175results about "Heat and power cogeneration" 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.

An energy optimization method and control apparatus may be used in a single building or a group of buildings to optimize utility-supplied and renewable sources in order to minimize the total energy cost. Simultaneously, it may also produce and store energy, such as electricity or hydrogen, that can be used to fuel vehicles, provide a means for independent production of household energy needs, or both. Various factors, such as the production of thermal energy and electricity from the renewable sources, the current store of stored energy, the current and expected thermal and electricity requirements of the building (based on a profile), the current and expected electricity loads of the equipment used to process stored energy, the expected thermal and electricity generating capacity of the renewable sources and other factors can be used to determine the mix of renewable-based and utility-based energy that minimizes the total energy cost.

A micromachined device for efficient thermal processing at least one fluid stream includes at least one fluid conducting tube having at least a region with wall thickness of less than 50 mum. The device optionally includes one or more thermally conductive structures in thermal communication with first and second thermally insulating portions of the fluid conducting tube. The device also may include a thermally conductive region, and at least a portion of the fluid conducting tube is disposed within the region. A plurality of structures may be provided projecting from a wall of the fluid conducting tube into an inner volume of the tube. The structures enhance thermal conduction between a fluid within the tube and a wall of the tube. A method for fabricating, from a substrate, a micromachined device for processing a fluid stream allows the selective removal of portions of the substrate to provide desired structures integrated within the device. As an example, the micromachined device may be adapted to efficiently react fluid reactants to produce fuel for a fuel cell associated with the device, resulting in a system capable of conversion of chemical to electrical energy.

A ceramic electrolyte for a solid oxide fuel cell includes at least one non-uniform surface portion. Preferably, the electrolyte surface is textured.

A renewable electric power system includes a high temperature superconducting wind turbine using high temperature superconducting yttrium-barium-copper oxide for the rotor and stator windings as well as a superconducting bearing. Power from the turbine is stored in a high temperature superconducting magnetic storage system that also uses HTS YBCO. Also included is a regenerative solid oxide fuel cell/electrolyzer with steam turbine cogeneration. The system operates on a managed day/night cycle. During daytime, the energy produced by the wind turbines and fuel cells is transmitted to the grid. During nocturnal hours, the wind turbine is used to provide low cost electricity to the reversible fuel cells operating in the electrolysis mode producing hydrogen and oxygen that is stored for later use. Alternatively, the fuel cells can remain in electrolysis mode producing hydrogen and oxygen for the market. A modified interactive system generates power on a continuous twenty-four hour cycle.

The present invention provides a heating control method for a fuel cell vehicle, in which an additional heating source is used together with a typical electric heater to reduce power consumption and increase fuel efficiency as compared to the sole use of the electric heater. For this purpose, the present invention provides a heating control method for a fuel cell vehicle which comprises an electric heater for heating air supplied to the interior of the vehicle, and a heater core provided in a coolant line for cooling a fuel cell stack and heating the air supplied to the interior of the vehicle by heat exchange with the coolant discharged from the fuel cell stack. The method comprises: detecting a state of charge (SOC) of a battery when the interior temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature set by a driver and, if the SOC of the battery is above a predetermined lower limit, heating the interior of the vehicle by operating the electric heater by the power of a battery; heating the interior of the vehicle by operating the electric heater by the power generated by the fuel cell stack, if the SOC of the battery is below the lower limit; heating the interior of the vehicle using both the heater core and the electric heater, if the temperature of the coolant is above a predetermined temperature at which the fuel cell stack does not reach a normal operating temperature; and heating the interior of the vehicle using only the heater core while turning off the electric heater, if the temperature of the coolant is increased above a normal operating temperature of the fuel cell stack.

A battery comprising powdered active materials and capable of storing a large power, and equipment or device having the battery as parts of its structure, wherein an anode cell (2) of two vessels connected via an ion-passing separator (1) is filled with an anode powdered active material and an electrolytic solution (4), a cathode cell (3) is filled with a cathode powdered active material and an electrolytic solution (5) and conductive current collectors (6, 7) in contact with the powdered active materials are provided in the two vessels.

A water purification system includes a fuel cell stack, a steam generator, and a water purification unit. The fuel cell stack is adapted to provide heat to the steam generator and the steam generator is adapted to provide steam to the water purification unit.

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.

The present invention is a hybrid system for generating power from hydrocarbon and alcohol fuels using a two-stage process to achieve high overall energy conversion efficiency. The first stage is a reformer and fuel cell subsystem that uses an internal combustion engine operated at an air/fuel ratio richer than stoichiometric as a partial oxidation reformer for commonly available liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon or alcohol fuels. The engine produces shaft power and a product gas mixture containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and traces of light hydrocarbons that is used as fuel in fuel cells to generate electric power. The second stage is a heat engine subsystem that captures heat from the reformer and fuel cell subsystem, and produces additional shaft power. In addition to efficiency, advantages include adaptability to a variety of fuels, quick system startup with immediate shaft power availability, and low emission of pollutantants.

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 fuel cell system is provided, the system comprising: a fuel cell (1) configured to generate electric power by use of a fuel gas; a reformer (2) configured to generate the fuel gas by reforming a raw material; a combustion burner (2a) configured to supply heat for reforming; a raw material feeder (10) configured to control the feed rate of combustion fuel to the combustion burner; a combustion fan (2b) configured to supply air to the combustion burner; a fuel gas passage (R1, R4); an off gas passage (R3, R5); a bypass passage (R2); a switching valve (8); and a controller (101), wherein the inside of the fuel cell is filled with the raw material before the fuel gas is supplied, and wherein the controller controls the raw material feeder so as to reduce the feed rate of the combustion fuel to the combustion burner when controlling the switching valve so as to shut off the bypass passage to supply the fuel gas generated in the reformer to the fuel cell. This fuel cell system is environmentally-friendly and capable of suppressing the emission of carbon monoxide at the start of a power generating operation to mitigate the adverse effect upon the ecosystem.

A fuel cell apparatus comprises a cell stack, a reforming portion (reforming catalyst), a vaporizing portion, a reforming target gas supply, an oxygen-containing gas supply, a water supply, and a controller. The cell stack comprises a plurality of fuel cells electrically connected in series in a housing case. The reforming portion is disposed over the cell stack and is to be exposed to a gas produced by burning a fuel gas from the fuel cells. The reforming catalyst can perform partial oxidation reforming, autothermal reforming and steam reforming as a reforming reaction. The vaporizing portion generates steam to be supplied to the reforming portion. The reforming target gas supply supplies a reforming target gas to the reforming portion. The oxygen gas supply supplies an oxygen gas to the reforming portion. The water supply supplies water to the vaporizing portion. The controller controls the reforming reaction in the reforming portion.

System for producing electric energy and hydrogen based on renewable energy sources, such as wind energy from one or several wind turbines, and incorporating means for producing hydrogen. The system comprises a hybrid electrolyzer device, which comprises a combination of at least two different electrolysis technologies and at least one control device, which manages the hydrogen production between the two electrolyzers of the different electrolysis technologies; being at least one electrolyzer of a rapid dynamics electrolysis technology type and, at least the second one of a substantially slower dynamics electrolysis technology type.

A fuel cell cogeneration system comprises a fuel cell, a cooling system for the fuel cell, a heater, a heat utilization portion configured to store heat recovered in the cooling system to allow the heat to be consumed, a detector configured to detect calories remaining in the heat utilization portion, and a controller, wherein the controller determines whether or not the calories remaining in the heat utilization portion are at least not less than the calories required to increase the temperature of the fuel cell to the operating temperature, and based on determination, increases the temperature of the fuel cell to the operating temperature by supplying the remaining calories to the fuel cell through the cooling system and/or by heating the cooling water in the cooling system by the heater.