348results about "Fuel cell applications" patented technology

A process for recovering waste heat which comprises: (a) passing a liquid phase working fluid through a heat exchanger in communication with a process which produces the waste heat; (b) removing a vapor phase working fluid from the heat exchanger; (c) passing the vapor phase working fluid to an expander, wherein the waste heat is converted into mechanical energy; and (d) passing the vapor phase working fluid from the expander to a condenser, wherein the vapor phase working fluid is condensed to the liquid phase working fluid. The preferred working fluid is an organic Rankine cycle system working fluid comprising compounds having the following general structure:where x, y, z, and m are each selected from the group consisting of: fluorine, hydrogen, Rf, and R, wherein R and Rf are each an alkyl, aryl, or alkylaryl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and wherein Rf is partially or fully fluorinated.

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reforming converts carbonaceous compounds into a fuel for use in generating electrical power. Energy rich hydrocarbon fuels, such as coal, marine diesel, oils, and hydrocarbon wastes are employed as a feedstock for the ICP, which transforms the feedstock into a fuel that can be used by fuel cells and gas turbines for the production of electricity. The overall efficiency of an ICP-based electrical power system can be increased by providing partial oxidation within the reaction vessel. The partial oxidation conditions consume a small amount of the reformed fuel gas, thereby liberating sufficient thermal energy to reduce the electrical power requirements of the ICP to maintain desired reactor temperatures, and providing an increase in the overall net electrical power production. The integrated power production system can also adjust to meet an increased requirement for process heat and steam by balancing the effect of partial oxidation.

An operating method of a redox flow battery system that can provide a stabilized output to a system from a redox flow battery system annexed to a wind power generator, to produce an improved battery efficiency. The redox flow battery system comprises the wind power generator 10, a redox flow battery 30 annexed to the wind power generator, and an AC / DC converter 40 connected to the redox flow battery. In the operating method, an output of the wind power generator within a certain period of time in the past is subjected to a first averaging process; a present output value of the wind power generator is subtracted from the resulting value of the first averaging process, from which an input / output command value to the AC / DC converter 40 is determined; the input / output command value is subjected to a variation computing process to find variation without any consideration of a sign of the input / output command value; the resulting value obtained by the variation computing process is further subjected to a second averaging process, and an output command value for a pump P to circulate electrolytic solution of the redox flow battery is determined based on the result of the second averaging process.

The present inventive subject matter is drawn to a hybrid ultra reliable power generating system for supplying continuous reliable power at remote locations comprising: a primary power unit producing electric power that is supplied to a load. Also a secondary power unit is included in the form of a closed cycle vapor turbine (CCVT) system that is capable of producing 100% of the electric power that is produced by the primary power unit and which is heated in hot standby by rejected heat of the primary power unit, wherein the vaporizer of the CCVT is maintained during hot standby at a temperature above its nominal operating temperature and the vapor turbine of the CCVT is preferable maintained at idle during hot standby at a rotating speed. Furthermore, the present inventive subject matter is drawn to an apparatus that combines a fuel efficient primary power generation unit system such as a high temperature fuel cell with a secondary power unit that is a very high reliability closed cycle vapor turbine (CCVT) which operates according to a Rankine cycle using organic working fluid that is capable of producing approximately 5-15% of the electric power that is produced by the primary power unit and which is heated by rejected heat of the primary power unit, wherein working fluid in the vaporizer of the CCVT is heated by the heat rejected by the primary power unit.

A method of diagnosing the health of an individual by collecting a breath sample from the individual and measuring the amount of each of a plurality of analytes in the sample. The amount of each analytes is measured by fitting a time response curve of a sample-evaluation fuel cell in which the fuel cell sample electrode is contacted with the sample with the analysis based on a function of standard time response curves for an equivalent fuel cell configuration obtained separately for each of the analytes on a fuel cell with equivalent construction as sample-evaluation fuel cell. Each of the plurality of analytes is generally indicative of an aspect of the individual's health. Suitable analytes include, for example, inorganic compounds as well as compositions that exhibit negative reduction reactions at least for a portion of the time response curve. In particular, acetone exhibits a negative potential / current peak when it is an analyte in a fuel cell in an sample electrode with a counter electrode exposed to oxygen, which may or may not be introduced in the form of air. Various forms of analysis to estimate acetone concentrations in the breath can be used.