ANTHONY F LITKA
Engineering in Hanover, MA

5118288, Jun 2, 1992

Aug 6, 1991

7/741104

Anthony F. Litka - Hanover MA
Sidney M. Cohen - Allentown PA

Gas Research Institute - Chicago IL

F27D 108

432 96

A suspension shaft furnace and process for producing clinkers from discrete pellets of cement-forming batch materials, the furnace having a top vertical shaft section comprising a pellet-feeding and preheating zone, an intermediate fluidized bed section containing fuel inlet conduits for clinkering of the pellets in a fluidized bed, an air-permeable clinker-impermeable support for supporting the pellets as a fluidized bed, and a lower clinker-cooling section beneath the fluidized bed section. Clinker-discharge means permit the gravity flow of clinkers from the top of the fluidized bed down into a cooling zone in the cooling section. Air inlet means supply a combustion-supporting cooling gas up through the cooling zone, to cool the clinkers therein, and upstream through the fluidized bed section to support the combustion of fuel at the fuel inlet conduits. Heated combustion supporting gas passes upstream to the vertical shaft section to heat pellets being fed downstream and regulates their speed and dwell time prior to their entry into the fluidized bed section.

5992041, Nov 30, 1999

Dec 12, 1997

8/989882

Andrew W. McClaine - Lexington MA
Ronald W. Breault - Newington NH
Anthony F. Litka - Hanover MA
Fred E. Becker - Reading MA

Thermo Power Corporation - Waltham MA

F26B 1712

34178

A raining bed heat exchanger includes: a hollow stack; a feed inlet located near the top of the stack for introducing particulate material into the stack so that the material falls through the stack; a gas inlet located near the bottom of the stack for introducing rising gases into the stack so that the gases flow counter to the falling material; a plurality of baffles supported within the stack between the feed and gas inlets for retarding the falling material and prolonging its exposure to the gases; and a disengagement section located near the top of the stack for separating from the gases particulates entrained by the rising gases. The disengagement section includes a screen positioned within the stack and having a plurality of gaps through which the rising gases pass in order to sufficiently separate the entrained particulates. Alternatively, the disengagement section can include a filter media to separate the entrained particulates. Also, at least one of the baffles can include a hollow tube and refractory insulation surrounding the hollow tube.

5188668, Feb 23, 1993

Mar 12, 1992

7/850651

Anthony F. Litka - Hanover MA
Sidney M. Cohen - Allentown PA

Gas Research Institute - Chicago IL

C04B 736

106739

A suspension shaft furnace and process for producing clinkers from discrete pellets of cement-forming batch materials, the furnace having a top vertical shaft section comprising a pellet-feeding and preheating zone, an intermediate fluidized bed section containing fuel inlet conduits for clinkering of the pellets in a fluidized bed, an air-permeable clinker-impermeable support for supporting the pellets as a fluidized bed, and a lower clinker-cooling section beneath the fluidized bed section. Clinker-discharge means permit the gravity flow of clinkers from the top of the fluidized bed down into a cooling zone in the cooling section. Air inlet means supply a combustion-supporting cooling gas up through the cooling zone, to cool the clinkers therein, and upstream through the fluidized bed section to support the combustion of fuel at the fuel inlet conduits. Heated combustion supporting gas passes upstream to the vertical shaft section to heat pellets being fed downstream and regulates their speed and dwell time prior to their entry into the fluidized bed section.

6089855, Jul 18, 2000

Jul 10, 1998

9/113952

Frederick E. Becker - Reading MA
Ronald W. Breault - Newington NH
Anthony F. Litka - Hanover MA
Andrew W. McClaine - Lexington MA
Kailash Shukla - Boxborough MA

Thermo Power Corporation - Waltham MA

F23M 300

431 9

A high efficiency, Vortex Inertial Staged Air (VIStA) combustor provides ultra-low NO. sub. X production of about 20 ppmvd or less with CO emissions of less than 50 ppmvd, both at 3% O. sub. 2. Prompt NO. sub. X production is reduced by partially reforming the fuel in a first combustion stage to CO and H. sub. 2. This is achieved in the first stage by operating with a fuel rich mixture, and by recirculating partially oxidized combustion products, with control over stoichiometry, recirculation rate and residence time. Thermal NO. sub. X production is reduced in the first stage by reducing the occurrence of high temperature combustion gas regions. This is achieved by providing the first stage burner with a thoroughly pre-mixed fuel/oxidant composition, and by recirculating part of the combustion products to further mix the gases and provide a more uniform temperature in the first stage. In a second stage combustor thermal NO. sub. X production is controlled by inducing a large flow of flue gas recirculation in the second stage combustion zone to minimize the ultimate temperature of the flame.

5672190, Sep 30, 1997

Jun 26, 1995

8/494500

Anthony F. Litka - Hanover MA
Jamie A. Woodroffe - North Reading MA
Victor Goldfarb - Swampscott MA
Andrew W. McClaine - Lexington MA
Kevin J. Keane - Brookline MA

Gas Research Institute - Chicago IL

C03B 516, C03B 300, C03B 500

651341

Process and furnace for the continuous production of a molten pool from particulate meltable batch materials such as glass-forming raw materials. The raw materials, in particulate form, are injected into and suspended in combustion gases within a combustor section to form a particle-laden gas flow. The gas flow is accelerated vertically downwardly into a refractory chamber to impact the surface of a molten pool, producing inertial separation of the molten particles into the pool and strong shear forces by the exiting combustion gases, resulting in pool circulation and improved fining and homogeneity.

6841284, Jan 11, 2005

Jun 4, 2002

10/162432

Michael Brown - Cambridge MA, US
Basil Fenton - Norwood MA, US
Kevin Gaw - Canton MA, US
Neil Fernandes - Cambridge MA, US
Gary A. Mook - Westwood MA, US
Hugh L. Smith - Canton MA, US
Geoffrey Tompsett - Amherst MA, US
Caine Finnerty - Cannock, GB
Anthony F. Litka - Hanover MA, US
Virginie Bouvier - Medford MA, US
Kevin H. Negrotti - Waltham MA, US

Acumentrics Corporation - Westwood MA

H01M 812

429 31, 429 32, 429 35

In one disclosed embodiment according to the invention, a fuel cell system for generating electrical power comprises: an open-ended tubular solid oxide fuel cell; a first fuel injector tube extending from a first fuel plenum chamber through one open end of the fuel cell; and a second fuel injector tube extending from a second fuel plenum chamber through another open end of the fuel cell; wherein the first and second fuel injector tubes form a gap within the fuel cell from which a hydrogen-containing fuel gas may flow towards the open ends of the fuel cell. Further related systems and method are also disclosed.

8586252, Nov 19, 2013

Nov 18, 2010

12/949248

Neil Edward Fernandes - Cambridge MA, US
Michael S. Brown - Somerville MA, US
Praveen Cheekatamarla - Norwood MA, US
Thomas Deng - Needham MA, US
James Dimitrakopoulos - Peabody MA, US
Anthony F. Litka - Hanover MA, US

Acumentrics Corporation - Westwood MA

H01M 8/04, H01M 8/06, B01J 8/02

429415, 429425, 429455, 429466, 422644

A reactor system is integrated internally within an anode-side cavity of a fuel cell. The reactor system is configured to convert higher hydrocarbons to smaller species while mitigating the lower production of solid carbon. The reactor system may incorporate one or more of a pre-reforming section, an anode exhaust gas recirculation device, and a reforming section.

8628891, Jan 14, 2014

Dec 14, 2006

11/639361

Michael Brown - Cambridge MA, US
Anthony F. Litka - Hanover MA, US
Douglas S. Schmidt - Walpole MA, US

Acumentrics Corporation - Westwood MA

H01M 8/12, H01M 8/02

429466, 429469, 429510, 429517

A system and method for electrically interconnecting a plurality of fuel cells to provide dense packing of the fuel cells. Each one of a plurality of fuel cells has a plurality of discrete electrical connection points along an outer surface. Electrical connections are made directly between the discrete electrical connection points of adjacent fuel cells so that the fuel cells can be packed more densely. Fuel cells have at least one outer electrode and at least one discrete interconnection to an inner electrode, wherein the outer electrode is one of a cathode and an anode and wherein the inner electrode is the other of the cathode and the anode. In tubular solid oxide fuel cells the discrete electrical connection points are spaced along the length of the fuel cell.