# US 10,770,190 B2 · Catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,770,190 B2 - Document ID: US10770190B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/503,784 - Filed: 2019-07-05 - Published: 2019-11-14 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-11 - Assignees: Framatome - Applicants: Framatome GmbH - Inventors: Axel Hill; Stefan Rosenberger - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770190B2 ## CPC - G21C 9/06: Means for preventing accumulation of explosives gases, e.g. recombiners - B01D 53/0407: {Constructional details of adsorbing systems} - B01D 53/864: {Removing carbon monoxide or hydrocarbons} - B01D 53/8671: {Removing components of defined structure not provided for in B01D53/8603 - B01D53/8668} - G21C 13/022: {Ventilating arrangements} - G21F 9/02: Treating gases - B01D 2253/108: Zeolites - B01D 2253/204: Metal organic frameworks (MOF's) - B01D 2257/202: Single element halogens - B01D 2257/2068: Iodine - B01D 2259/4583: for removing chemical, biological and nuclear warfare agents - Y02E 30/30: Nuclear fission reactors - G21C: NUCLEAR REACTORS (fusion reactors, hybrid fission-fusion reactors G21B; nuclear explosives G21J) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - G21F: PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR (radiation protection by pharmaceutical means A61K8/00, A61Q17/04; in cosmonautic vehicles B64G1/54; combined with a reactor G21C11/00; combined with X-ray tubes H01J35/16; combined with X-ray apparatus H05G1/02) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus is especially suited for placement in a containment of a nuclear reactor. The apparatus has a natural convection flow duct with a number of catalytic elements for recombining hydrogen and oxygen contained in a gas flow through the flow duct. The catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus provides for reliable hydrogen reduction and iodine filtering for a gas flow even for a comparatively long period of operation. The catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus includes a number of adsorber elements with iodine adsorbing surfaces and with macroscopic flow channels in between. The iodine adsorbing surfaces are flown over by the gas flow, and the adsorber elements are arranged, when in use, downstream of the catalytic elements in a direction of the gas flow. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus, comprising: a duct; a number of catalytic elements disposed in said duct for recombining hydrogen and oxygen, or carbon monoxide and oxygen, contained in a gas flow through said duct; a number of adsorber elements arranged inside said duct, said adsorber elements having iodine adsorbing surfaces and macroscopic flow channels formed in between said iodine adsorbing surfaces, wherein said iodine adsorbing surfaces are flown over by the gas flow; said adsorber elements being arranged downstream of the catalytic elements in a direction of the gas flow; a housing enclosing said duct, said housing having a section between said adsorber elements and said catalytic elements with a number of ventilation slots for facilitating an influx of ambient air into said duct; and a movable cover element disposed for covering a respective said ventilation slot and coupled to a temperature-dependent passive actuator, configured for opening said ventilation slot above a pre-defined critical temperature prevailing in said duct. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus according to claim 1 configured for placement in a containment of a nuclear reactor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said number of catalytic elements is a plurality of catalytic elements and said number of adsorber elements is a plurality of adsorber elements. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said flow channels are aligned along a longitudinal direction of said duct, and each of said flow channels has a cross section with an area of at least 500 mm2. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said flow channels has a cross section with an area of at least 1500 mm2. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said actuator has a given switching temperature corresponds to a permissible maximum operating temperature of said adsorber elements. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said iodine adsorbing surfaces are made of, or contain, one or more materials selected from the group consisting of silver zeolite, silver-coated metal, and metal organic framework based materials. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said silver-coated metal is in the form of silver-coated copper wires. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A nuclear power plant, comprising a containment and a catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus according to claim 1 disposed inside said containment. ### Claim 10 A catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus, comprising: a duct; an electrostatic aerosol filter arranged inside said duct; a number of catalytic elements disposed in said duct for recombining hydrogen and oxygen, or carbon monoxide and oxygen, contained in a gas flow through said duct; a number of adsorber elements having iodine adsorbing surfaces and macroscopic flow channels formed in between said iodine adsorbing surfaces, wherein said iodine adsorbing surfaces are flown over by the gas flow; said adsorber elements being arranged downstream of the catalytic elements in a direction of the gas flow. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said electrostatic aerosol filter is arranged upstream of said catalytic elements in the direction of the gas flow. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a thermoelectric generator for powering said electrostatic aerosol filter. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The catalytic recombiner and filter apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the thermoelectric generator is thermally coupled to said catalytic elements and/or to the gas flow.