Patent ID: 9523498
Filing Date: 2016-12-20
CPC Classification: F17C,F23C

Claim Text:
1. A catalytic tank heater for heating fuel gas stored under pressure as a liquid in a storage tank, the catalytic tank heater comprising: a catalytic heater element; a mounting arrangement coupled to the catalytic heater element to space the catalytic heater element away from an exterior surface of the storage tank at a distance to permit passage of air between the catalytic heater element and the storage tank, yet sufficiently close that substantially any heat radiated outward from a face of the heater element impinges on the exterior surface of the storage tank, the mounting arrangement including a housing having a substantially open face, a back panel and sidewalls; an open space between the catalytic heater element and the back panel defining a plenum chamber; a main fuel inlet traversing the back panel and configured to deliver fuel to the plenum chamber; a pilot heater positioned entirely within the housing, defined and enclosed by pilot sidewalls extending from the back panel toward the open face of the housing at least a depth of the plenum chamber, the back panel and the pilot sidewalls being substantially gas-tight, and including a portion of the plenum chamber as a pilot plenum chamber, and configured to deliver fuel to a portion of the catalytic heater element positioned in front of the pilot heater; and a pilot fuel inlet traversing the back panel and configured to deliver fuel to the pilot plenum chamber.