Electric Power Generation System Incorporating A Liquid Feed Fuel Cell

A system for generating electric power from a vaporizable liquid fuel stream, the system comprising:

• (a) a fuel cartridge module comprising:
• (1) a cartridge housing having an interior cavity and an exterior surface;
• (2) a cartridge liquid fuel stream port encompassed by said housing exterior surface and having a sealable valve accommodating bidirectional flow of said liquid fuel stream into and out of said cartridge module;
• (3) a bladder disposed within said interior cavity and capable of storing, delivering and receiving a quantity of said liquid fuel stream;
• (4) a compression mechanism for imparting at least a minimal positive fluid pressure to said bladder;
• (5) a pressure relief valve for discharging a gaseous stream from said cartridge housing at a set pressure;
• and
• (6) a vacuum relief valve for drawing a gaseous stream into said interior cavity to inhibit formation of a vacuum within said cartridge housing;
• (b) a fuel delivery module comprising:
• (1) a fuel delivery module inlet fluidly connected to said cartridge liquid fuel stream port, said fuel delivery module inlet having a sealable valve accommodating bidirectional flow of said liquid fuel stream into and out of said cartridge module;
• (2) a fuel delivery module outlet for discharging a liquid fuel stream suitable for electrocatalytic conversion in a fuel cell to cations and reaction product;
• (3) a pump interposed in a fuel delivery conduit for directing said liquid fuel stream between said fuel delivery module inlet and said fuel delivery module outlet;
• (4) a recycle liquid fuel stream inlet fluidly connected to said fuel delivery conduit at a junction between said fuel delivery module inlet and said pump;
• (c) a fuel cell module comprising at least one electrochemical fuel cell comprising:
• (1) an anode for promoting electrocatalytic conversion of at least a portion of said fuel delivery module outlet discharged liquid fuel stream to cations and an anode exhaust stream, said anode exhaust stream comprising unreacted fuel stream constituents and anode reaction product;
• (2) a cathode for promoting electrocatalytic reaction of said cations with an oxidant stream directed to said cathode, said cathode electrically connected to said anode through a circuit comprising an electrical load, whereby electrons are drawn from said anode to said cathode through said circuit and a cathode exhaust stream is produced;
• (3) a cation exchange membrane interposed between said anode and said cathode;
• (d) an exhaust module comprising:
• (1) an exhaust module inlet for receiving said fuel cell anode exhaust stream;
• (2) an exhaust module outlet fluidly connected to said fluid delivery module recycle liquid fuel stream inlet;
• (3) a gas-liquid separator interposed between said exhaust module inlet and said exhaust module outlet, said separator comprising:
• (i) a first chamber comprising an inlet for admitting said anode exhaust stream into said first chamber and an outlet for discharging a recycle liquid fuel stream;
• (ii) a second chamber comprising an outlet for discharging a gaseous exhaust stream comprising at least some of said unreacted fuel stream constituents and at least some of said anode reaction product, and
• (iii) a gas-liquid separator membrane interposed between said first chamber and said second chamber, said separator membrane capable of permitting diffusion of at least a portion of said gaseous exhaust stream constituents from said first chamber to said second chamber;
• (4) a vapor cell comprising:
• (i) an anode fluidly connected to said gas-liquid separator second chamber outlet, said anode promoting electrocatalytic conversion of at least a portion of said gaseous exhaust stream to cations and a vapor cell anode exhaust stream comprising unreacted gaseous exhaust stream constituents, if any, and vapor cell anode reaction product;
• (ii) a cathode for promoting electrocatalytic reaction of cations produced at said vapor cell anode with an oxidant stream directed to said vapor cell cathode, said vapor cell cathode electrically connected to said vapor cell anode through a circuit comprising an electrical load, whereby electrons are drawn from said vapor cell anode to said vapor cell cathode through said circuit and a vapor cell cathode exhaust stream is produced;
• (iii) a cation exchange membrane interposed between said anode and said cathode;
• whereby said recycle liquid fuel stream is directed to said fuel delivery module outlet through said recycle fuel stream inlet and said fuel delivery conduit, and vaporous fuel in said anode exhaust stream is converted in said vapor cell to cations and reaction product.