Fuel cell demineralizers integrated with coolant accumulator
AssigneeUTC Fuel Cells, LLC
InventorsGarrett Fink, Jennifer Kurtz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The water transport plates (8) of a stack of fuel cells (9) receive water from an accumulator (11) which has a vent (17) within which demineralizers (33) are disposed. The entrance to the accumulator has a conical baffle which disrupts the flow of water entering the accumulator, thereby acting as a gas separator (16). A coolant pump (23) pumps coolant through a heat exchanger (25) where it is divided between an accumulator inlet conduit (31) and a demineralizer inlet conduit (32), the flow between which may be adjusted by means of a flow restrictor (30).
Claims7
A fuel cell power plant comprising:
- a stack of fuel cells, each fuel cell having anode water flow channels and cathode water flow channels;
- a water accumulator in fluid communication with at least some of said water flow channels and having an inlet feed conduit;
- at least one demineralizer disposed within said water accumulator and having an inlet feed conduit;
- and wherein said accumulator is vented and has a conical baffle disposed at an inlet of the accumulator so as to disrupt the flow of water and gas entering the accumulator, whereby gas is separated from water;
- and
- said accumulator inlet feed conduit and said demineralizer inlet feed conduit receive water from at least some of said water flow channels.
A fuel cell power plant comprising:
- a stack of fuel cells, each fuel cell having anode water flow channels and cathode water flow channels;
- a water accumulator in fluid communication with at least some of said water flow channels and having an inlet feed conduit;
- and
- at least one demineralizer disposed within said water accumulator and having an inlet feed conduit;
- and
- said accumulator inlet feed conduit and said demineralizer inlet feed conduit receive flow of water from at least some of said water flow channels.
A fuel cell power plant comprising:
- a stack of fuel cells, each fuel cell having anode water flow channels and cathode water flow channels;
- a water accumulator, said accumulator being vented and having a conical baffle disposed at an inlet of the accumulator so as to disrupt the flow of water and gas entering the accumulator, whereby gas is separated from water;
- and
- said accumulator inlet flow conduit receiving water from at least some of said water channels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.