US 7,018,732 B2Granted

System and method for management of gas and water in fuel cell system

AssigneeHydrogenics Corporation

InventorsJoseph Cargnelli, Todd A. Simpson, Robert C. Del Core, Stephen Burany, Jianming Ye, Ricardo Bazzarella

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A fuel cell system has: a fuel cell having a first reactant inlet, a first reactant outlet, a second reactant inlet, a second reactant outlet, and optionally a coolant inlet and coolant outlet. A first reactant supply subsystem supplies a first reactant incoming stream to the first reactant inlet of the fuel cell. A second reactant supply subsystem supplies a second reactant incoming stream to the second reactant inlet of the fuel cell. A first reactant recirculation subsystem recirculates at least a portion of the first reactant exhaust stream from the first reactant outlet to an enthalpy shifting subsystem in which one portion of the heat and moisture in first reactant exhaust stream is transferred to one of the first reactant incoming stream in the first reactant supply subsystem and the second reactant incoming stream in the second reactant supply subsystem. Another portion of the heat and moisture is transferred to the other stream. A method of controlling reactant and water in a fuel cell system is also disclosed.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A fuel cell system comprising:

(a) a fuel cell having a first reactant inlet, a first reactant outlet, a second reactant inlet, a second reactant outlet, a coolant inlet and coolant outlet;
(b) a first reactant supply subsystem for supplying a first reactant incoming stream to the first reactant inlet of the fuel cell;
(c) a second reactant supply subsystem for supplying a second reactant incoming stream to the second reactant inlet of the fuel cell;
(d) an enthalpy shifting subsystem comprising a first enthalpy shifting device that comprises an integral unit for both extracting at least a portion of the heat and moisture from the first reactant exhaust stream and transferring heat and moisture to the first reactant incoming stream in the first reactant supply subsystem, and a second enthalpy shifting device that comprises an integral unit for both extracting at least a portion of the heat and moisture from the first reactant exhaust stream and transferring heat and moisture to the second reactant incoming stream in the second reactant supply subsystem;
(e) a first reactant circulation subsystem for circulating at least a portion of a first reactant exhaust stream from the first reactant outlet through the enthalpy shifting subsystem for transfer of heat and moisture from the first reactant exhaust stream to the first reactant incoming stream in the first reactant supply subsystem and the second reactant incoming stream in the second reactant supply subsystem;
wherein the first and second enthalpy shifting devices are connected in the series in the enthalpy shifting subsystem, such that the heat and moisture from the first reactant exhaust stream is first transferred to the second reactant incoming stream through the second enthalpy shifting device and then to the first reactant incoming stream through the first enthalpy shifting device, and
wherein the enthalpy shifting system further comprises a bypass line that bypasses the second enthalpy shifting device so that a portion of the first reactant exhaust stream in the first reactant circulation subsystem flows to the first enthalpy shifting device without passing through the second enthalpy shifting device.

4 more elements

A method of controlling the reactants and water in a fuel cell system, the fuel cell having a first reactant inlet, a first reactant outlet, a second reactant inlet, a second reactant outlet, said method comprises:

(a) providing a first reactant incoming stream to the first reactant inlet;
(b) providing a second reactant incoming stream to the second reactant inlet;
(c) circulating at least a portion of a first reactant exhaust stream from the first reactant outlet through first and second enthalpy shifting devices, each of the first and second enthalpy shifting devices comprising an integral unit;
(d) in the first enthalpy shifting device, extracting at least a portion of the heat and moisture in the first reactant exhaust stream and transferring heat and moisture to the first reactant incoming stream and, in the second enthalpy shifting device, extracting another portion of the heat and moisture in the first reactant exhaust stream and transferring heat and moisture to the second reactant incoming stream;
wherein step (d) comprises transferring said one portion of the heat and moisture of the first reactant exhaust stream first to the second reactant incoming stream and subsequently transferring said other portion of the heat and moisture of the first reactant exhaust stream to the first reactant incoming stream;
and
wherein at least a portion of the first reactant exhaust flows through a bypass line around the second enthalpy shifting device and to the first enthalpy shifting device.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/122,125Filed 15 Apr 2002
Published: US 2003/0194590 A116 Oct 2003
Granted: 28 Mar 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H01M 8/04119
Of gaseous reactants: with simultaneous supply or evacuation of electrolyte; Humidifying or dehumidifying
H01M 8/04014
Related to heat exchange: heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants
H01M 8/04097
Of gaseous reactants: with recycling of the reactants
Y02E 60/50
Hydrogen technology: fuel cells