Fuel cell-coupled heating and refrigeration system

a fuel cell and heating and refrigeration system technology, applied in the field of fuel cells, can solve the problems of unreliable air cooling, electrical or mechanical energy consumption of heating and cooling systems, general weight, etc., and achieve the effect of reducing reducing or eliminating the electrical load of the hvac system, and increasing the efficiency of fuel cell operation

US20120304672A1Inactive Publication Date: 2012-12-06VPJP
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Patent Type
Applications(United States)
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2012-12-06
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

Disclosed are fuel cell coupled refrigeration systems and to the use of fuel cells to provide thermal energy to a refrigeration system. More particularly, a heat exchanger couples, directly or indirectly, to a fuel cell and a heat driven refrigeration system to transfer at least a portion of thermal energy generated by the fuel cell to the refrigeration system, thereby driving a refrigeration cycle of the refrigeration system.
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Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 492,318 filed on Jun. 1, 2011, entitled “Fuel Cell Coupled Refrigeration System for Power, Heating and Cooling Applications”, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the use of a fuel cell, and in particular a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell, to power a heat driven refrigeration system for use in regulating the ambient temperature of an environment.BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0003] Heating and cooling systems of different types are commonly used to control ambient temperatures of internal spaces of buildings and vehicles and to cool refrigeration volumes such as transport trailers, refrigerators and freezers. Generally, heating and cooling systems consume electrical or mechanical energy to drive a heating and cooling cycle. Some systems, fo...

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Embodiment Construction

[0027]The present disclosure is directed to a fuel cell coupled refrigeration system and a method in which thermal energy from the fuel cell is applied to the refrigeration system. Thermal energy generated by the fuel cell can be used to drive a refrigeration cycle of the refrigeration system in an energy-efficient operation as an alternative or as a supplement to conventional electrically driven refrigeration systems. Exemplary refrigeration systems include absorption and ejector refrigeration systems. The fuel cell coupled refrigeration systems of the present disclosure can further be used with vapor-compression refrigeration systems to provide sole or supplemental thermal energy to drive the system.

[0028]These and other features of the fuel cell coupled refrigeration systems and methods of the present disclosure, as well as some of the many optional variations and additions, are described in detail hereafter.

[0029]As used herein, the term “heat driven refrigeration system” refers...