Pump assembly for a fuel cell system

A fuel cartridge for a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system including a fuel cell arrangement and a fuel cartridge, wherein the fuel cell arrangement includes a fuel cell and a connector sub-assembly including an actuator, wherein the fuel cartridge comprises:

• a liquid reactant dispenser;
• a reaction chamber;
• and
• a cartridge sub-assembly, connectable to the fuel cell sub-assembly, the cartridge sub-assembly comprising:
• an inlet fluidly coupled to the liquid reactant dispenser;
• an outlet fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber;
• and
• a flexible diaphragm in fluid communication with the inlet and outlet;
• and
• wherein the actuator causes the diaphragm to reciprocate and pump a liquid reactant from the liquid reactant dispenser to the reaction chamber, wherein the liquid reactant reacts within the reaction chamber to produce a fuel usable by the fuel cell, wherein the liquid reactant is substantially contained within the fuel cartridge during the pumping.

A fuel cartridge for a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system including a fuel cell arrangement and a fuel cartridge, wherein the fuel cell arrangement includes a fuel cell and a connector sub-assembly connectable to the fuel cartridge connector sub-assembly and comprising an actuator, wherein the fuel cartridge comprises:

• a liquid reactant dispenser including a liquid reactant;
• a reaction chamber;
• and
• a connector sub-assembly comprising:
• a pumping chamber;
• an inlet, including an one-way inlet valve, fluidly coupled to the liquid reactant dispenser and the pumping chamber;
• an outlet, including an one-way outlet valve, fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber and the pumping chamber;
• and
• a diaphragm, defining a portion of the pumping chamber, that reciprocates between two states to pump the liquid reactant from the liquid reactant dispenser to the reaction chamber, wherein the actuator induces the diaphragm reciprocation, the two states including:
• an unflexed state that decreases the pressure within the pumping chamber to open the inlet valve and close the outlet valve, allowing liquid reactant ingress into the pumping chamber;
• and
• a flexed state that increases the pressure within the pumping chamber that to open the outlet valve and close the inlet valve, allowing liquid reactant egress from the pumping chamber;
• wherein the liquid reactant is substantially contained within the fuel cartridge during the pumping.