47results about "Fuel cell applications" patented technology

To provide a method of operating a fuel cell system.SOLUTION: The method of operating a fuel cell system comprises: providing fuel and air to a stack (102) of fuel cells located in a hotbox (100); operating the stack to generate anode exhaust and cathode exhaust; in a startup mode, providing a first amount of the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust to an anode tail gas oxidizer (130) located in the hotbox to oxidize the anode exhaust and to generate heat to be provided to the stack; and, in a steady-state mode, stopping providing the anode exhaust to the anode tail gas oxidizer (130) or providing the anode tail gas oxidizer (130) with a second amount of the anode exhaust which is less than the first amount, and providing the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust to an outside of the hotbox (100).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

A hybrid fuel cell system is disclosed. The hybrid fuel cell comprises a fuel cell adapted to supply power to a load. The hybrid fuel cell further comprises an Electrical Air Compressor (EAC) unit operatively coupled with the fuel cell. Also, the hybrid fuel cell comprises an auxiliary power source connected to the EAC unit via a Direct Current to Alternative Current (DC-AC) converter. Furthermore, the hybrid fuel cell comprises a converter circuit configured to perform at least one of enable the auxiliary power source to supplement the fuel cell to provide collective power supply to a load during the initialization phase of the fuel cell, enable the fuel cell to provide either the input power supply or a supplement power supply to the EAC unit during an operational phase of the fuel cell, or enable the fuel cell to charge the auxiliary power source.

To provide a rubber composition for a fuel cell cooling hose, and a fuel cell cooling hose using the same.SOLUTION: A rubber composition for a fuel cell cooling hose contains: 40-62 wt.% of a base resin containing an ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer (EPDM); 30-52 wt.% of a reinforcer; 2-4 wt.% of an activator; 2-3 wt.% of a plasticizer; and 1-2 wt.% of a crosslinking agent. The rubber composition for the cooling hose can be produced from a raw material at low cost, and a fuel cell cooling hose can be also manufactured by an extrusion type method using the composition, and accordingly economical efficiency can be secured. The fuel cell cooling hose manufactured using the rubber composition for the cooling hose can sure durability such as negative pressure property and a bursting pressure, and can also effectively suppress ion elution, and accordingly a life of a fuel cell is increased and performance of a fuel cell can be secured.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Safety system (6) for a vehicle (1), the vehicle comprising at least a battery pack (5) and at least a tank (4) for storing a pressurized gas, the safety system (6) comprising at least one valve means (7) configured to assume at least a first position in which to deny the fluid communication between the tank (4) and the environment and a second position in which allow the fluid communication between the tank (4) and the environment, the valve means (7) being controlled to move between the first and second positions during a critical condition related to thermal runaway of the battery pack (5).

A method for operating a power system in the present disclosure includes the step of planning an output of a fuel cell system in such a way as to make up a difference between power demand and an output of a solar power generation system. In the step, if a charge level of a storage battery system is higher than or equal to an upper limit value smaller than 100%, first correction, in which the plan is corrected in such a way as to reduce the output of the fuel cell system, is performed and / or if the charge level of the storage battery system is lower than or equal to a lower limit value larger than 0%, second correction, in which the plan is corrected in such a way as to increase the output of the fuel cell system, is performed.

Electrochemical cell systems (51) and electrochemical cell processes are described as applicable to power generation or electrolysis modes with systems that have a containment vessel interior space multiple electrochemical cell stack, stack inlet plenum (43) that can accommodate thermal expansion and contraction in an economical way and that can provide a substantially equivalent environment for each stack inlet as well as can include, if desired, either or all of a vessel external compression stack mount possibly configured as a cathode outlet manifold (111) configured as a stack mount, a fully accommodative thermal expansion-contraction electrochemical cell stack mount possibly configured with external springs (91), and even the possibility of an axial flow adjuster such as a gradation plate (99) for better operation.

A power generation system includes a housing, a lid defining an opening in the housing, and a chamber inside the housing configured to receive a cartridge comprising a powdered fuel mixture. The system also includes a fluid reservoir that stores a fluid configured to react with the powdered fuel mixture to produce hydrogen gas. A processor is configured to control ingress of the fluid from the fluid reservoir to the powdered fuel mixture in the cartridge and control egress of the gas from the cartridge to the gas storage compartment. The system also includes a generator configured to generate electricity from the gas in the gas storage compartment.

Provided are an electrochemical element and the like that have both durability and high performance as well as excellent reliability. The electrochemical element includes a metal support, and an electrode layer formed on / over the metal support. The metal support is made of any one of a Fe-Cr based alloy that contains Ti in an amount of 0.15 mass% or more and 1.0 mass% or less, a Fe-Cr based alloy that contains Zr in an amount of 0.15 mass% or more and 1.0 mass% or less, and a Fe-Cr based alloy that contains Ti and Zr, a total content of Ti and Zr being 0.15 mass% or more and 1.0 mass% or less.

A combustion system is provided. The combustion system includes a topping cycle generating a flow of exhaust gas and a bottoming cycle. The combustion system further includes a fuel cell having an anode side, a cathode side, and an electrolyte. The cathode side receives the flow of exhaust gas from the topping cycle via a cathode inlet line. The cathode side removing a first portion of pollutants from the exhaust gas. The combustion system further includes a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) that receives the exhaust gases from the cathode side via a cathode outlet line. The HRSG generates a flow of steam for use in the bottoming cycle. A carbon capture system is fluidly coupled to the HRSG via an HRSG outlet line. The carbon capture system removes a second portion of pollutants from the exhaust gas.

A combustion system is provided. The combustion system includes a topping cycle that generates an exhaust gas flow and a bottoming cycle. The combustion system further includes a fuel cell having an anode side, a cathode side, and an electrolyte. The cathode side receives the exhaust gas flow from the topping cycle via a cathode inlet line. The cathode side removes a first portion of pollutants from the exhaust gas. The combustion system further includes a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) that receives the exhaust gas from the cathode side via a cathode outlet line. The HRSG generates a steam flow for use in the bottoming cycle. A carbon capture system is fluidly coupled to the HRSG via the HRSG outlet line. The carbon capture system removes a second portion of pollutants from the exhaust gas.

A fuel cell module (FCM) includes a fuel cell stack (FCS), and a controller (Cnt) configured to start power generation of the fuel cell stack (FCS) when a charging rate of a power storage device (B) directly connected between the fuel cell stack (FCS) and a load (Lo) becomes a lower limit value or less, and configured to stop power generation of the fuel cell stack (FCS) when the charging rate of the power storage device (B) becomes an upper limit value or more. The fuel cell stack (FCS) is connected to the power storage device (B) not through a power conversion circuit, and the controller (Cnt) changes at least one of the lower limit value and the upper limit value based on a deterioration degree of the fuel cell stack (FCS).

A fuel cell module includes a fuel cell stack, and a controller configured to start power generation of the fuel cell stack when a charging rate of a power storage device directly connected between the fuel cell stack and a load becomes a lower limit value or less, and configured to stop power generation of the fuel cell stack when the charging rate of the power storage device becomes an upper limit value or more. The fuel cell stack is connected to the power storage device not through a power conversion circuit, and the controller changes at least one of the lower limit value and the upper limit value based on a deterioration degree of the fuel cell stack.

The invention relates to a control method for starting up a fuel cell system after a standstill, comprising the steps of supplying the anode supply gas to the anode supply section (12) and at least intermittently blocking and / or throttling the cathode supply gas to the cathode supply section (14). According to the invention, the at least intermittent blocking and / or throttling of the cathode supply gas is carried out or continued until an open-circuit voltage (Uoc) returns to or falls below a permissible threshold voltage (Uth); and a switch device (20) of an electrical connection between a fuel cell unit (10) and a DC voltage converter (30) is only closed after the open-circuit voltage (Uoc) returns to or falls below the permissible threshold voltage (Uth).

Disclosed in the present invention are a system for gradient utilization of waste heat of an SOFC, and an operation method therefor. The system comprises an SOFC, a tail-gas burner, a thermoelectric generator device, an air flow path, a fuel flow path, and a tail-gas waste heat flow path; the air flow path is used for pressurizing and preheating fresh air and then feeding same into the SOFC for electrochemical reaction with fuel; the fuel flow path is used for pressurizing and preheating the fuel and then feeding same into the SOFC for electrochemical reaction with oxygen ions in the air; and the tail-gas waste heat flow path is used for feeding residual hydrogen from an anode of the SOFC and residual air from a cathode of the SOFC into the tail-gas burner for burning, and then converting heat energy into electric energy, cooling residual tail gas to a safe temperature and then discharging same, enabling cooling water to flow through a tail-gas condensation device to heat same therein to a safe temperature, and then delivering the heated cooling water to a heat storage device through a pipe to supply heat to a user. In the present invention, energy in high-temperature tail-gas of an SOFC is recovered by means of a thermoelectric generator device, and is converted into system electric energy to be output, ensuring that the structure and needed installation space of a system do not need to be greatly changed.

A fuel cell module (FCM) includes a fuel cell stack (FCS), and a controller (Cnt) configured to start power generation of the fuel cell stack (FCS) when a charging rate of a power storage device (B) directly connected between the fuel cell stack (FCS) and a load (Lo) becomes a lower limit value or less, and configured to stop power generation of the fuel cell stack (FCS) when the charging rate of the power storage device (B) becomes an upper limit value or more. The fuel cell stack (FCS) is connected to the power storage device (B) not through a power conversion circuit, and the controller (Cnt) changes at least one of the lower limit value and the upper limit value based on a deterioration degree of the fuel cell stack (FCS).

A hybrid fuel cell system (100) is disclosed. The hybrid fuel cell (100) comprises a fuel cell (102) adapted to supply power to a load (106). The hybrid fuel cell (100) further comprises an Electrical Air Compressor, EAC, unit (114) operatively coupled with the fuel cell (102). Also, the hybrid fuel cell (100) comprises an auxiliary power source (112) connected to the EAC unit (114) via a Direct Current to Alternating Current, DC-AC, converter (108). Furthermore, the hybrid fuel cell (100) comprises a converter circuit (110) configured to perform at least one of enable the auxiliary power source (112) to supplement the fuel cell (102) to provide collective power supply to a load (106) during the initialization phase of the fuel cell (102), enable the fuel cell (102) to provide either the input power supply or a supplement power supply to the EAC unit (114) during an operational phase of the fuel cell (102), or enable the fuel cell (102) to charge the auxiliary power source (112).

Provided are a low-cost electrochemical device and the like that have both durability and high performance as well as excellent reliability. The electrochemical device includes at least one metal material, and the metal material is made of a Fe-Cr alloy that contains Ti in an amount of more than 0.10 mass% and 1.0 mass% or less.

The invention relates to an energy system, comprising a functional unit having at least one electrolysis cell (EC) and an additional functional unit having at least one fuel cell (FC) made of solid oxide, wherein the two functional units (EC) and (FC) are combined in one device, waste heat of the (FC) is used to extract the hydrogen from a (LOHC), and the (EC) and (FC) as a whole are equipped with a water reservoir and an oxygen reservoir in such a way that water and steam from the (FC) are temporarily stored in an insulated container and made available to the electrolysis cell operation and in such a way that the oxygen from the (EC) is temporarily stored and supplied to the fuel cell operation while being mixed with or without air.

A power generation system includes a housing, a lid defining an opening in the housing, and a chamber inside the housing configured to receive a cartridge comprising a powdered fuel mixture. The system also includes a fluid reservoir that stores a fluid configured to react with the powdered fuel mixture to produce hydrogen gas. A processor is configured to control ingress of the fluid from the fluid reservoir to the powdered fuel mixture in the cartridge and control egress of the gas from the cartridge to the gas storage compartment. The system also includes a generator configured to generate electricity from the gas in the gas storage compartment.

A combustion system is provided. The combustion system includes a topping cycle. The combustion system further includes a fuel cell including an anode side, a cathode side, and an electrolyte. The anode side receives fuel via an anode inlet line and produces an anode output product containing a first portion of hydrogen. The cathode side receives an oxidant from the cathode inlet line. The combustion system further includes a separation system having a water gas shift reactor that produces a second portion of hydrogen from the anode output product. The topping cycle is fluidly coupled to the separation system such that the topping cycle receives the hydrogen produced from the anode output product.

A recirculation device for recirculating recirculation gas drawn from a fuel cell comprises a turbine section (26) and a compressor section (34) driven by the turbine section (26), wherein the turbine section (26) has a turbine inlet (40) to be connected to a process gas storage (22) for supplying process gas to the turbine section (26), the compressor section (34) has a compressor inlet (46) to be connected to a fuel cell outlet (50) of a fuel cell (12) for supplying recirculation gas to the compressor section (34), and the compressor section (34) has a compressor outlet (60) to be connected to a fuel cell inlet (52) of the fuel cell (12) for supplying fuel cell gas to the fuel cell (12).

A waste reduction system that utilizes organic solids suspended in a waste stream to produce carboxylic acids, which can then be employed as an input to a microbial fuel cell or other biological processes to further enhance biogas production, is provided. The organic waste stream influent undergoes a multistage fermentation process in which fermentative microorganism metabolize the organic waste materials and produce one or more carboxylic acids, especially short chain fatty acids. The carboxylic acids serve as a food source for bacteria within an anode compartment of an MFC that generates useable electricity therefrom.

An electrochemical cell comprising: a non-conductive structural frame for supporting components of the electrochemical cell; and a tensioning element; wherein the structural frame comprises an engagement means adapted to engage the tensioning element, and wherein the engagement means comprises at least two bosses on the structural frame, each boss being adapted to engage a respective aperture on the tensioning element.

In a fuel cell module in which an electricity storage device is directly connected between a fuel cell stack and a load, the fuel cell stack is caused to generate electricity at an appropriate operating point even if the fuel cell stack is deteriorated. A fuel cell module (FCM) is configured by being provided with a fuel cell stack (FCS) and a control unit (Cnt) that starts power generation of the fuel cell stack (FCS) when the charging rate of a power storage device (B) directly connected between the fuel cell stack (FCS) and a load (Lo) without passing through a power conversion circuit is equal to or less than a lower limit value, and that starts power generation of the fuel cell stack (FCS) when the charging rate of the power storage device (B) is equal to or greater than an upper limit value. And a control unit (Cnt) that, on the basis of the degree of deterioration of the fuel cell stack (FCS), changes at least one of the lower limit value and the upper limit value.

The solid-state energy harvester comprises an anode comprising a first transition metal suboxide, a cathode comprising a second transition metal suboxide, and a separator disposed between the anode and the cathode, wherein at least one of the anode, cathode, or separator contains water, and the harvester generates electricity when electrically connected to an external load.

A method for operating a power system in the present disclosure includes the step of planning an output of a fuel cell system in such a way as to make up a difference between power demand and an output of a solar power generation system. In the step, if a charge level of a storage battery system is higher than or equal to an upper limit value smaller than 100%, first correction, in which the plan is corrected in such a way as to reduce the output of the fuel cell system, is performed and / or if the charge level of the storage battery system is lower than or equal to a lower limit value larger than 0%, second correction, in which the plan is corrected in such a way as to increase the output of the fuel cell system, is performed.

To provide a method of operating a fuel cell system.SOLUTION: The method of operating a fuel cell system comprises: providing fuel and air to a stack (102) of fuel cells located in a hotbox (100); operating the stack to generate anode exhaust and cathode exhaust; in a startup mode, providing a first amount of the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust to an anode tail gas oxidizer (130) located in the hotbox to oxidize the anode exhaust and to generate heat to be provided to the stack; and, in a steady-state mode, stopping providing the anode exhaust to the anode tail gas oxidizer (130) or providing the anode tail gas oxidizer (130) with a second amount of the anode exhaust which is less than the first amount, and providing the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust to an outside of the hotbox (100).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

The invention discloses an electric energy hydrogen production and hydrogen energy power generation combined device which comprises a base, two movable wheels are installed on each of the left portion and the right portion of the lower end of the base, a driving device is installed between the two movable wheels on the right portion, and a wind power generation device and a battery box are installed on the left portion of the upper end of the base. A solar power supply device is mounted at the left part of the upper end of the battery box body, a heat dissipation device is mounted in the middle of the front end of the battery box body, a box plate is mounted at the right end of the battery box body, an electric energy hydrogen production device is mounted in the middle of the upper end of the base, and a separation hydrogen extraction device is mounted at the right part of the upper end of the base. According to the combined device for hydrogen production through electric energy and power generation through hydrogen energy, hydrogen production through water electrolysis and hydrogen fuel cells can be combined for use through the electric energy hydrogen production device and the separation hydrogen extraction device, and certain electric quantity for hydrogen production through water electrolysis can be provided through the wind power generation device and the solar power supply device; the consumption of electric energy is reduced; and the utilization efficiency of energy is improved.

The invention relates to a gas management system in a hydrogen hybrid vehicle (1), comprising an electric motor (2) and a hydrogen internal combustion heat engine (3), a fuel cell (4) supplying electric power to the electric motor (2), a hydrogen tank (5) supplying hydrogen to the cell (4) and the heat engine (3), a post-treatment device (6) being suitable for treating the exhaust gases at the outlet of the heat engine (3), the system comprising gas flow management means (16, 17, 18, 19), which are capable of selectively transferring gas flows from the fuel cell (4) to the post-treatment device (6) and / or to the heat engine (3) and / or from the hydrogen tank (5) to the fuel cell (4) and / or to the heat engine (3), and an electronic controller (15), which is configured to be able to control the gas flow management means (16, 17, 18, 19) as a function of the temperature of a first and / or second gas flow emitted at the outlet of the fuel cell (4).

The invention discloses a proton exchange membrane fuel cell low-temperature starting system which comprises a fuel cell stack, a cooling loop and a heating loop, waste heat generated in the working process of a fuel cell is captured through a temperature difference generator, and the waste heat is efficiently converted into electric energy to be stored in a storage battery. The stored electric energy is directly used for driving the heater to preheat the cooling liquid in the heat preservation expansion water tank, a complete energy recycling and reusing closed loop is formed, the whole energy conversion chain is naturally completed in the system, a power supply module or an energy input interface does not need to be additionally arranged, the system architecture is simplified, and the sustainability of energy utilization is improved. Meanwhile, the cooling loop and the heating loop are of a completely independent double-expansion-water-tank structure and are matched with a three-way electromagnetic valve and a special two-way valve to achieve physical isolation switching, the physical isolation mechanism ensures that the two working modes do not interfere with each other, the temperature control precision and the system response speed are improved, and meanwhile the loss risk caused by frequent switching of the valves is reduced.