Patents
US 7939051 B2: Hydrogen-producing fuel processing assemblies, heating assemblies, and methods of operating the same
- Granted
- 2011-05-10
- Filed
- 2007-05-21 application 11751417
- Type
- Utility · 24 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
Hydrogen-producing fuel processing assemblies, including steam reforming fuel processing assemblies, startup assemblies for use therein, and methods of operating the same. In some embodiments, the startup assemblies include a startup reforming region that is upstream from a primary, or second, hydrogen-producing reforming region. In some embodiments, the startup reforming region and primary reforming regions are both steam reforming regions. In some embodiments, the startup assembly further includes at least one of a vaporization region and a startup heating assembly. In some embodiments, the startup heating assembly is an electrically powered heating assembly, and the fuel processing assembly further includes a (primary) heating assembly that combusts a byproduct stream from the fuel processing assembly to produce a combustion exhaust stream. In some embodiments, the startup reforming region is adapted to produce a gaseous output stream that will remain a gas-phase stream even if cooled below a minimum hydrogen-producing temperature.
Source: PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 (ipg110510.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idatech, LLC 38 patents | US company or organization | Bend, OR | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon Wade Popham | Bend, OR | 9 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Curtiss Renn | Bend, OR | 7 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Mesa Scharf | Redmond, OR | 2 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Kyle Taylor | Bend, OR | 15 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| C01B | Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof; ; metalloids or compounds thereof not covered by subclass c01c | C01B3/384 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| B01J | Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus | B01J8/0426 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
| Recorded | What | From | To | Reel/frame | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-03-27 | Security interest Security interest Option | IDATECH, LLC signed 2013-03-13 | DCNS SA 44 620 LA MONTAGNE | 30100/642 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2007-08-10 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | POPHAM, VERNON WADE signed 2007-05-16 RENN, CURTISS signed 2007-05-18 SCHARF, MESA signed 2007-05-18 TAYLOR, KYLE signed 2007-05-18 | IDATECH, LLC BEND, OR | 19682/787 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.