Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080241612 | Fuel cell system with one hundred percent fuel utilization - A method of operating a fuel cell system includes providing a fuel inlet stream into a fuel cell stack, operating the fuel cell stack to generate electricity and a hydrogen containing fuel exhaust stream, separating at least a portion of hydrogen contained in the fuel exhaust stream using a cascaded electrochemical hydrogen pump, such as a high temperature, low hydration ion exchange membrane cell stack having at least two membrane cells arranged in process fluid flow series, and providing the hydrogen separated from the fuel exhaust stream into the fuel inlet stream. | 10-02-2008 |
20080241638 | SOFC system producing reduced atmospheric carbon dioxide using a molten carbonated carbon dioxide pump - A solid oxide fuel cell power generation system's entire output is made up of three streams: water, sequestered carbon dioxide provided into a storage tank, and carbon dioxide depleted air. Thus, the system generates electricity from a hydrocarbon fuel, while outputting substantially no pollutants into the atmosphere and cleaning the air by removing carbon dioxide from the air exhaust stream. Thus, the system outputs cleaner air than it takes in without releasing pollutants into the atmosphere, while generating electricity from a readily available hydrocarbon fuel, such as natural gas. | 10-02-2008 |
20080248349 | Solid oxide fuel cell column temperature equalization by internal reforming and fuel cascading - A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cells. The fuel cell stack includes a middle portion of fuel cells and at least one end portion of fuel cells. The fuel cells of the end portion is arranged in a cascade configuration with the fuel cells of the middle portion. The system is configured such that in operation, at least partial reformation of hydrocarbon fuel occurs internally within the fuel cells of the middle portion and the fuel cells of the end portion are configured to use fuel exhaust from the middle portion as fuel. | 10-09-2008 |
20080318092 | Co-production of hydrogen and electricity in a high temperature electrochemical system - A high temperature electrochemical system, such as a solid oxide fuel cell system, generates hydrogen and optionally electricity in a fuel cell mode. At least a part of the generated hydrogen is separated and stored or provided to a hydrogen using device. A solid oxide regenerative fuel cell system stores carbon dioxide in a fuel cell mode. The system generates a methane fuel in an electrolysis mode from the stored carbon dioxide and water by using a Sabatier subsystem. Alternatively, the system generates a hydrogen fuel in an electrolysis mode from water alone. | 12-25-2008 |
20090208785 | SOFC electrochemical anode tail gas oxidizer - A fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cells and at least one shorted solid oxide fuel cell in which the cell anode is electrically connected to the cell cathode. In another system, the at least one shorted solid oxide fuel cell is located downstream from a fuel cell stack. The at least one shorted fuel cell is positioned to receive the anode exhaust stream from at least some of the plurality of fuel cells of the fuel cell stack. | 08-20-2009 |
20090291338 | Increasing The Efficiency Of A Fuel Cell - A technique includes removing nitrogen from an air stream to produce an enriched oxygen stream and communicating the enriched oxygen stream to a cathode chamber of a fuel cell. The technique includes transferring the nitrogen that is removed from the air stream to a reactant stream of the fuel cell system. | 11-26-2009 |
20100047637 | OPERATION OF FUEL CELL SYSTEMS WITH REDUCED CARBON FORMATION AND ANODE LEADING EDGE DAMAGE - A method of operating a fuel cell system includes introducing a fuel mixture comprising hydrogen, fuel, and steam at a fuel inlet of the fuel cell system, and operating the fuel cell system to generate electricity. A ratio of hydrogen to carbon from fuel (H | 02-25-2010 |
20100119909 | FUEL CELL INTERCONNECT - A fuel cell interconnect includes a first side containing a first plurality of channels and a second side containing a second plurality of channels. The first and second sides are disposed on opposite sides of the interconnect. The first plurality of channels are configured to provide a serpentine fuel flow field while the second plurality of channels are configured to provide an approximately straight air flow field. | 05-13-2010 |
20100129732 | Electrochemical Cell Stack Assembly - A technique includes providing a loading force member to extend between end plates to compress flow plates of a stack of electrochemical cells together. The technique includes positioning the member in a region of the stack in which a maximum pressure force is exerted due to the operation of the stack. | 05-27-2010 |
20100176003 | SEPARATOR PLATES, ION PUMPS, AND HYDROGEN FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING HYDROGEN - Anode and cathode separator plates are suitable for use in ion pumps for converting an input stream such as reformate into a pressurized and purified hydrogen-rich gas stream. The plates may include a single cathode outlet opening forming a portion of cathode output gas manifold, an anode inlet opening forming a portion of an inlet gas stream manifold and being sized larger than inlet cathode outlet opening, the distance of the anode inlet opening to an edge of the plate being less than the distance of the cathode outlet opening from an edge of the plate, and the size of the fluid flow channel of the anode separator plate being smaller than the size of the fluid flow channel of the cathode separator plate. Methods for forming the plates and infrastructure systems are also disclosed. | 07-15-2010 |
20100248049 | Fuel cell system with interruption control - A method for operating a fuel cell system during an interruption includes identifying a load interruption in which an external load is partially or fully unable to draw electrical power from the fuel cell system. At least a first fuel cell column of the fuel cell system is operated in an electrolysis mode such that the first fuel cell column generates fuel during the load interruption. Power is provided to the first fuel cell column in the electrolysis mode from at least a second fuel cell column of the fuel cell system. The second fuel cell column is operating in a normal power generation operating mode. | 09-30-2010 |
20100266923 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM WITH ELECTROCHEMICAL HYDROGEN PUMP AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME - A fuel cell system includes a plurality of fuel cells, a plurality of interconnects, and a hydrogen separation device, wherein the hydrogen separation device separates hydrogen from the fuel cell stack anode exhaust. The separated hydrogen is then reintroduced into the fuel cell stack to optimize overall system efficiency. Monitoring of the performance of the hydrogen separation device gives an indication as to the fuel cell system performance. | 10-21-2010 |
20110011362 | LOW PRESSURE HYDROGEN FUELED VEHICLE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME - A hydrogen fueled vehicle includes a vehicle body, a hydrocarbon fuel tank, and a low pressure hydrogen gas storage vessel. | 01-20-2011 |
20110024295 | ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL - An electrochemical cell having two or more diffusion bonded layers, which demonstrates a high degree of ruggedness, reliability, efficiency and attitude insensitiveness, is provided. The novel cell structure simplifies construction and operation of these cells. Also provided is a method for passive water removal from these cells. The inventive cell, as well as stacks made using these cells, is suitable for use in applications such as commercial space power systems, long endurance aircraft, undersea power systems, remote backup power systems, and regenerative fuel cells. | 02-03-2011 |
20130175164 | ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL WITH IMPROVED WATER OR GAS MANAGEMENT - An electrochemical cell having a water/gas porous separator prepared from a polymeric material and one or more conductive cell components that pass through, or are located in close proximity to, the water/gas porous separator, is provided. The inventive cell provides a high level of in-cell electrical conductivity. | 07-11-2013 |
20130302707 | ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL - An electrochemical cell having two or more diffusion bonded layers, which demonstrates a high degree of ruggedness, reliability, efficiency and attitude insensitiveness, is provided. The novel cell structure simplifies construction and operation of these cells. Also provided is a method for passive water removal from these cells. The inventive cell, as well as stacks made using these cells, is suitable for use in applications such as commercial space power systems, long endurance aircraft, undersea power systems, remote backup power systems, and regenerative fuel cells. | 11-14-2013 |