Fuel cell system to preheat fuel cell stack
AssigneeSamsung SDI Co., Ltd.
InventorsGi-Jang Ahn, Jin-Ho Lee, Ki-Woon Kim, Seong-Jin An, Hyun Kim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel cell system including: a reformer to convert a fuel into hydrogen; a reformer chamber to contain air heated by the reformer; a fuel cell stack to convert the hydrogen into electricity; a first pump to supply an oxidant to the stack; and a second pump to supply the heated air to the stack, to preheat the stack. The system may also include a controller to control the operation of the system, such that the heated air is not supplied until it reaches a predetermined temperature, and the oxidant is not supplied and the stack is not operated, until the stack reaches a predetermined temperature.
Claims14
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a reformer to convert a fuel into hydrogen;
- a fuel cell stack to convert the hydrogen into electricity;
- a first pump to supply an oxidant to the stack;
- a reformer chamber disposed around the reformer, to contain air heated by the reformer;
- and
- a second pump to supply the heated air to the stack, to preheat the stack.
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a reformer to convert a fuel into hydrogen;
- a fuel cell stack to convert the hydrogen into electricity;
- a reformer chamber to contain air heated by the reformer;
- a first pipe to connect the stack to an oxidant source;
- a pump disposed on the first pipe;
- a first valve disposed on the first pipe, upstream of the pump, to control an amount of the oxidant that is supplied to the pump;
- a second pipe to connect the reformer to the first pipe, between the first valve and the pump;
- and
- a second valve disposed on the second pipe, to control an amount of the heated air that is supplied to the pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.