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US 2002/0160246 A1Published application
Enthalpy recovery system and method
AssigneePlug Power Inc.
InventorMichael M. Walsh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for enthalpy transfer in a fuel cell includes flowing a gas and liquid water through a thermally conductive conduit, flowing a relatively hot gas containing water vapor across an external portion of the conduit, and transferring enough heat from the hot gas to cool the hot gas below its dew point and to cause a portion of the liquid water in the conduit to evaporate.
Claims23
An enthalpy transfer system, comprising:
- a conduit having an internal surface and an external surface, wherein the conduit has a gas inlet, a gas outlet, and a water injection port, wherein the conduit is adapted to receive a flow of liquid water into the water injection port, wherein the conduit is adapted to receive a flow of a first fluid through the gas inlet;
- a pump in fluid communication with the water injection port and a water reservoir, the pump having an electrical connection to a controller, wherein the pump is adapted to vary a flow of water from the water reservoir to the water injection port according to a control signal from the controller;
- and
- a housing enclosing a portion of the conduit, wherein the housing includes a first inlet and a first outlet, wherein the housing is adapted to circulate a second fluid through the first inlet across a portion of the external surface of the conduit and out the first outlet, wherein the housing further includes a drain in fluid communication with the water reservoir.
1 more element
A method of enthalpy transfer within a fuel cell system, comprising:
- flowing a first gas through an inside of a thermally conductive conduit;
- flowing liquid water through the inside of the conduit;
- flowing a second gas across an external surface of the conduit, wherein the second gas contains water vapor and has a temperature greater than a temperature of the first gas;
- and
- transferring heat from the second gas through the conduit to the liquid water, such that the temperature of the second gas falls below a dew point temperature of the second gas, and such that a portion of the liquid water in the conduit evaporates.
2 more elements
A method of enthalpy transfer within a fuel cell system, comprising:
- flowing methane from a first source through an inside of a thermally conductive conduit;
- flowing oxygen from a second source through the inside of the conductive conduit;
- flowing liquid water from a third source through the inside of the conduit;
- flowing a gas across an external surface of the conduit, wherein the gas contains water vapor and has a temperature greater than a temperature of a mixture of methane and oxygen in the conduit;
- and
- transferring heat from the gas through the conduit to the liquid water, such that the temperature of the gas falls below a dew point temperature of the gas, and such that a portion of the liquid water in the conduit evaporates.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.