Fuel cell system for producing electrical energy
OwnerChristopher K. Dyerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel cell system has a fuel cell disposed within a fuel cell enclosure for electrochemically combining externally supplied oxygen with hydrogen to produce direct-current electrical energy and water as a reaction product. A hydrogen-containing fuel such as a chemical hydride contained within a fuel container receives the by-product water and reacts therewith to produce hydrogen, which is supplied to the fuel cell to sustain operation thereof without need of adding externally supplied hydrogen. The integration of the supply of hydrogen with the fuel cell results in a weight and volume reduction as well as internal chemical control of the production of hydrogen to sustain the electrical power generation and internal water management whereby liquid water emission is substantially reduced.
Claims28
A fuel cell system for producing direct-current electrical energy, comprising:
- an enclosure having an oxygen inlet, a hydrogen inlet and a water outlet;
- a mixed-gas fuel cell disposed within the enclosure for electrochemically combining oxygen gas introduced through the oxygen inlet with hydrogen gas introduced through the hydrogen inlet to produce direct-current electrical energy and water as a reaction product;
- a hydrogen-containing fuel in communication with the water outlet for receiving the water and any unreacted gases exiting the enclosure and reacting with the water to produce hydrogen gas;
- and a passage for directing the hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen-containing fuel and any unreacted gases mixed therewith through the hydrogen inlet into the enclosure wherein the hydrogen gas mixes with the oxygen gas to produce a hydrogen-lean mixed-gas fuel to sustain operation of the fuel cell.
A fuel cell system for producing direct-current electrical energy, comprising:
- an enclosure having an oxygen inlet;
- a fuel cell disposed within the enclosure for electrochemically combining oxygen gas introduced through the oxygen inlet mixed with hydrogen gas to produce direct-current electrical energy and water as a reaction product;
- and a fuel container containing a hydrogen-containing fuel that reacts with water to produce hydrogen gas;
- wherein the enclosure and the fuel container each have one or more openings, the one or more openings of the enclosure communicating directly with the one or more openings of the fuel container to pass water from the enclosure directly to the fuel container and to pass hydrogen gas from the fuel container directly to the enclosure to produce a hydrogen-lean mixed-gas fuel within the enclosure to sustain operation of the fuel cell.
A fuel cell system for producing direct-current electrical energy, comprising:
- an enclosure having an oxygen inlet, a hydrogen inlet and a water outlet;
- a mixed-gas fuel cell disposed within the enclosure for electrochemically combining oxygen gas introduced through the oxygen inlet with hydrogen gas introduced through the hydrogen inlet to produce direct-current electrical energy and water as a reaction product;
- a fuel container having an inlet connected to the water outlet for admitting the water and any unreacted gases exiting the enclosure into the fuel container;
- a hydrogen-containing fuel disposed in the fuel container for reacting with the water to produce hydrogen gas;
- and a passage connecting an outlet of the fuel container to the hydrogen inlet for directing the hydrogen gas and any unreacted gases exiting the fuel container into the enclosure wherein the hydrogen gas mixes with the oxygen gas to produce a hydrogen-lean mixed-gas fuel to sustain operation of the fuel cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.