Waste heat reclamation in a power generation system and method of operating a power generation system
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorZach Reeder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system includes a power generator to generate power from an reaction involving a first fuel reactant and a second fuel reactant, a fuel reactant supply source to supply the first fuel reactant to the power generator via a fuel supply line having a fuel expansion region, a radiant fluid circuit for circulation of a radiant fluid configured to cool the power generator, and one or more thermoelectric generators in thermal contact with the fuel expansion region and the radiant fluid circuit downstream of the fuel cell to generate electric power via a Seebeck effect using at least a portion of the waste heat generated by the power generator.
Claims15
A system, comprising:
- a power generator to generate power based on a reaction of hydrogen and a second fuel reactant;
- a fuel supply source to supply the hydrogen to the power generator via a fuel supply line having a fuel expansion region which comprises a liquid-to-gas expansion region for expansion of liquid hydrogen to hydrogen gas;
- a radiant fluid circuit for circulation of a radiant fluid configured to cool the power generator;
- and
- one or more thermoelectric generators in thermal contact with the fuel expansion region and the radiant fluid circuit downstream of the power generator to generate electric power via a Seebeck effect using waste heat generated by the power generator.
A vehicle, comprising:
- a system that includes:
- a power generator to generate power based on a reaction of hydrogen and a second fuel reactant;
- a fuel supply source to supply the hydrogen to the power generator via a fuel supply line having a fuel expansion region which comprises a liquid-to-gas expansion region for expansion of liquid hydrogen to hydrogen gas;
- a radiant fluid circuit for circulation of a radiant fluid configured to cool the power generator;
- and
- one or more thermoelectric generators in thermal contact with the fuel expansion region and the radiant fluid circuit downstream of the power generator to generate electric power via a Seebeck effect using waste heat generated by the power generator.
A method of operating a power generation system that includes a power generator, a fuel supply source, a fuel supply line having a fuel expansion region, one or more thermoelectric generators, and a radiant fluid circuit, the method comprising:
- generating power by the power generator via a reaction of a first fuel reactant and a second fuel reactant, the first fuel reactant being supplied by the fuel supply source via the fuel supply line;
- and
- generating electric power, via a Seebeck effect, using waste heat produced by the power generator by placing the one or more thermoelectric generators in thermal contact with the fuel expansion region and the radiant fluid circuit downstream of the power generator, wherein:
- the first fuel reactant comprises hydrogen, and
- the fuel expansion region comprises a liquid-to-gas expansion region for expansion of liquid hydrogen to hydrogen gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.