HEATER

• Main Authors: HALTINER, KARL J., JR, BADURA, CHARLES J, FISCHER, BERNHARD A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 28.02.2015
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; ELECTRICITY; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; MINING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

A heater includes a fuel cell stack assembly disposed within a heater housing and includes a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent. A combustor disposed within the heater housing receives an anode exhaust and a cathode exhaust from the fuel cell stack assembly and combusts a mixture of the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust to produce a heated combustor exhaust. The combustor includes a combustor exhaust outlet for discharging the heated combustor exhaust into the heater housing. A baffle disposed around the fuel cell stack assembly and the combustor defines a heat transfer channel radially between the heater housing and the baffle. A flow director in fluid communication with the combustor exhaust outlet and the heat transfer channel communicates the heated combustor exhaust to the heat transfer channel.