# US 7,465,510 B1 · Turbocompressor impelling fuel recycle in fuel cell power plant

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- Number: US 7,465,510 B1
- Document ID: US7465510B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 10/804,342
- Filed: 2004-03-19
- Published: 2008-12-18
- Granted: 2008-12-16
- Earliest claimed: 2004-03-19
- Assignees: UTC Power Corporation
- Inventors: Henry G. Johnson; Michael L. Perry
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7465510B1

## CPC

- H01M 8/04111: using a compressor turbine assembly
- H01M 8/04097: {with recycling of the reactants (H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence)}
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A fuel cell power plant (7, 7a) has a stack (8) fed hydrogen-rich fuel gas from a source (14, 14a) with fuel recycle (30, 34) through a compressor (20) of a turbocompressor (19) having a turbine (17, 17a) driven either by high pressure hydrogen (14) or air exhaust (41).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel cell power plant, comprising:
a plurality of fuel cells, each cell having an anode, a cathode and a proton exchange membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode;
fuel reactant flow fields on an anode side of said membrane and oxidant reactant flow fields on a cathode side of said membrane, each of said flow fields having an inlet and an outlet;
a source of hydrogen-rich fuel gas, said hydrogen-rich fuel gas being applied to said fuel reactant flow fields;
a source providing oxidant reactant gas to said oxidant flow fields;
an impeller connected to at least some of said fuel flow field outlets for pumping partially depleted fuel to at least some of said fuel flow field inlets;
said impeller comprising a compressor of a turbocompressor, a turbine of which is driven by said hydrogen-rich fuel gas.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A fuel cell power plant according to claim 1, wherein:
said impeller is connected between all of said fuel flow field outlets and all of said fuel flow field inlets.

### Claim 3

A fuel cell power plant, comprising:
a plurality of fuel cells, each cell having an anode, a cathode and a proton exchange membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode;
fuel reactant flow fields on an anode side of said membrane and oxidant reactant flow fields on a cathode side of said membrane, each of said flow fields having an inlet and an outlet;
a source of hydrogen-rich fuel gas, said hydrogen-rich fuel gas being applied to said fuel reactant flow fields;
a source providing oxidant reactant gas to said oxidant flow fields;
an impeller connected to at least some of said fuel flow field outlets for pumping partially depleted fuel to at least some of said fuel flow field inlets;
said impeller comprising a compressor of a turbocompressor, a turbine of which is driven by oxidant reactant gas flowing from said oxidant flow field outlets.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A fuel cell power plant according to claim 3, wherein: said source providing oxidant reactant gas is an air pump.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

A fuel cell power plant according to claim 3 wherein:
said source providing oxidant reactant gas is an air blower.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

A fuel cell power plant according to claim 3, wherein:
said impeller is connected between all of said fuel flow field outlets and all of said fuel flow field inlets.

### Claim 7

A fuel cell power plant, comprising:
a plurality of fuel cells, each cell having an anode, a cathode and a proton exchange membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode;
fuel reactant flow fields on an anode side of said membrane and oxidant reactant flow fields on a cathode side of said membrane, each of said flow fields having an inlet and an outlet;
a source of hydrogen-rich fuel gas, said hydrogen-rich fuel gas being applied to said fuel reactant flow fields;
a source providing oxidant reactant gas to said oxidant flow fields;
an impeller connected to at least some of said fuel flow field outlets for pumping partially depleted fuel to at least some of said fuel flow field inlets;
said impeller comprising a compressor of a turbocompressor, a turbine of which is driven directly by said hydrogen-rich fuel gas.