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US 11,493,211 B2Granted
Fuel cell heater system
AssigneeAnderson Industries, LLC
InventorsDaniel Ewert, Joel Jorgenson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heater is described. The heater includes a fuel cell to produce heated air, electricity and water vapor. The heater further includes a heating element operatively coupled to the fuel cell to convert the electricity to heat and a control system operatively coupled to the fuel cell and the heating element, the control system being configured to monitor and control the fuel cell and heating element.
Claims18
A heater comprising:
- a fuel cell to produce heated air, electricity and water vapor;
- a heating element operatively coupled to the fuel cell to convert the electricity to heat and to provide the heat to one or more locations outside of the fuel cell;
- a fan system operatively coupled to the fuel cell, the fan system being configured to move the heated air produced by the fuel cell to the one or more locations outside of the fuel cell;
- a temperature sensor, the temperature sensor being configured to monitor a temperature of a volume of space being heated by the heater, wherein the volume of space is located outside of the fuel cell;
- and
- a control system operatively coupled to the fuel cell, the fan system, the temperature sensor, and the heating element, the control system comprising a processing device being programmed to monitor the fuel cell, the fan system, and the heating element, and in response to determining that the temperature of the volume of space being heated by the heater satisfies a first threshold and a second threshold, adjust heat output of the heating element of the fuel cell heater.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing, to a fuel cell of a fuel cell heater, fuel from a fuel source;
- generating, by the fuel cell using the fuel from the fuel source, heated air, electricity and water vapor;
- providing, to a heating element and a fan system operatively coupled to the fuel cell, the generated electricity of the fuel cell;
- receiving, by a control system of the fuel cell heater, a temperature of a volume of space being heated by the fuel cell heater, wherein the volume of space is located outside of the fuel cell associated with the fuel cell heater;
- determining, by the control system comprising a processing device being programmed to perform, whether the temperature associated with the volume of space being heated by the fuel cell heater satisfies a first threshold and a second threshold;
- in response to determining that the temperature satisfies the first threshold and the second threshold, adjusting heat output of the heating element of the fuel cell heater;
- and
- moving, by the fan system, the heated air produced by the fuel cell to one or more locations outside of the fuel cell.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.