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AssigneeSolo Energy Corporation
InventorsRobert W. Dibble, Rajiv K. Mongia
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An energy producing system includes a compressor side for compressing an air/fuel mixture, and a turbine side for producing mechanical, electrical, and/or heat energy, and driving the compressor side. A catalytic combustor is disposed upstream of the turbine side for combusting a steady state air/fuel mixture during a steady state operation of the apparatus. During start-up of the system, the catalytic combustor is preheated by being supplied with a preheat air/fuel mixture capable of lighting-off therein at ambient temperature, whereby oxidization of the preheat air/fuel mixture in the catalytic combustor produces heat. The preheat air/fuel mixture is produced on-site, preferably in a reformer which burns natural gas in the presence of insufficient oxygen for complete combustion, thereby producing hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
A method of preheating a catalytic combustor disposed upstream of an expansion turbine, the catalytic combustor being at ambient temperature, the method comprising the steps of:
An energy producing apparatus comprising:
A method of operating an energy producing system employing a compressor side, a turbine side for driving the compressor side, and a catalytic combustor arranged to receive and combust compressed air/fuel mixture and supply resulting products of combustion to the turbine, the method comprising the steps of:
An energy producing apparatus comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.