Catalytic igniters and their use to ignite lean hydrogen-air mixtures

Patent · 01 January 1988

OSTI ID:866578

McLean, William J ^[1]; Thorne, Lawrence R ^[2]; Volponi, Joanne V ^[2]

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1. Oakland, CA
2. Livermore, CA

A catalytic igniter which can ignite a hydrogen-air mixture as lean as 5.5% hydrogen with induction times ranging from 20 s to 400 s, under conditions which may be present during a loss-of-liquid-coolant accident at a light water nuclear reactor comprises (a) a perforate catalytically active substrate, such as a platinum coated ceramic honeycomb or wire mesh screen, through which heated gases produced by oxidation of the mixture can freely flow and (b) a plurality of thin platinum wires mounted in a thermally conductive manner on the substrate and positioned thereon so as to be able to receive heat from the substrate and the heated gases while also in contact with unoxidized gases.

• Research Organization: AT & T CORP
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4741879
• OSTI ID: 866578
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/376/423/976/
20
400
accident
active
active substrate
air mixture
air mixtures
catalytic
catalytic igniter
catalytically
catalytically active
ceramic
ceramic honeycomb
coated
coated ceramic
comprises
conditions
conductive
contact
coolant accident
flow
freely
gases
gases produced
heat
heated
heated gas
honeycomb
hydrogen
hydrogen-air
ignite
igniter
igniters
induction
lean
light
light water
loss-of-liquid-coolant
manner
mesh
mesh screen
mixture
mixtures
mounted
nuclear
nuclear reactor
oxidation
perforate
platinum
plurality
positioned
produced
ranging
reactor
reactor comprises
receive
screen
substrate
thereon
thermally
thermally conductive
times
unoxidized
water
water nuclear
wire
wire mesh
wires