Institute of Gas Technology

The United States of America as Represented by the United States Energy

M-C Power Corporation

Hycrude Corporation

Frank C Schora

Herman P Meissner

Jitendra G Patel

John W Loeding

John C Janka

Leonard G Marianowski

Randy J Petri

Mark G Lawson

Ted M Knowlton

Charles W Matthews

Bernard S Lee

Henry W Lam

Daniel G Tajbl

Kenneth B Burnham, Jr

Harlan L Feldkirchner

A fully internally manifolded fuel cell stack is provided by each separator plate, current collector, electrode, and electrolyte in the fuel cell stack having a plurality of aligned perforations forming gas manifolds extending for the length of the cell stack. Each perforation through the separator plate is surrounded by a flattened manifold wet seal structure extending to contact the current collector and/or electrode on each face of the separator plate to form electrolyte/electrode wet seals under cell operating conditions. Conduits through the extended manifold wet seal structure provide gas communication between one set of manifolds and the anode chambers on one face of the separator plates, conduits through the extended manifold wet seal structure on the opposite face of the separator plates provide gas communication between a second set of the manifolds and the cathode chambers on the other face of the separator plates, and conduits through the extended manifold structure of a reactant gas manifold provide communication to interspersed reforming chambers. Extended wet seal structures formed of thin plate metal provide limited flexibility and resiliency to assure good sealing. This structure provides fully internal manifolding of and separation of fuel and oxidant gases to each of the unit fuel cells in the fuel cell stack while providing reactant gas to reforming chambers interspersed along the cell axis to reform hydrocarbonaceous gas and supply enhanced hydrogen content to the fuel supply manifold.

Fully internal manifolded fuel cell stack

A clamping force equalizer for use in a generally rectangular fuel cell stack comprising two sheets of flexible metal sealed together at their edges and an electrically conductive material disposed between said sheets of flexible metal, said electrically conductive material being in a liquid state at a fuel cell operating material. The clamping force equalizer in accordance with this invention has a length and a width equivalent to the length and width of a horizontal plane of the fuel cell stack such that equalization of the clamping force applied to the fuel cell stack occurs over the entire horizontal plane of the fuel cell stack.

Fuel cell clamping force equalizer

A fully internally manifolded fuel cell stack is provided by each separator plate and electrolyte in the fuel cell stack having a plurality of aligned perforations forming gas manifolds extending for the length of the cell stack. Each perforation through the separator plate is surrounded by a flattened manifold wet seal structure extending to contact the electrolytes on each face of the separator plate to form separator plate/electrolyte wet seals under cell operating conditions. Conduits through the extended manifold wet seal structure provides gas communication between one set of manifolds and the anode chambers on one face of the separator plates, conduits through the extended manifold wet seal structure on the opposite face of the separator plates provides gas communication between a second set of the manifolds and the cathode chambers on the other face of the separator plates, and conduits through the extended manifold structure of a reactant gas manifold provides communication to interspersed reforming chambers. Extended wet seal structures formed of thin plate metal provide limited flexibility and resiliency to assure good sealing. This structure provides fully internal manifolding of and separation of fuel and oxidant gases to each of the unit fuel cells in the fuel cell stack while providing reactant gas to forming chambers interspersed along the cell axis to reform hydrocarbonaceous gas and supply enhanced hydrogen content to the fuel supply manifold.

Fully internal manifolded and internal reformed fuel cell stack

An apparatus and process for liquid removal from a mixture with solid particulate materials utilizing a screw conveyor within a housing for transport of solids, the screw conveyor upcoming side being in proximity to the housing means and the screw conveyor downcoming side being spaced from at least a portion of the housing means to form a liquid collection volume from which the liquid is removed.

Solids dewatering apparatus and process

A process for production of hydrogen from oil shale fines by direct introduction of the oil shale fines into a fluidized bed at temperatures about 1200.degree. to about 2000.degree. F. to obtain rapid heating of the oil shale. The bed is fluidized by upward passage of steam and oxygen, the steam introduced in the weight ratio of about 0.1 to about 10 on the basis of the organic carbon content of the oil shale and the oxygen introduced in less than the stoichiometric quantity for complete combustion of the organic carbonaceous kerogen content of the oil shale. Embodiments are disclosed for heat recovery from the spent shale and heat recovery from the spent shale and product gas wherein the complete process and heat recovery is carried out in a single reaction vessel. The process of this invention provides high conversion of organic carbon component of oil shale and high production of hydrogen from shale fines which when used in combination with a conventional oil shale hydroconversion process results in increased overall process efficiency of greater than 15 percent.

Production of hydrogen from oil shale

High temperature thermal exchange between molten liquid and a gas stream is effected by generating in a confined flow passageway a plurality of droplets of molten liquid and by passing a gas stream through the passageway in heat exchange relationship with the droplets. The droplets are recovered and adjusted to a predetermined temperature by means of thermal exchange with an external source for recycle. The process provides for removal of undesired solid, liquid or gaseous components.

High temperature pollutant removal from gas streams

An apparatus for transferring solid materials between zones of substantially different pressures, the solid materials being supplied to a lockhopper containing a liquid having a density less than the solid materials, the solid materials with associated liquid passing through a solids-liquid separator chamber separating the solid materials and liquids so that the solid materials, substantially free of liquids, are passed into a vessel such as a pressurized reaction vessel.

Solids feeder having a solids-liquid separator

An improved method for feeding caking coal particles to a fluidized bed gasifier, without prior pretreatment, is disclosed. The coal particles are entrained in a gaseous stream and injected directly into the bottom of the fluidized bed around the outer perimeter thereof at a plurality of points and at a predetermined high velocity, such that the coal particles are shock heated and charred.

Method for feeding caking coal particles to a gasifier

A process for petroleum recovery from an underground deposit by injecting hydrogen-rich gas in the absence of added hydrogenation catalysts into the underground deposit, the gas and deposit being at temperatures of less than 300.degree. F., maintaining the hydrogen-rich gas in contact with the petroleum at temperatures of less than 300.degree. F. for a time sufficient to reduce to desired levels viscosity and sulfur content of the petroleum by reaction with the hydrogen followed by recovery of the petroleum from the underground deposit. One embodiment is specifically set forth injecting carbon dioxide into the underground deposit after the reaction of the petroleum and hydrogen to increase the petroleum mobility ratio and to utilize both the hydrogen and carbon dioxide produced by partial oxidation of produced petroleum at the well site and resulting in as low as down to about 20 percent of the original oil in place remaining in the reservoir.

Enhanced oil recovery

A process for production of lead from lead sulfide containing material wherein the lead sulfide containing material and oxygen containing gas is introduced into the headspace of a reactor. The formed lead drops to a pool in the bottom portion of the reactor and unreacted lead sulfide and formed lead oxide float in the slag on the surface of the lead pool. Droplets of lead and slag from the pool are maintained throughout the headspace by droplet generating wheels or nozzles.

Process for producing lead

A process for converting a finely divided carbonaceous material, particularly coal, to a fuel gas. A finely divided or pulverized carbonaceous feed material, such as coal, is pretreated at a temperature of about 700.degree. - 800.degree. F in order to destroy the caking properties of a caking coal feed in a fluidized pretreatment zone, or, alternatively to dry a non-caking coal feed. The pretreated coal is passed from a pretreatment zone to a gasification zone wherein the carbonaceous feed material or coal is maintained as a fluid bed at selected conditions for converting the pretreated material to ash and a gaseous mixture. During the pretreatment of the feed material, hot off gases are formed and the hot off gases, which generally comprise steam, tars, oils, and carbonaceous fines, are passed from the pretreatment zone to the underside of the fluid bed in the gasification zone. The steam contained in the off gases is reacted with the coal in the fluidized bed in the gasification zone for converting the coal feed material to ash and the fuel gas product. The off gases also provide heat for maintaining the desired temperature conditions in the gasification zone. The tars and oils in the off gases are substantially destroyed during passage upwardly through the fluidized bed in the gasification zone. The fines in the off gases are converted by the gasification reaction in the gasification zone to form a part of the fuel gas and the ash. The fuel gas is withdrawn from the upper portion of the gasification zone and ash is withdrawn from the bottom of the gasification zone.

Coal pretreatment and gasification process

High-temperature thermal exchange process

A fluidized bed of material retained in a vessel receives a high velocity gas stream through a venturi orifice and passage to assist in the agglomeration of ash particles. The particles form a semi-fixed bed within the passage upstream from the venturi orifice. The particular dimensions of the semi-fixed bed are dependent, in part, upon the orifice size of the venturi. An iris valve defining the orifice permits adjustment of the cross-sectional area of the orifice thereby controls the velocity of the gas stream through the venturi.

Valve for ash agglomeration device

An electrode assembly comprising a high voltage electrode having a generally cylindrical shape and being electrically connected to a high voltage source, where the cylinder walls may be open to flow of fluids and solids; an electrically grounded support electrode supporting said high voltage electrode by an electrically insulating support where both of the electrically grounded and electrically insulating support may be hollow; and an electrically grounded liner electrode arranged concentrically around both the high voltage and support electrodes. This assembly is specifically adapted for use in a fluidized bed chemical reactor as an improved heating means therefor.

Electrode assembly for a fluidized bed apparatus

In the methanation of feed gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen in multiple stages, the feed gas, cold recycle gas and hot product gas is mixed in such proportions that the mixture is at a temperature sufficiently high to avoid carbonyl formation and to initiate the reaction and, so that upon complete reaction of the carbon monoxide and hydrogen, an excessive adiabatic temperature will not be reached. Catalyst damage by high or low temperatures is thereby avoided with a process that utilizes extraordinarily low recycle ratios and a minimum of investment in operating costs.

Growing community of inventors

Palatine, IL, United States of America

Frank C Schora