Fuel cartridge having fuel beds with space for coolant fluid
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsPaul Bryant Koeneman, Jeffrey Michael Klein, Steven J. Eickhoff, Gustav Rustan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel cartridge includes an inlet manifold and a plurality of fuel beds containing a hydride material. A first end of each of the fuel beds is coupled to the inlet manifold to receive wet hydrogen via the inlet manifold. An outlet manifold is coupled to a second end of each of the fuel beds to receive dry hydrogen from the fuel beds. The fuel beds are laterally spaced from each other providing space for flow of coolant fluid therebetween. Valves may be included in the inlet and outlet manifolds.
Claims19
A fuel cartridge, comprising:
- an inlet manifold;
- a plurality of fuel beds containing a chemical hydride material, a first end of each of the fuel beds being coupled to the inlet manifold to receive hydrogen gas containing water vapor via the inlet manifold to react with the chemical hydride material to produce dry hydrogen gas;
- an outlet manifold coupled to a second end of each of the fuel beds to receive the dry hydrogen from the fuel beds;
- and
- wherein the fuel beds are laterally spaced from each other providing space for flow of coolant fluid therebetween to cool the fuel beds while the dry hydrogen is being produced.
A fuel cartridge, comprising:
- an inlet valve;
- a plurality of fuel beds containing a chemical hydride material;
- an outlet valve;
- wherein the fuel beds are spaced apart to facilitate flow of cooling fluid past the plurality of fuel beds, and
- wherein each of the plurality of fuel beds is connected to the inlet valve to receive wet hydrogen gas containing water vapor via an inlet manifold and wherein each of the plurality of fuel beds is connected to the outlet valve to react with the chemical hydride material to provide dry hydrogen via an outlet manifold.
A method, comprising:
- containing a granular hydride material in a plurality of spaced apart fuel beds of a fuel cartridge;
- inserting the fuel cartridge into a fuel cell based power generator o open valves associated with each of first and second ends of the fuel beds;
- providing water vapor to the first end of each of the plurality of fuel beds, wherein hydrogen gas is generated by a respective reaction within each of the plurality of fuel beds to produce generated hydrogen gas;
- passing the generated hydrogen gas out of the fuel cartridge;
- and
- cooling the fuel beds by flowing coolant fluid past the outside of the spaced apart fuel beds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.