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US 10,612,956 B2Granted
Using flameless combustion of fuel gas to generate power for a gas meter
AssigneeNatural Gas Solutions North America, LLC
InventorRichard Jin Yao
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power generator for use to generate power for metrology hardware like gas meters and flow measuring devices. The power generator may use flame-less combustion that creates heat from fuel gas. The heat causes a temperature differential. The power generator may include a thermal electric generator that generates an electrical signal in response to the temperature differential.
Claims20
A gas meter, comprising:
- a body forming an interior cavity and a pair of openings to permit fuel gas into the interior cavity;
- mechanical devices disposed in the interior cavity that move in response to flow of fuel gas between the openings;
- and
- a power generating device in flow connection with the interior cavity to draw a sample of fuel gas from the interior cavity, the power generating device configured to combust the sample of fuel gas and to generate an electrical signal in response to combustion of the sample.
1 more element
A gas meter, comprising:
- a body forming a cavity, the body having openings with flanges to secure to a pipe;
- impellers disposed in the cavity that rotate in response to flow of material through the cavity;
- and
- a power generating device in flow connection with the cavity, the power generating device comprising,
- a catalytic reactor;
- a thermal electric generator;
- and
- a heat sink,
- wherein the thermal electric generator generates an electrical signal in response to a temperature differential that forms across the catalytic converter and the heat sink due to combustion of fuel gas.
6 more elements
A method, comprising:
- using a gas meter for,
- measuring volumetric flow of fuel gas;
- and
- concurrently generating power from the flow of fuel gas by,
- generating heat from a sample of the flow of fuel gas;
- using the heat, creating a temperature differential;
- and
- generating an electrical signal in response to the temperature differential.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.