448results about "Stationary system fuel cells" patented technology

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 fuel cell system is described for providing primary and/or auxiliary/backup power to one or more loads selected from the group comprising: lawn & garden equipment; radios; telephone; targeting equipment; battery rechargers; laptops; communications devices; sensors; night vision equipment; camping equipment; stoves; lanterns; lights; vehicles; cars; recreational vehicles; trucks; boats; ferries; motorcycles; motorized scooters; forklifts; golf carts; lawnmowers; industrial carts; passenger carts (airport); luggage handling equipment (airports); airplanes; lighter than air crafts; blimps; dirigibles; hovercrafts; trains; locomotives; submarines (manned and unmanned); torpedoes; security systems; electrical energy storage devices for solar-based, tidal-based, hydro-based, wind-based, and other renewable energy source; equipment for which a primary and/or backup power source is necessary or desirable to enable the equipment to function for its intended purpose, military-usable variants of above, and suitable combinations of any two or more thereof. The system provides power to the one or more loads upon the occurrence of a power outage condition, which includes a disruption or discontinuation in the delivery of primary power (i.e., power from a system-external primary source, namely, a source other than the fuel cell system) to, or power demand condition by, the one or more loads. A controller senses outage of primary power to, or demand for primary power by, the one or more loads, and, responsive thereto, operatively engages one or more fuel cells to provide power to the one or more loads.

An integrated power production system including a fossil fuel power plant for processing fossil based fuel such as coal or natural gas arranged in tandem with a carbonate fuel cell having an anode and a cathode section. The flue gas of the power plant serves exclusively as the inlet gas for the cathode section of the fuel cell. Anode exhaust gas leaving the anode section of the fuel cell is subjected to processing including sequestration of the carbon dioxide in the exhaust gas.

An energy storage and recovery system includes a renewable power source, a hydrogen generation device in electrical communication with the renewable power source, a hydrogen storage device in fluid communication with the hydrogen generation device, a hydrogen fueled electricity generator in fluid communication with the hydrogen storage device, and a pressure regulator interposed between and in fluid communication with the hydrogen fueled electricity generator and the hydrogen storage device. The pressure regulator is set at an operating pressure of the hydrogen fueled electricity generator.

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.

A method and apparatus for providing a source of power, comprising: a solid oxide fuel cell system and a thermo photovoltaic device. The solid oxide fuel cell system provides a first source of power, wherein the solid oxide fuel cell system produces heat waste when the solid oxide fuel cell is providing the first source of power. The thermo photovoltaic device provides a second source of power and the thermo photovoltaic device provides the second source of power from the heat waste of the solid oxide fuel cell system which is further heated by a combustor in order to provide the second source of power.

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.

Electrolyte compositions for batteries such as lithium ion and lithium air batteries are described. In some embodiments the compositions are liquid compositions comprising (a) a homogeneous solvent system, said solvent system comprising a perfluropolyether (PFPE) and polyethylene oxide (PEO); and (b) an alkali metal salt dissolved in said solvent system. In other embodiments the compositions are solid electrolyte compositions comprising: (a) a solid polymer, said polymer comprising a crosslinked product of a crosslinkable perfluropolyether (PFPE) and a crosslinkable polyethylene oxide (PEO); and (b) an alkali metal ion salt dissolved in said polymer. Batteries containing such compositions as electrolytes are also described.

Disclosed is a method of supplying DC power to equipment using proton exchange membranes (PEMs). PEMs run on hydrogen to produce DC electrical power. In the disclosed embodiment these PEMs are used as an alternative source of power to AC sources. One of these other sources is generated by an array of gas turbines. Another source is provided by a commercial utility. AC from these sources is converted using rectifiers. Capacitors are used to bridge when switching between energy sources.

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.

A part of cell stack portions constituting a part of a fuel cell stack is used as a voltage detection portion, the size of a frequency component belonging to a predetermined specific frequency range is extracted from a voltage signal detected and the existence/absence of abnormality of a fuel cell system is diagnosed on the basis of the frequency component extracted.

A system for supplying electric power includes: a plurality of electric motors coupled to well treatment pumps; a mobile substation that receives power from a utility electric grid; a plurality of mobile electric power generating units; a controller configured to (i) receive a total required flow rate of the liquid; (ii) calculate a total amount of electric power required to achieve the required total flow rate; (iii) receive an amount of power available from the utility electric grid; (iv) direct the substation to provide electric power to the plurality of electric motors; and (v), direct one or more electric power generating units in the plurality of electric power generating units to provide electric power to the plurality of electric motors according to a priority order to meet the total amount of electric power, if the required amount of electric power exceeds the amount of power available from the utility grid.

An auxiliary load (148) for a fuel cell stack (102) is alternatively connected and disconnected from the fuel cell external circuit (177, 178) by a switch (200) in response to a switch control (201), repetitively, during startup and shutdown. The switch may be an insulated gate bipolar transistor (208) which is turned on and off by hunting between an upper limit voltage (207) and a lower limit voltage (208), which may be performed by compare circuits (205, 206), by the controller (202), or by commercially available voltage responsive hysteresis switches. Schedules of duty cycle as a function of cell stack voltage for startup (212) and shutdown (213) control a pulse width modulator (215) which operates the switch. Controls (229, 231) may limit the modulation so that the auxiliary load does not overheat, in response to temperature (221) of the load or a voltage/power model (235). The auxiliary load may comprise a heater in a water accumulator (247), an air intake (257) or an enthalpy recovery device (262).