Fuel cell system having flow-diverting element
AssigneeBallard Power Systems Inc.
InventorsPhillip Atte Anumu, Axel Krüger, Carlo Saling, Matthias Wolfsteiner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel cell system includes a gas generation device for the catalytic steam reforming of a steam/fuel mixture and/or for the partial oxidation of an oxygen/fuel mixture for generating a hydrogen-rich medium and a gas cleaning stage for removing carbon monoxide from the product gas of the gas generation device using selective CO oxidation. A principal flow path of the medium is split at least over a certain length into a first and a second parallel flow path and is then brought together again. A flow-diverting means is provided at least in the first flow path in order to open or block the first flow path in a temperature-dependent manner.
Claims17
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a gas generation device for catalytic steam reforming of a steam/fuel mixture and/or for the partial oxidation of an oxygen/fuel mixture, thereby generating a product gas containing hydrogen-rich medium;
- a gas cleaning stage for removing carbon monoxide from the product gas by selective CO oxidation,
- wherein said fuel cell system comprises a principal flow path for a media that is split at least over a certain length into first and second parallel flow paths which are then brought together again,
- wherein a flow-diverting means is arranged at least in the first parallel flow path to open or block the first parallel flow path in a temperature-dependent manner.
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a gas generation device for catalytic steam reforming of a steam/fuel mixture and/or for the partial oxidation of an oxygen/fuel mixture, thereby generating a product gas containing hydrogen-rich medium;
- a gas cleaning stage for removing carbon monoxide from the product gas by selective CO oxidation and having a principal flow path for the product gas,
- wherein the principal flow path is split at least over a certain length into first and second parallel flow paths which are then brought together again;
- and
- wherein a flow-diverting element is arranged at least in the first parallel flow path to open or block the first flow path in a temperature-dependent manner.
A method of operating a fuel cell system, comprising:
- during a cold start of the fuel cell system, generating a hydrogen-rich product gas by at least one of catalytic steam reforming of a steam/fuel mixture or partially oxidizing an oxygen/fuel mixture, wherein the hydrogen-rich product gas also comprises condensed water and carbon monoxide;
- below a predetermined temperature, causing the product gas to flow through a first parallel flow path containing an adsorber while blocking the product gas from flowing through a second parallel flow path, thereby adsorbing the condensed water and storing a portion of the carbon monoxide with an adsorber located in the first parallel flow path;
- above the predetermined temperature, causing a temperature-dependent flow-diverting element to open the second parallel flow path that is branched off from the first parallel flow path, thereby flowing a substantial portion of a warmer hydrogen-rich product gas through the second parallel flow path;
- and
- selectively oxidizing carbon monoxide from the warmer hydrogen-rich product gas downstream from a point where the first parallel flow path and the second parallel flow path join.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.