Fuel endothermic reaction to cool a load

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12545841-B2
Application number	US-202418583928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2024
Priority date	Mar 29, 2021
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

Various embodiments that pertain to fuel processing are described. A fuel processor can produce an endothermic reaction that cools a substance and produces a processed fuel from a raw fuel. A generator can employ the processed fuel to produce an electricity. The generator can supply the electricity to a load that uses the electricity to function. The load can become hot due to its functioning and can benefit from being cooled. The substance cooled by the fuel processor can cool load and in the process the substance can rise in temperature. This warmer substance can be transferred to the fuel processor to be cooled again and this cycle can continue. Further, the fuel processor can use the warmer substance to achieve the endothermic reaction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . The method, performed at least in part by a fuel processor comprising:
receiving a raw fuel at the fuel processor; receiving a substance at a first temperature at the fuel processor; employing the substance at the first temperature to cause an endothermic reaction associated with the raw fuel at the fuel processor such that the raw fuel converts into a resultant fuel; cooling the substance to a second temperature through the endothermic reaction at the fuel processor; and outputting the resultant fuel from the fuel processor; producing an electricity from the resultant fuel that is outputted; supplying a load with the electricity such that the load operates and such that the load produces the substance at the first temperature; causing transfer of the substance at the first temperature to the fuel processor; returning the substance at the second temperature to the load; and cooling the load with the substance at the second temperature, where the load is powered again, causing the substance at the second temperature to rise in temperature.

2 . The method of claim 1 ,
where the raw fuel is a first portion of the raw fuel, where producing the electricity from the resultant fuel that is outputted comprises producing the electricity from the resultant fuel and a second portion of the raw fuel, and where the second portion of the raw fuel is smaller than the first portion of the raw fuel.

3 . The method of claim 2 ,
where the resultant fuel is hydrogen-based where the endothermic reaction comprises thermal cracking.

4 . The method of claim 3 ,
where the resultant fuel is hydrogen-based where the endothermic reaction comprises steam reforming.

Assignees

• Us Gov Sec Army
• The Government Of The United States Represented By The Secretary Of The Army

Inventors

• Seibert Michael
• Scenna Richard
• Dubois Terry

Classifications

• C01B2203/0233

  the reforming step being a steam reforming step · CPC title

• C10G2300/4081

  Recycling aspects · CPC title

• C01B2203/0883

  by indirect heat exchange · CPC title

• C01B2203/06

  Integration with other chemical processes · CPC title

• F05D2220/764

  of the alternating current (A.C.) type · CPC title