Patent ID: 11873994
Assignee: DELTA MOTORSPORT LIMITED
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 8:
9. A method of operating a system comprising a recuperated gas turbine engine with a catalytic combustor, the catalytic combustor comprising: (a) an upstream section comprising an electrical heater and (b) a downstream catalyst section, wherein the upstream section and the downstream catalyst section are disposed adjacent to and in fluid communication with one another; wherein the upstream section and the downstream catalyst section are integrated in a single unit; wherein the upstream section and the downstream catalyst section each contain pores or channels; and wherein the ratio of the pore or channel surface area of the upstream section to those of the downstream catalyst section are in a range of from about 0.5% to 50%, the method comprising:
(a) providing energy to the electrical heater to heat the upstream section to a temperature at least equal to the catalytic reaction temperature of a mixture of a fuel and air mixture,
(b) introducing a mass flow of the mixture of air and fuel to the heated upstream section, so as to initiate catalytic combustion, and
(c) maintaining or increasing the mass flow of the mixture of air and fuel through the catalyst, so as to provide a combusting mixture of fuel and air into the second section, the combusting mixture having an associated heat.