Patent ID: 8307653

Claim:
A catalytic oxidation module comprising: a plurality of spaced apart catalytic elements oriented along a flow axis for receiving a fuel mixture over a surface thereof and for discharging a partially oxidized fuel mixture at respective ends thereof, the plurality of spaced apart catalytic elements comprising: at least one primary catalytic element comprising a monometallic catalyst deposited on at least a portion of a surface thereof; and secondary catalytic elements disposed adjacent the at least one primary catalytic element at a plane transverse to the flow axis, the plane located upstream from a downstream end of the at least one primary catalytic element, the secondary catalytic elements comprising a multi-component catalyst deposited on at least a portion of a surface thereof; wherein ignition of the monometallic catalyst on the at least one primary catalytic element at a temperature initially insufficient to ignite the multi-component catalyst is effective to increase a temperature of the fuel mixture and a surface temperature of the at least one primary catalytic element and the secondary catalytic elements to a degree sufficient to ignite the multi-component catalyst.