Catalytic fluid heater

Claim 1

A CATALYIC FLUID HEATER WHICH IS FUELED WITH A HYDROGENRICH GAS AND OF A CONSTRUCTION WHICH REQUIRES NO EXTERNAL VENTING COMPRISING: A. A HOUSING FORMING A COMBUSTION CHAMBER OPEN AT THE TOP END THEREOF AND HAVING ORIFICE MEANS FOR DELIVERING SAID FUEL INTO SAID HOUSING AT THE LOWER END THEREOF, SAID HOUSING FURTHER HAVING AN INLET MANS DISPOSED ABOVE SAID ORIFICE MEANS FOR PERMITTING AIR TO FLOW INTO SAID HOUSING FOR MIXING WITH SAID FUEL AND BEING OF A HEIGHT TO CREATE A CHIMNEY EFFECT TO PULL THE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE THROUGH SAID HOUSING FROM THE LOWER TO THE TOP END THEREOF: B. A TUBING THROUGH WHICH A FLUID TO BE HEATED FLOWS FORMED AND VERTICALLY SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, C. A PLURALITY OF PLATES SUPPORTED BY SAID TUBING IN VARIOUS SYMMETRIC LOCATIONS ALONG THE VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID TUBING, SAID PLURALITY OF PLATES HAVING A CATALYST ACTIVE WITH SAID HYDROGEN-RICH GAS APPLIED TO THE LOWER SURFACES THEREOF, D. SAID FUEL-AIR MIXTURE IN FLOWING UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID HOUSING IMPINGING ON SAID CATALYST AND BEING THEREBY COMBUSTED AND PRODUCING CONDENSATE AS A COMBUSTION PRODUCT, E. THE COMBUSTION OF SAID FUEL-AIR MIXTURE HEATING SAID PULRALITY OF PLATES AND THE FLUID FLOWING THROUGH SAID TUBING