W. R. Grace Co.-conn.

Engelhard Corporation

Catacel Corporation

Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company

Goodrich Corporation

Johnson Matthey Inc.

Gordon W Brunson

William Alan Whittenberger

Todd A Romesberg

Brian L Davis

Joseph W Whittenberger

Randall J Bartos

David T Sheller

John H Becker

Richard C Cornelison

Lorne W Deyoung

Boris Y Brodsky

Gregory A Raye

Bryce Zoccola

Louis J Zuponcic

A reactor for carrying out catalytic reactions. The reactor includes a reactor component optionally arranged on a central rod in a reactor tube. The reactor component can have fluid ducts for directing fluid flow through the reactor. The fluid ducts are effective for increasing heat transfer in the reactor. The reactor component can further have a washer attached to a top or bottom surface for directing fluid flow.

Stackable structural reactors

Described herein are flexible seals for directing fluid flow in a tubular reactor, such as a reformer, for enhancing heat transfer and reactor efficiency. The seals can be made of corrugated metal foil that is expandable in the radial direction for accommodating the expansion and contraction of reactor components in the tubular reactor during operation. The seals can block or redirect fluid flow through the reactor. Fluid is directed to the interior of the reactor by the seals and bypass around the outer circumference of the reactor components is reduced or eliminated.

Seals for use with foil supported and catalyst structures

A low-cost, high-temperature heat exchanger is made from a notched piece of metal, the metal being folded back and forth upon itself to form a monolith. The notches in the metal piece create openings, communicating with distinct sides of the monolith. Ducts are attached to the openings. Cut pieces of corrugated metal, which may have a catalyst coating, are inserted between folds of the monolith. The heat exchanger may be used as part of a fuel cell system, or in other industrial applications, to recover waste heat, or to conduct various catalytic and non-catalytic reactions. The invention also includes an element, or building block, for a high-temperature heat exchanger, including a folded metal monolith with metal combs inserted, the monolith and the combs defining seams which are hermetically sealed.

High-temperature heat exchanger

Heat exchanger

A brush replacement kit for use with a dynamo electric machine of the kind having a yoke, apertures in the yoke through which brushes of the machine are accessible, and a brush holder assembly for supporting the brushes in a predetermined alignment in relation to a commutator or slip-ring assembly of the machine, the kit comprising replacement brushes of a length exceeding the length of the conventional brushes for the machine, and a cover component comprising a cylindrical band for attachment around the exterior of the yoke to close said brush access apertures in use, said band including radially outwardly extending protrusions to be positioned over said apertures of the yoke in use and thereby to accommodate the additional length of the replacement brushes.

Dynamo electric machine

A method for making a honeycomb carrier body and product formed thereby in which a corrugated foil strip is provided having opposite side edges and corrugations oriented at an oblique angle to the side edges. The corrugated foil strip is folded on lines perpendicular to the side edges to provide a core body having fluid passages between opposite ends and a shaped periphery defined by parallel outside folds in the corrugated strip. The core body thus formed is inserted into a jacket tube so that folds at the core body periphery are in compressive contact with the jacket tube, and the periphery of the core body is joined to the jacket tube. Preferably, the corrugated foil strip is coated before the folding step, such as with an oxide layer, a catalytic coating or both, prior to the folding step. The periphery of the folded core body is then cleaned such as by grit blasting to remove the coating and reveal a clean metallic surface at the outside folds of the foil strip before the body is inserted into the jacket tube.

Method for making a metallic honeycomb carrier body

A metal foil leaf assembly for catalytic converters, the leaf assembly including at least two juxtaposed foil leaves, each having opposite ends to establish a leaf length and at least one corrugated leaf segment shorter than the leaf length. At least one of the opposite ends is joined by appropriate technique, such as welding, brazing, or folding. The leaf assembly is incorporated in catalytic converter body having a cylindrical jacket tube. A plurality of radiating foil leaves extend in adjacent curved paths and are joined at the outer ends thereof to the jacket tube. The foil leaves define fluid passage cells between juxtaposed flat and corrugated leaf segments, and each of the foil leaves has at least one corrugated segment.

Assembly and method for catalytic converter structures

A method and apparatus for continuously forming corrugated sheet material in which corrugations are oriented at an oblique angle to side edges of the sheet material. The apparatus includes a pair of corrugating gear rollers supported for rotation on respective first and second parallel axes, the corrugating gear rollers having meshing linear teeth parallel to the first and second axes and providing a corrugating nip. At least one of the first and second gear rollers are movable toward and away from the other of said gear rollers to position the teeth in respective conditions of corrugating and released meshing engagement at the corrugating nip. The sheet material is directed to the corrugating nip along a path at an oblique angle to the axes of the corrugating gear rollers and the corrugating gear rollers are driven to corrugate the sheet material while the teeth are alternated between conditions of corrugating and released meshing engagement at the corrugating nip.

Method and apparatus for skew corrugating foil

There is provided a novel terminal bus and retainer for a multicellular converter, particularly a catalytic converter, which converter is characterized by an electrically heatable portion and a light-off portion. The electrically heatable portion includes flat thin metal strips as heater bands and flat thin metal bands not electrically heatable. A terminal bus and retainer is adapted to be connected to a voltage source and to the ends of the heater bands. A portion of the terminal bus and retainer may be used as a connector bus. The terminal bus and retainer also retains the thin metal foil elements in tightly spirally wound condition. These devices are especially useful in catalytic converters for automotive vehicles.

Combined electrically heatable converter body

There is provided an improved converter body core element having a corrugated thin metal strip having, parallel to and close to a longitudinal marginal edge thereof, a recess dimensioned and configured to receive a heater band. In specific embodiments, the heater band is desirably lightly corrugated, i.e., having an amplitude of the corrugations which is from one tenth to one third the amplitude of the corrugations in the strip containing the recess, and the heater band is dimensioned and configured to fit into the recess.

There is provided a terminal especially adapted for use with an electrically heatable catalytic converter having a stud, a portion of said stud being coated with a thin layer of refractory metal oxide, and a sleeve having an interference fit with said coated portion of said stud, said stud adapted to be welded at its proximal end to one side of a resistance circuit. There is also provided an electrically heatable catalytic converter including such terminal.

Electrode feed through

There is provided a terminal especially adapted for use with an electrically heatable catalytic converter having a stud, a portion of said stud being coated with a thin layer of a ceramic, and a sleeve having an interference fit with said coated portion, said stud adapted to be welded at its inner end to one side of a resistance circuit. There is also provided an electrically heatable catalytic converter including such a terminal.

There is provided an improved electrically conductive metal honeycomb body having a plurality of corrugated thin metal strips, which may be heater strips, extending in electrical parallel between otherwise electrically isolated connector plates. The corrugated thin metal strips each have a flat central section. A first group of strips is gathered at their flat middle portions and bent around one of a pair of rigid central posts, and a second group of strips is gathered and bent in the opposite direction about the other of posts. Insulation in the form of a flexible woven ceramic fiber strip isolate the first and second groups from each other and from the central posts. The connector plates define a segmented retainer shell about the body. A battery is connected to the connector plates whereby current flows from one connector plate through corrugated thin metal strips to the other connector plate and back to the battery.

Growing community of inventors

Chagrin Falls, OH, United States of America

Gordon W Brunson