The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 11, 1989
Filed:
Mar. 21, 1988
Edmund K Parenti, Jr, Manchester, CT (US);
International Fuel Cells Corporation, South Windsor, CT (US);
Abstract
Heat is more efficiently transferred to the catalyst tubes in a fuel cell power plant reformer by mounting sleeves about the individual catalyst tubes. The sleeves define helical hot gas flow paths on the outside of the catalyst tubes. Adjacent flow paths are separated from each other by arcuate ribs between the tubes and sleeves that provide line contact with the outer surface of the tubes for improved heat transfer. The ribs may be formed with circular rods attached to the tubes or sleeves, or by helical grooves with semi-circular configurations formed in the sleeves. Approximately fifty percent greater heat transfer can be achieved using the line contact ribs to form the hot gas flow paths. The sleeves, tubes and ribs are all made of metal.