Wilson TurboPower has achieved a breakthrough in industrial heat exchangers that the industry has been trying to accomplish since 1940.  Using MIT-patented technology, licensed exclusively to WTPI, it has demonstrated operating temperatures above the ranges at which metal heat exchangers typically perform, in excess of 1650°F (900°C).  With further development, it is expected to operate at even higher temperatures. 

In addition to operating at unusually high temperatures, WTPI’s ceramic rotary “regenerator” called Cerotex™ also transfers heat from one gas to another at exceptionally high efficiencies, in excess of 98%.   For example, Cerotex™ reduces the exhaust gas temperature from 900°C to 37°C by passing through just six inches of honeycomb ceramic.  To achieve this same level of efficiency, metal heat exchangers typically must be substantially larger and more expensive than WTPI’s. 

WTPI’s Cerotex™ is readily adaptable to gas flows up to 10kg/sec for high-temperature fuel cells (SOFCs and carbonate) as well as for on-board gasoline fuel reforming with PEM cells.  WTPI is working on designs applicable to fuel cells smaller than 10kW.

Regenerators are inherently more efficient than metal recuperators, far less prone to thermal stress, less expensive, smaller, lighter and more reliable.  The result is that WTPI’s Cerotex™ regenerator enables lower-cost electricity from fuel cells than is possible using current heat exchangers. 

The rotary regenerative heat exchanger was patented by Fredrik Ljungstrom in 1920.  Until now, such regenerators were designed to be rotated steadily and continuously and were used mainly for gases near atmospheric pressure.  The attempts that have been made since World War II to adapt them for use in high-pressure applications have been unsuccessful due to wear and leakage of the seals caused by continuous friction between the porous ceramic and the seal faces. Based on the work of Professor David Gordon Wilson at MIT’s Heat Transfer Laboratory, MIT was awarded a patent for the concept of rotating the disk or drum discontinuously rather than continuously. In this simple yet effective design, the seals are pressed on to the disk or drum face when it is stationary, about 95% of the time, and are lifted very slightly when the disk or drum is rapidly indexed to a new position.  The validity and value of this approach has now been successfully demonstrated by WTPI.  

About Wilson TurboPower

Based on research at MIT, Wilson TurboPower, Inc. (WTPI) is developing two efficiency-enhancing products.  The first is its high-temperature, super-efficient ceramic heat exchanger called Cerotex™.  The second is its super-efficient ceramic microturbine for distributed power generation and military and transportation propulsion systems. This engine optimizes the benefits of Cerotex™ and has the potential to revolutionize the energy industry by offering least cost and lowest emissions electricity.

For more information, the fuel cell industry is invited to contact:

George Urban

Director of Sales

Wilson TurboPower, Inc.

55 Sixth Road, Woburn 01801

(508) 660-2444

GeorgeU@w-tp.com

GeorgeUrb@aol.com

http://w-tp.com