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US 6,376,113 B1Granted
Integrated fuel cell system
AssigneeIdaTech, LLC
InventorsDavid J. Edlund, William A. Pledger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invented system includes a fuel-cell system comprising a fuel cell that produces electrical power from air (oxygen) and hydrogen, and a fuel processor that produces hydrogen from a variety of feedstocks. One such fuel processor is a steam reformer which produces purified hydrogen from a carbon-containing feedstock and water. In the invented system, various mechanisms for implementing the cold start-up of the fuel processor are disclosed, as well as mechanisms for optimizing and/or harvesting the heat and water requirements of the system, and maintaining desired the feed ratios of feedstock to water in the fuel processor and purity of the process water used in the system.
Claims37
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a fuel processor adapted to receive a feed stream containing a carbon-containing feedstock and to produce a byproduct stream and a product hydrogen stream containing hydrogen gas therefrom, wherein the fuel processor includes a hydrogen-production region, in which the feedstock is reacted at an elevated temperature to form a product stream containing hydrogen gas, and a separation region containing at least one hydrogen-selective membrane adapted to separate the product stream into the product hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream;
- a fuel cell stack adapted to receive the product hydrogen stream and produce an electric current therefrom;
- and
- a feedstock reservoir containing a carbon-containing feedstock;
- a water reservoir containing water;
- and
- a pump assembly adapted to draw a feed stream containing feedstock from the feedstock reservoir and a water stream containing water from the water reservoir and to deliver the feed and water streams to the fuel processor, wherein the pump assembly includes a plurality of synchronized pump heads adapted to pump fluid from a corresponding plurality of pump cavities, wherein one of the pump cavities is adapted receive feedstock from the feedstock reservoir and one of the pump cavities is adapted to receive water from the water reservoir.
4 more elements
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a fuel processor adapted to receive a feed stream containing a carbon-containing feedstock and to produce a byproduct stream and a product hydrogen stream containing hydrogen gas therefrom, wherein the fuel processor includes a hydrogen-production region, in which the feedstock is reacted at an elevated temperature to form a product stream containing hydrogen gas, and a separation region containing at least one hydrogen-selective membrane adapted to separate the product stream into the product hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream;
- a fuel cell stack adapted to receive the product hydrogen stream and produce an electric current therefrom;
- and
- a feedstock reservoir containing a carbon-containing feedstock;
- a water reservoir containing water;
- a pump assembly adapted to draw a feed stream containing feedstock from the feedstock reservoir and a water stream containing water from the water reservoir and to deliver the feed and water streams to the fuel processor;
- and
- means for removing impurities from the water stream.
5 more elements
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a fuel processor adapted to receive a feed stream containing a carbon-containing feedstock and to produce a byproduct stream and a product hydrogen stream containing hydrogen gas therefrom, wherein the fuel processor includes a hydrogen-production region, in which the feedstock is reacted at an elevated temperature to form a product stream containing hydrogen gas, and a separation region containing at least one hydrogen-selective membrane adapted to separate the product stream into the product hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream;
- a fuel cell stack adapted to receive the product hydrogen stream and produce an electric current therefrom, wherein the fuel cell stack includes a purge valve through which a purge stream containing hydrogen gas is exhausted from the fuel cell stack;
- a feedstock reservoir containing a carbon-containing feedstock;
- a water reservoir containing water;
- a pump assembly adapted to draw a feed stream containing feedstock from the feedstock reservoir and a water stream containing water from the water reservoir and to deliver the feed and water streams to the fuel processor;
- and
- a combustor adapted to combust the purge stream.
4 more elements
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a fuel processor adapted to receive a feed stream containing a carbon-containing feedstock and to produce a byproduct stream and a product hydrogen stream containing hydrogen gas therefrom, wherein the fuel processor includes a hydrogen-production region, in which the feedstock is reacted at an elevated temperature to form a product stream containing hydrogen gas, and a separation region containing at least one hydrogen-selective membrane adapted to separate the product stream into the product hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream;
- a fuel cell stack adapted to receive the product hydrogen stream and produce an electric current therefrom;
- and
- a feedstock reservoir containing a carbon-containing feedstock;
- a water reservoir containing water;
- a pump assembly adapted to draw a feed stream containing feedstock from the feedstock reservoir and a water stream containing water from the water reservoir and to deliver the feed and water streams to the fuel processor;
- and
- a heat exchange assembly adapted to cool at least one of the product hydrogen stream and the fuel cell stack with a heat exchange fluid stream.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.