Fuel cell system including fuel supply apparatus
AssigneeSamsung SDI Co., Ltd.
InventorsDong-Hun Lee, Kyu-Nam Han, Ho-Jin Kweon
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Abstract
A fuel cell system includes at least one electricity generating unit for generating electric energy through an electrochemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen, a reformer for reforming fuel to generate hydrogen gas to be supplied to the electricity generating unit, a fuel supply apparatus for absorbing a liquid fuel stored in a fuel reservoir and supplying the fuel to the reformer and an oxygen supply source for supplying oxygen to the electricity generating unit. The fuel supply apparatus employs an absorber with capillary channels in which osmotic pressure is produced due to a concentration differential caused by thermal energy. The osmotic pressure allows the fuel to flow.
Claims11
A fuel cell system comprising:
- at least one electricity generating unit adapted to generate electric energy through an electro-chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen;
- a reformer adapted to reform fuel and produce hydrogen to the electricity generating unit;
- a fuel supply apparatus comprising an absorber adapted to absorb a liquid fuel and supply the fuel to the reformer, wherein the absorber comprises at least one capillary channel defining a pathway that is first gradually reduced in cross-sectional area from an inlet, and then gradually enlarged in cross-sectional area toward an outlet;
- and
- an oxygen supply source adapted to supply the oxygen to the electricity generating unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.