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US 7,063,905 B2Granted
Fuel cell H2 exhaust conversion
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsPrem Menon, Norman J Dill, Daryl Chapman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel cell system having first and second fuel cells that each receive anode reactant flows and cathode reactant flows. Each of the fuel cells uses the reactant flows to produce electricity. The electricity production by the fuel cells produces respective first and second anode and cathode effluents that are exhausted from the respective fuel cells. The second fuel cell is connected to and downstream from the first fuel cell so that the anode reactant flow to the second fuel cell is formed from a portion of the anode effluent exhausted from the first fuel cell.
Claims28
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a first fuel cell having a first anode inlet receiving a first anode reactant flow and a first cathode inlet receiving a first cathode reactant flow, said first fuel cell reacting said first anode and cathode reactant flows to produce electricity, a first anode effluent exhausted from a first anode outlet and a first cathode effluent exhausted from a first cathode outlet;
- and
- a second fuel cell having a second anode inlet receiving a second anode reactant flow and a second cathode inlet receiving a second cathode reactant flow, said second fuel cell reacting said second anode and cathode reactant flows to produce electricity, a second anode effluent exhausted from a second anode outlet and a second cathode effluent exhausted from a second cathode outlet,
- wherein said first and second fuel cells are a same type of fuel cell, said first anode outlet is in fluid communication with said second anode inlet so that a portion of said second anode reactant flow received in said second fuel cell is formed from a portion of said first anode effluent exhausted from said first fuel cell, and wherein said second fuel cell is a lower power fuel cell than said first fuel cell, and said first cathode outlet is in fluid communication with said second cathode inlet so that a portion of said second cathode reactant flow received in said second fuel cell is formed from a portion of said first cathode effluent exhausted from said first fuel cell.
1 more element
A fuel cell system comprising:
- an anode reactant flow having a hydrogen concentration;
- a cathode reactant flow having an oxygen concentration;
- a primary fuel cell that receives a primary anode reactant flow and a primary cathode reactant flow, said primary anode and cathode reactant flows originating from said anode and cathode reactant flows respectively, said primary fuel cell converting said primary reactant flows into electricity, a primary anode effluent having a first hydrogen concentration and a primary cathode effluent that are exhausted from said primary fuel cell;
- and
- a secondary fuel cell receiving said primary anode effluent exhausted from said primary fuel cell and a secondary cathode reactant flow, said secondary fuel cell converting said primary anode effluent and said secondary cathode reactant flow into electricity, a secondary anode effluent having a second hydrogen concentration and a secondary cathode effluent that are exhausted from said secondary fuel cell,
- wherein said second hydrogen concentration is less than said first hydrogen concentration.
3 more elements
A fuel cell system comprising:
- an anode reactant flow having a hydrogen concentration;
- a cathode reactant flow having an oxygen concentration;
- a primary fuel cell that receives a primary anode reactant flow and a primary cathode reactant flow, said primary anode and cathode reactant flows originating from said anode and cathode reactant flows respectively, said primary fuel cell converting said primary reactant flows into electricity, a primary anode effluent and a primary cathode effluent that are exhausted from said primary fuel cell;
- a secondary fuel cell receiving said primary anode effluent exhausted from said primary fuel cell and a secondary cathode reactant flow, said secondary fuel cell converting said primary anode effluent and said secondary cathode reactant flow into electricity, a secondary anode effluent and a secondary cathode effluent that are exhausted from said secondary fuel cell to the environment within which the fuel cell system is operating,
- wherein said secondary fuel cell is a lower power fuel cell than said primary fuel cell.
2 more elements
A method of converting an anode effluent produced in a primary fuel cell in a fuel cell system into an electrical current, the method comprising:
- producing a first anode effluent having a first hydrogen concentration in a primary fuel cell;
- routing a portion of the first anode effluent from the primary fuel cell to a secondary fuel cell;
- supplying said secondary fuel cell with a cathode reactant flow;
- and
- converting said portion of the first anode effluent and said cathode reactant flow into electricity and a second anode effluent having a second hydrogen concentration less than said first hydrogen concentration in said secondary fuel cell.
2 more elements
A method of operating a fuel cell system, the method comprising:
- (a) powering a primary electrical load with a first fuel cell operable to produce a first voltage;
- (b) routing anode effluent from said first fuel cell to a second fuel cell operable to produce a second voltage less than said first voltage;
- (c) powering a secondary electrical load with the second fuel cell, said secondary electrical load being lower than said primary electrical load;
- and
- (d) venting anode effluent produced by said second fuel cell to the environment within which the fuel cell system is operating.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.