Purge assembly for a fuel cell system
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsMilos Milacic, Kurt David Osborne
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel cell purge apparatus for a fuel cell system has a separator defining a chamber for receiving a recirculated fuel stream including a fluid and impurities. The apparatus has a drain conduit with an outer passage connected to the chamber. The outer passage forms a fluid trap to collect the fluid. The drain conduit also has an inner passage nested within the outer passage through the fluid trap for delivering the impurities to a purge valve. The inner passage has a free end extending into the chamber of the separator.
Claims20
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell stack;
- and
- a purge assembly in fluid communication with the fuel cell stack, the purge assembly having:
- a separator defining a chamber for receiving a recirculated fuel stream including a fluid portion and an impurities portion,
- a purge valve positioned downstream of the separator for purging the impurities portion from the fuel cell system, and
- a drain conduit connecting the separator and the purge valve, and having an outer passage connected to a lower end of the chamber and forming a fluid trap to collect the fluid portion, and an inner passage nested within the outer passage and extending through the fluid trap for delivering the impurities portion to the purge valve, the inner passage having a free end extending into the chamber.
A fuel cell purge apparatus comprising:
- a separator defining a chamber for receiving a recirculated fuel stream including a fluid and impurities;
- and
- a drain conduit having an outer passage connected to the chamber and forming a fluid trap to collect the fluid, and an inner passage embedded within the outer passage through the fluid trap for delivering the impurities to a purge valve and having a free end extending into the chamber.
A fuel cell purge assembly comprising:
- a separator defining a chamber for receiving a recirculated fuel stream including a fluid portion and an impurities portion through an inlet conduit,
- a purge valve positioned downstream of the separator for purging the impurities portion from a fuel cell system, and
- a drain conduit connecting the separator and the purge valve, and having an outer passage connected to a lower end of the chamber and forming a fluid trap to collect the fluid portion, and an inner passage nested within the outer passage and extending through the fluid trap for delivering the impurities portion to the purge valve, the inner passage having a free end extending into the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.