorbing sorbent bed includes passing impurity-containing fluid through the impurity-adsorbing bed. The impurity-adsorbing sorbent bed adsorbs an impurity in the impurity-containing fluid to produce a purified fluid. A portion of the purified fluid is sent back through the impurity-adsorbing sorbent bed that contains the adsorbed impurity. The impurity-adsorbing sorbent bed is exposed to microwave energy to desorb the impurity adsorbed on the impurity-adsorbing sorbent bed.

Abstract: A method for processing biomass to produce biofuel includes decomposing lignocellulosic material into byproduct polymers that include lignin, decomposing the lignin into targeted chemical fragments, and chemically converting the targeted chemical fragments into a biofuel.

Abstract: A system and method satisfies temperature and pressure requirements of solid oxide fuel cell system 10 in a manner that increases the overall efficiency and decreases the overall weight of system 10. The system and method include a secondary blower 30 for boosting air stream pressure level sufficient for operation of a reformer 12 that is designed to minimize pressure drop; an integrated heat exchanger 18 for recovering heat from exhaust 36 and comprising multiple flow fields 18A, 18B, 18C for ensuring inlet temperature requirements of a solid oxide fuel cell 14 are met; and a thermal enclosure 46 for separating hot zone 48 components from cool zone 50 components for increasing thermal efficiency of the system and better thermal management.

Abstract: A durable catalyst support/catalyst is capable of extended water gas shift operation under conditions of high temperature, pressure, and sulfur levels. The support is a homogeneous, nanocrystalline, mixed metal oxide of at least three metals, the first being cerium, the second being Zr, and/or Hf, and the third importantly being Ti, the three metals comprising at least 80% of the metal constituents of the mixed metal oxide and the Ti being present in a range of 5% to 45% by metals-only atomic percent of the mixed metal oxide. The mixed metal oxide has an average crystallite size less than 6 nm and forms a skeletal structure with pores whose diameters are in the range of 4-9 nm and normally greater than the average crystallite size. The surface area of the skeletal structure per volume of the material of the structure is greater than about 240 m2/cm3. The method of making and use are also described.

Abstract: A method for regenerating at least one impurity-adsorbing sorbent bed includes passing impurity-containing fluid through the impurity-adsorbing bed. The impurity-adsorbing sorbent bed adsorbs an impurity in the impurity-containing fluid to produce a purified fluid. A portion of the purified fluid is sent back through the impurity-adsorbing sorbent bed that contains the adsorbed impurity. The impurity-adsorbing sorbent bed is exposed to microwave energy to desorb the impurity adsorbed on the impurity-adsorbing sorbent bed.

Abstract: The athermal sorbent bed regeneration system of the present invention includes a main fuel supply, at least one sorbent bed, a source of microwave energy, and a secondary fuel supply. The main fuel supply has a first concentration of an impurity and the secondary fuel supply has a second concentration of the impurity that is less than the first concentration of the impurity. The sorbent bed adsorbs the impurity. The microwave energy source regenerates the sorbent bed for reuse.

Abstract: An apparatus for preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide in a reformate flow includes a reactor defining a flow path for a reformate flow; at least one catalyst bed disposed along the flow path; and a distributor for distributing oxygen from an oxygen source to the at least one catalyst bed, the distributor including a conduit positioned at least one of upstream of and through the at least one catalyst bed, the conduit having a sidewall permeable to flow of oxygen from within the conduit to the at least one catalyst bed.

Abstract: A shift converter, or reactor, (16HT, 16LT) in a fuel processing subsystem (14, 16HT, 16LT, 18), as for a fuel cell (12), uses an improved catalyst bed (34, 50) and the addition of oxygen (40, 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D, 41A, 41B, 41C, 41D) to reduce the amount of carbon monoxide in a process gas stream. The catalyst of bed (34, 50) is a metal, preferably a noble metal, having a promoted support of metal oxide, preferably ceria and/or zirconia. A water gas shift reaction converts carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide. The oxygen may be introduced as air, and causes an improvement in carbon monoxide removal. Use of the added oxygen enables the shift reactor (16HT, 16LT) and its catalyst bed (34, 50) to be relatively more compact for performing a given level of carbon monoxide conversion. The catalyst bed (34, 50) obviates the requirement for prior reducing of catalysts, and minimizes the need to protect the catalyst from oxygen during operation and/or shutdown.