337results 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, R_f, and R, wherein R and R_f are each an alkyl, aryl, or alkylaryl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and wherein R_f is partially or fully fluorinated.

A device and method for harvesting, generating, storing, and delivering energy to a load, particularly for remote or inaccessible applications. The device preferably comprises one or more energy sources, at least one supercapacitor, at least one rechargeable battery, and a controller. The charging of the energy storage devices and the delivery of power to the load is preferably dynamically varied to maximize efficiency. A low power consumption charge pump circuit is preferably employed to collect power from low power energy sources while also enabling the delivery of higher voltage power to the load. The charging voltage is preferably programmable, enabling one device to be used for a wide range of specific applications. Also low power charge pump driver circuits for efficient scavenging of low voltage, high current energy sources.

A process for forming a porous nanoscale membrane is described. The process involves applying a nanoscale film to one side of a substrate, where the nanoscale film includes a semiconductor material; masking an opposite side of the substrate; etching the substrate, beginning from the masked opposite side of the substrate and continuing until a passage is formed through the substrate, thereby exposing the film on both sides thereof to form a membrane; and then simultaneously forming a plurality of randomly spaced pores in the membrane. The resulting porous nanoscale membranes, characterized by substantially smooth surfaces, high pore densities, and high aspect ratio dimensions, can be used in filtration devices, microfluidic devices, fuel cell membranes, and as electron microscopy substrates.

Embodiments of the invention generally provide for flow battery cells and systems containing a plurality of flow battery cells, and methods for improving metal plating within the flow battery cell, such as by flowing and exposing the catholyte to various types of cathodes. In one embodiment, a flow battery cell is provided which includes a cathodic half cell and an anodic half cell separated by an electrolyte membrane, wherein the cathodic half cell contains a plurality of cathodic wires extending perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to and within the catholyte pathway and in contact with the catholyte, and each of the cathodic wires extends parallel or substantially parallel to each other. In some examples, the plurality of cathodic wires may have at least two arrays of cathodic wires, each array contains at least one row of cathodic wires, and each row extends along the catholyte pathway.

The present inventive subject matter is thus 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. And a secondary power unit 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.

Preferably, the CCVT includes a burner that combusts the same fuel as the primary power unit and supplies sufficient heat so that the CCVT produces 100% of power produced by the primary unit to the load once the primary power units stops operation.

A hybrid power generation system for generating electrical power comprises a compressor for producing a compressed oxidant and a recuperator in flow communication with the compressor. The hybrid power generation system further comprises a fuel cell assembly comprising a plurality of fuel cells in flow communication with the recuperator to provide the compressed oxidant for the fuel cell assembly. The fuel cell assembly further comprises a cathode inlet for receiving the compressed oxidant, an anode inlet for receiving a fuel stream, an anode outlet in flow communication with an anode exhaust stream and a cathode outlet in flow communication with a cathode exhaust stream, wherein at least a portion of the fuel reacts with the oxidant to produce electrical power. The hybrid power generation system further comprises a tail gas burner in flow communication with the anode outlet and the cathode outlet. The tail gas burner is configured for combusting a mixture of at least a portion of the anode exhaust stream and at least a portion of the cathode exhaust stream and producing a hot compressed gas. A control system is used for controlling the amount of the cathode exhaust stream introduced in the tail gas burner for stable combustion and reduction of fuel and carbon monoxide emission. The hot compressed gas from the tail gas burner is introduced to a turbine, where the hot compressed gas is expanded, thereby producing electrical power and an expanded gas.

A system for co-generation of electricity combining a hydrocarbon catalytic reformer, an SOFC assembly and a generator driven by a gas turbine. The fuel cell assembly recycles a high percentage of anode exhaust gas into the reformer. Oxygen for reforming is derived from water in an endothermic process. The stack exit temperature is normally above 800° C. DC power from the fuel cell assembly and AC power from the gas turbine generator are directed to a power conditioner. Anode exhaust gas including carbon monoxide and hydrogen is divided into a plurality of portions by which heat may be added to the reforming, gas turbine, and cathode air heating processes. Water may be recovered from the exhaust. A power system in accordance with the invention is capable of operating at a higher total efficiency than either the fuel cell component or the gas turbine component alone.

A fuel cell is placed in parallel with a battery via a mechanical switch. The voltage is held nearly constant by the battery and the power flow is controlled by adjusting the fuel cell operating parameters (such as temperature or air flow) and by opening and closing the mechanical switch. The result is a system that operates at nearly constant voltage without the need for an expensive power conditioning system. The output of the system can then be processed via a traditional power conditioning system such as an inverter or dc-to-dc converter without the need for a wide range of input operating voltages. This reduces the cost and size of the fuel cell power conditioning system.

There is described a combined heat and power, or cogeneration, system combining a fuel cell for generating electrical power with a thermal power source, the system comprising: a fuel processor for converting a hydrocarbon fuel into hydrogen in an output stream, the hydrogen rich output stream containing a low content of carbon monoxide; a high temperature hydrogen fuel cell system tolerant to low content of carbon monoxide of up to 5% receiving the output stream and an oxidant fluid stream; and a heat exchange system having a first module associated with the fuel processor and a second module associated with the fuel cell system connected at least in part in series to provide a thermal output.

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.

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.

Coal is reacted in a furnace 22 to obtain a coal gasification gas. The coal gasification gas is cooled by a gas cooler 23, passed through a porous filter 24, and desulfurized by a desulfurizer 25 to produce a CO-containing gas as an anode. The CO gas-containing gas is subjected to an exothermic reaction in a shift reactor 26 to form H₂ and CO₂, and the anode gas containing H₂ is supplied to an anode 7 of MCFC 2. Thus, in the absence of an extra heat source and a heat exchange source, a desired anode gas is obtained from the coal gasification gas, and with heat buildup of the MCFC 2 being inhibited and its performance being maintained, reduction of CO₂ is taken into consideration. A power generating plant equipped with the MCFC 2 capable of using a coal gasification fuel substantially containing a CO gas is thus achieved.

To avoid pressure variation in a cooling water channel, extend a life of an ion exchange resin used to maintain quality of cooling water and reduce power consumption by auxiliary machinery at low cost. There is provided a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a cooling water tank, a cooling water channel, a cooling water pump, a heat exchanger, a fuel-side condenser and an oxidizer-side condenser that cool exhaust fuel gas and exhaust oxidizer gas discharged from the fuel cell to condense content water vapor, a condensed water tank that stores the water condensed in the fuel-side condenser and the oxidizer-side condenser, a water supply channel having a water supply pump for feeding the condensed water to the cooling water tank, and a water discharge channel for the cooling water tank.

A cogeneration system having flexible and controllable cogeneration loops. There is a first cogeneration loop to recover heat from a fuel cell power module, thereby producing a heat to electricity ratio between 0 and approximately 1.0. There is a second cogeneration loop to produce supplemental thermal energy for hot water generation and/or space heating. This loop can be connected or disconnected via switching valves depending on the thermal demands of hot water and/or space heating. This loop can also be useful to control the fuel processor temperature to prevent it from being overheated in cases when the fuel cell has low fuel utilization efficiency. With this second loop, it becomes possible to adjust the heat to electricity ratio at any desirable levels such as more than 2. It is also possible to produce the hot water at a higher temperature or superheated steam, which would have been difficult if only the first loop is used.

An electrochemical cell is provided which has a liquid anode. Preferably the liquid anode comprises molten salt and a fuel, which preferably has a significant elemental carbon content. The supply of fuel is preferably continuously replenished in the anode. Where the fuel contains or pyrolizes to elemental carbon, the reaction C+2O²⁻→CO₂+4e⁻ may occur at the anode. The electrochemical cell preferably has a solid electrolyte, which may be yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The electrolyte is connected to a solid or liquid cathode, which is given a supply of an oxidizer such as air. An ion such as O²⁻ passes through the electrolyte. If O²⁻ passes through the electrolyte from the anode to the cathode, a possible reaction at the cathode may be O₂+4e⁻→2O²⁻. The electrochemical cell of the invention is preferably operated as a fuel cell, consuming fuel and producing electrical current.

A drink dispenser which is particularly suitable for use on board a passenger plane, comprises a drink preparation unit and a supply unit. The supply unit has a fuel cell system with a fuel cell and is configured to supply the drink preparation unit with water, electric energy, and thermal energy produced by the fuel cell.

A system for supplying power with a combustion engine includes an engine having fuel and air intake lines, and an exhaust line. The engine has a combustion chamber volume defining a number of liters of engine displacement. A fuel cell has a gas outlet that communicates with the air intake line, and selectively produces hydrogen and oxygen gases through an electrolysis process. An oil pressure sensor communicates with the engine to sense when the engine is operating. A switch communicates with the sensor and is closed when the sensor senses that the engine is operating. The switch is open when the sensor senses that the engine is not operating. A battery communicates with the fuel cell and selectively supplies electrical power for the electrolysis process when the switch is closed.

A hybrid fuel cell system having a fuel cell and a heat engine having an expansion cycle and a compressor cycle and which is further adapted to include a bypass assembly for segmenting expanded oxidant supply gas from the expansion cycle of the heat engine into a first expanded oxidant supply gas portion and a second expanded gas portion and in which the first expanded oxidant supply gas portion is used for the fuel cell and the second expanded gas portion is bypassed around the fuel cell.