High efficiency fuel cell
AssigneesHelmut Schmidt Universität, Universität der Bundeswehr Hamburg, Hamburg Innovation GmbH
InventorDetlef Schulz
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Abstract
Fuel cell arrangement having an improved efficiency. The arrangement comprises one or more fuel cell units 110 and a methanation unit 200 and a control unit 300. The fuel cell unit comprises a water inlet 111, a hydrogen outlet 112 and an oxygen outlet 113. The methanation unit comprises a catalyst 222, a hydrogen inlet 213, a carbon oxide inlet 214 having a first controllable valve 215 and a methane outlet 216, wherein the hydrogen outlet of the first fuel cell unit is coupled to the hydrogen inlet of the methanation unit, and the methanation unit is adapted to convert hydrogen and carbon oxide into methane, wherein the control unit is adapted to control the first controllable valve so as to obtain an optimum converting process to convert hydrogen and carbon oxide into methane.
Claims16
1-18. (canceled)
Fuel cell arrangement comprising
- a first fuel cell unit,
- a methanation unit and
- a control unit,
- wherein the first fuel cell unit comprises
- an active part for converting water into hydrogen and oxygen,
- a water inlet,
- a hydrogen outlet,
- an oxygen outlet,
- wherein the methanation unit comprises
- a catalyst,
- a hydrogen inlet,
- a carbon oxide inlet having a first controllable valve,
- a methane outlet,
- wherein the hydrogen outlet of the first fuel cell unit is coupled to the hydrogen inlet of the methanation unit,
- wherein the methanation unit is adapted to convert by the catalyst hydrogen and carbon oxide into methane,
- wherein the methanation unit is arranged beside the first fuel cell unit in a manner to allow a heat transfer from the methanation unit to the first fuel cell unit.
- wherein the control unit is adapted to control the first controllable valve so as to obtain an optimum converting process to convert hydrogen and carbon oxide into methane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.