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US 4,791,033 AGranted
Fuel cell system
AssigneeEnergy Research Corporation
InventorPinakin Patel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a fuel cell system employing an internally reforming fuel cell and a gas transfer device for recycling hydrogen gas in the fuel cell exhaust back to the fuel cell, the supply fuel is passed through the transfer device so as to allow controllable transfer of water with the transferred hydrogen, thereby providing a stream automatically containing water necessary for the steam reforming reaction in the fuel cell.
Claims15
A fuel cell system adapted to receive a hydrocarbon fuel from a fuel supply, said fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell including:
- an anode compartment adapted to convey a fuel process gas stream and developing a first exhaust including hydrogen and water;
- a cathode compartment adapted to receive oxidant process gas and developing a second exhaust;
- and internal reforming means adapted to receive a mixture of said fuel and water and to steam reform the hydrocarbon content of said fuel to produce said fuel process gas stream;
- transfer means comprising:
- anode means for receiving said first exhaust;
- cathode means;
- means for applying a voltage across said cathode and anode means;
- and means for supplying hydrocarbon fuel from said fuel supply to said cathode means;
- said transfer means coupling water in said first exhaust in said anode means to said cathode means controllably in dependence on the supply of fuel to said cathode means and coupling hydrogen in said first exhaust in said anode means to said cathode means, the constituents in said cathode means including said applied fuel and coupled hydrogen and water forming a first stream and the remaining constituents in said anode means forming a second stream;
- and means for coupling said first stream to said internal steam reforming means.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.