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US 12,590,732 B2Granted
Heating system and methods
AssigneeBrillouin Energy Corp.
InventorRobert E. Godes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heating system and related methods are described. The heating system employs one or more catalytic tubes, each having a reactive transmission line. Each catalytic tube is supported in a corresponding containment tube of a heater to produce heat. Heat can be generated by applying electrical pulses to the transmission lines which are exposed to a reactant flowing in the containment tube containing the catalytic tube. The generated heat can be extracted from the heater with a heat-transfer liquid or gas for various practical applications including, but not limited to, industrial, commercial, and residential heating applications.
Claims30
A heating system comprising:
- a heater comprising:
- an outer shell enclosing a heater chamber to contain a heat-transfer liquid or gas;
- a first containment tube extending through the heater chamber and extending outside of the outer shell, the first containment tube sealed to prevent ingress of the heat-transfer liquid or gas into the first containment tube;
- and
- a first catalytic tube to generate heat, the first catalytic tube mounted within the first containment tube, the first catalytic tube comprising:
- an electrically-conductive layer extending along the first catalytic tube;
- an insulating layer disposed on the electrically-conductive layer;
- and
- an electrically-conductive reactive layer disposed on the insulating layer, wherein the electrically-conductive layer, the insulating layer, and the electrically-conductive reactive layer form a first transmission line that extends along the first catalytic tube,
- wherein the first containment tube contacts the heat-transfer liquid or gas when the heater is in operation to thermally couple heat from the first catalytic tube to the heat-transfer liquid or gas when contained in the heater chamber;
- a pulse driver adapted to provide electrical pulses to propagate along the first transmission line of the first catalytic tube to generate heat from the first catalytic tube;
- and
- an electrical connector to electrically connect to the first transmission line of the first catalytic tube, wherein the electrical connector comprises:
- a first clamping plate to engage a first collet, wherein the first clamping plate and the first collet can be placed over an end of the first catalytic tube;
- and
- a second clamping plate to engage a second collet, wherein the second clamping plate and the second collet can be placed over the end of the first catalytic tube.
13 more elements
A heating system comprising:
- a heater comprising:
- an outer shell enclosing a heater chamber to contain a heat-transfer liquid or gas;
- a first containment tube extending through the heater chamber and through the outer shell, the first containment tube sealed to prevent ingress of the heat-transfer liquid or gas into the first containment tube;
- and
- a first catalytic tube to generate heat, the first catalytic tube mounted within the first containment tube, the first catalytic tube comprising:
- an electrically-conductive layer extending along the first catalytic tube;
- an insulating layer disposed on the electrically-conductive layer;
- and
- an electrically-conductive reactive layer disposed on the insulating layer, wherein the electrically-conductive layer, the insulating layer, and the electrically-conductive reactive layer form a first transmission line that extends along the first catalytic tube,
- wherein the first containment tube contacts the heat-transfer liquid or gas when the heater is in operation to thermally couple heat from the first catalytic tube to the heat-transfer liquid or gas when contained in the heater chamber;
- a pulse driver adapted to provide electrical pulses to propagate along the first transmission line of the first catalytic tube to generate heat from the first catalytic tube;
- and
- an electrical connector to electrically connect to the first transmission line of the first catalytic tube,
- wherein a first impedance of the first transmission line of the first catalytic tube is in a range from 0.1 ohm to 25 ohms;
- and
- wherein:
- the pulse driver includes drive electronics implemented at least in part on at least one printed circuit board (PCB);
- and
- the at least one printed circuit board includes at least one PCB transmission line patterned on the at least one PCB to carry the electrical pulses provided by the pulse driver.
16 more elements
A heater comprising:
- an outer shell enclosing a heater chamber to contain a heat-transfer liquid or gas;
- a first containment tube extending through the heater chamber and extending outside of the outer shell, the first containment tube sealed to prevent ingress of the heat-transfer liquid or gas into the first containment tube;
- a first catalytic tube to generate heat, the first catalytic tube mounted within the first containment tube, the first catalytic tube comprising a first transmission line that extends along the first catalytic tube;
- a second containment tube extending through the heater chamber and through the outer shell;
- a second catalytic tube mounted within the second containment tube;
- and
- a manifold to receive the reactant and supply the reactant into a first interior of the first containment tube and a second interior of the second containment tube, wherein:
- the first containment tube contacts the heat-transfer liquid or gas when the heater is in operation to thermally couple heat from the first catalytic tube to the heat-transfer liquid or gas when contained in the heater chamber;
- and
- an outer diameter of the first catalytic tube is smaller than an inner diameter of the first containment tube so as to form a first reactant space in the first interior between an outer surface of the first catalytic tube and an inner surface of the first containment tube, such that a reactant, when present in the heater, flows through the first reactant space.
7 more elements
A heating system comprising:
- a heater comprising:
- an outer shell enclosing a heater chamber to contain a heat-transfer liquid or gas;
- a first containment tube extending through the heater chamber and through the outer shell, the first containment tube sealed to prevent ingress of the heat-transfer liquid or gas into the first containment tube, wherein the first containment tube comprises:
- a tubular portion;
- a first insert to insert into a first end of the tubular portion;
- and
- a second insert to insert into a second end of the tubular portion,
- wherein the first insert and the second insert are configured to support the first catalytic tube within the first containment tube;
- and
- a first catalytic tube to generate heat, the first catalytic tube mounted within the first containment tube, the first catalytic tube comprising a first transmission line that extends along the first catalytic tube,
- wherein the first containment tube contacts the heat-transfer liquid or gas when the heater is in operation to thermally couple heat from the first catalytic tube to the heat-transfer liquid or gas when contained in the heater chamber;
- a pulse driver adapted to provide electrical pulses to propagate along the first transmission line of the first catalytic tube to generate heat from the first catalytic tube, wherein:
- the pulse driver includes drive electronics implemented at least in part on at least one printed circuit board (PCB);
- and
- the at least one printed circuit board includes at least one PCB transmission line patterned on the at least one PCB to carry the electrical pulses provided by the pulse driver;
- and
- an electrical connector to electrically connect to the first transmission line of the first catalytic tube, the electrical connector including a first collet and a second collet to facilitate an electrical connection between the at least one PCB transmission line patterned on the at least one PCB and the first transmission line of the first catalytic tube.
14 more elements
A heater for a heating system, the heater comprising:
- an outer shell enclosing a heater chamber to contain a heat-transfer liquid or gas;
- a first containment tube extending through the heater chamber and extending outside of the outer shell, the first containment tube sealed to prevent ingress of the heat-transfer liquid or gas into the first containment tube;
- and
- a first catalytic tube to generate heat, the first catalytic tube mounted within the first containment tube, the first catalytic tube comprising multiple coaxial layers forming a first transmission line that extends along the first catalytic tube, wherein:
- a first impedance of the first transmission line of the first catalytic tube is a value in a range from 0.1 ohm to 25 ohms, and
- the multiple coaxial layers comprise:
- an electrically-conductive layer extending along the first catalytic tube;
- an insulating layer disposed on the electrically-conductive layer;
- and
- an electrically-conductive reactive layer disposed on the insulating layer,
- wherein the first containment tube contacts the heat-transfer liquid or gas when the heater is in operation to thermally couple heat from the first catalytic tube to the heat-transfer liquid or gas when contained in the heater chamber.
8 more elements
A heater for a heating system, the heater comprising:
- an outer shell enclosing a heater chamber to contain a heat-transfer liquid or gas;
- a first containment tube extending through the heater chamber and through the outer shell, the first containment tube sealed to prevent ingress of the heat-transfer liquid or gas into the first containment tube;
- a first catalytic tube to generate heat, the first catalytic tube mounted within the first containment tube, the first catalytic tube comprising multiple coaxial layers forming a first transmission line that extends along the first catalytic tube;
- and
- an electrical connector to electrically connect to the first transmission line of the first catalytic tube, the electrical connector including at least a first collet to facilitate an electrical connection to the first transmission line,
- wherein the first containment tube contacts the heat-transfer liquid or gas when the heater is in operation to thermally couple heat from the first catalytic tube to the heat-transfer liquid or gas when contained in the heater chamber,
- wherein the multiple coaxial layers comprise:
- an electrically-conductive layer extending along the first catalytic tube;
- an insulating layer disposed on the electrically-conductive layer;
- and
- an electrically-conductive reactive layer disposed on the insulating layer.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.