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US 7,405,012 B2Granted
Oscillating gas flow in fuel cells
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsPeter Mardilovich, David Champion, Gregory S Herman, James O'Neil
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of operating a fuel cell includes supplying a gas stream to the fuel cell and oscillating the gas stream.
Claims12
A method of operating a fuel cell, said method comprising:
- supplying a fuel stream to said fuel cell;
- supplying an oxidant stream to said fuel cell;
- oscillating said streams, including reversing flow direction, wherein said fuel and oxidant streams are oscillated out of phase with one another;
- and
- phase shifting said fuel or oxidant stream oscillations by an amount corresponding to an average time to transport anions from a cathode chamber of said fuel cell to an anode-electrolyte interface of said fuel cell.
2 more elements
A method of operating a fuel cell, said method comprising:
- supplying a fuel stream to said fuel cell;
- supplying an oxidant stream to said fuel cell;
- and
- oscillating said streams, including reversing flow direction;
- wherein said oscillating comprises flowing said fuel and oxidant streams in first respective directions and then in second respective directions, wherein said streams flow in said first respective directions for longer periods of time than in said second respective directions.
2 more elements
A method of operating a fuel cell, said method comprising:
- supplying a fuel stream to said fuel cell;
- supplying an oxidant stream to said fuel cell;
- and
- oscillating said streams, including reversing flow direction;
- wherein oscillating said streams comprises flowing said fuel stream and said oxidant stream in a same direction through said fuel cell during a majority of operating time;
- and
- wherein said fuel and oxidant streams are oscillated out of phase with one another;
- and
- further comprising phase shifting said fuel or oxidant stream oscillations an amount that facilitates matching an availability of fuel at an anode of said fuel cell with an availability of oxidant at a cathode of said fuel cell;
- and
- wherein said phase shifting takes into account an average time to transport anions from a cathode chamber of said fuel cell to an anode-electrolyte interface of said fuel cell in order to facilitate said matching of the availability of fuel and oxidant.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.