ULTRACELL CORPORATION Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20110020725 | MANUFACTURE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY GENERATION EQUIPMENT - The invention relates to a portable electrical energy generator, its components, and manufacture of the components and generator. The generator includes a bi-polar plate stack, which is well suited for use in a fuel cell. The stack may include at least one spacer that limits compression of a membrane electrode assembly in the fuel cell. The stack may also include a polymer binder that holds the stack together and/or maintains a compression force on the membrane electrode assembly. An open cathode manifold may also provided to ease oxygen movement. High throughput and low cost manufacture of bi-polar plates is also described herein. | 01-27-2011 |
20110020717 | COMPACT FUEL CELL PACKAGE - The invention relates to a compact and portable fuel cell package. The package includes a fuel cell that generates electrical energy. Some packages also include a fuel processor that produces hydrogen from a fuel source. Fuel cell packages described herein provide power densities (power per unit volume or mass) at levels not yet seen. One package employs an interconnect disposed at least partially between a fuel cell and a fuel processor. The interconnect forms a structural and plumbing intermediary between the two. Given the portable size of fuel cell packages described herein, the invention is well suited to power portable electronics devices. One portable fuel cell package includes a tether, which allows electrical and detachable coupling to an electronics device. | 01-27-2011 |
20110020197 | PORTABLE FUEL PROCESSOR - Described herein is a fuel processor that produces hydrogen from a fuel source. The fuel processor comprises a reformer and burner. The reformer includes a catalyst that facilitates the production of hydrogen from the fuel source. Voluminous reformer chamber designs are provided that increase the amount of catalyst that can be used in a reformer and increase hydrogen output for a given fuel processor size. The burner provides heat to the reformer. One or more burners may be configured to surround a reformer on multiple sides to increase thermal transfer to the reformer. Dewars are also described that increase thermal management of a fuel processor and increase burner efficiency. A dewar includes one or more dewar chambers that receive inlet air before a burner receives the air. The dewar is arranged such that air passing through the dewar chamber intercepts heat generated in the burner before the heat escapes the fuel processor. | 01-27-2011 |
20100090642 | POWER ADAPTOR FOR PORTABLE FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A power adaptor for use with a portable fuel cell system may have an adapter housing having at least one external surface and a battery receiving region, the battery receiving region configured to at least partially receive a battery, a first set of electrical contacts provided on the at least one external surface of the adapter housing, a power source interface provided within the battery receiving region of the adapter housing, the power source interface in electrical communication with the first set of electrical contacts, and at least one mechanical connector provided in or on the adapter housing to facilitate detachable attachment of the adapter housing to a fuel cell system housing. | 04-15-2010 |
20100047634 | PORTABLE REFORMED FUEL CELL SYSTEMS WITH WATER RECOVERY - Described herein is a portable fuel cell system with water recovery capabilities. The system generates one or more exhaust streams from which water can be recovered. A water removal system contained in the portable fuel cell system package draws water from an exhaust stream; the exhaust may include a burner exhaust, a reformer exhaust, and/or a fuel cell exhaust. The water can then be provided to the incoming fuel. | 02-25-2010 |
20100047139 | FUEL PROCESSOR FOR USE WITH PORTABLE CELLS - The invention relates to a fuel processor that produces hydrogen from a fuel. The fuel processor comprises a reformer and a heater. The reformer includes a catalyst that facilitates the production of hydrogen from the fuel; the heater provides heat to the reformer. Multipass reformer and heater chambers are described that reduce fuel processor size. Single layer fuel processors include reformer and heater chambers in a compact form factor that is well suited for portable applications. Some fuel processors described herein place an electrically resistive material in contact with a thermally conductive material to heat fuel entering the fuel processor. This is particularly useful during start-up of the fuel processor. Fuel processors described may also include features that facilitate assembly. | 02-25-2010 |
20090214910 | LOW PRESSURE DROP FUEL PROCESSOR FOR USE WITH PORTABLE FUEL CELLS - The invention relates to a fuel processor that produces hydrogen from a fuel and includes a low pressure drop burner. The low pressure drop burner permits the use of a low pressure air supply such as a fan to move products and reactants through the burner. | 08-27-2009 |
20090202886 | MICRO FUEL CELL ARCHITECTURE - The present invention relates to fuel cells and components used within a fuel cell. Heat transfer appendages are described that improve fuel cell thermal management. Each heat transfer appendage is arranged on an external portion of a bi-polar plate and permits conductive heat transfer between inner portions of the bi-polar plate and outer portions of the bi-polar plate proximate to the appendage. The heat transfer appendage may be used for heating or cooling inner portions of a fuel cell stack. Improved thermal management provided by cooling the heat transfer appendages also permits new channel field designs that distribute the reactant gases to a membrane electrode assembly. Flow buffers are described that improve delivery of reactant gases and removal of reaction products. Single plate bi-polar plates may also include staggered channel designs that reduce the thickness of the single plate. | 08-13-2009 |
20090123797 | EFFICIENT MICRO FUEL CELL SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Fuel cell systems and methods are described. A method for generating electrical energy in a fuel cell receives hydrogen from a fuel processor configured to process a fuel source to produce the hydrogen, includes transporting a heating medium from the fuel processor to the fuel cell when electrical energy output by the fuel cell includes less than an electrical threshold or when temperature of a component in the fuel cell is less than a temperature threshold, heating a portion of the fuel cell, transporting hydrogen from the fuel processor to the fuel cell, detecting temperature of the component or electrical output of the fuel cell, and generating electrical energy in the fuel cell when the temperature of the component is about equal to or greater than the threshold temperature or when electrical energy output by the fuel cell is about equal to or greater than an electrical threshold. | 05-14-2009 |
20090071072 | PLANAR MICRO FUEL PROCESSOR - Described herein is a fuel processor that produces hydrogen from a fuel source. The fuel processor comprises a reformer, boiler and burner. The reformer includes a catalyst to facilitate the production of hydrogen from the fuel source. A boiler heats the fuel source before receipt by the reformer. The burner provides heat to the reformer and to the boiler. The fuel processor may also comprise a dock that maintains position of the reformer and boiler within the fuel processor. Dewars are also described that improve thermal management of a fuel processor by reducing heat loss and increasing burner efficiency. | 03-19-2009 |
20080289180 | FUEL PROCESSOR FOR USE IN A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A method for manufacturing a fuel processor may comprise coupling a plurality of micro-tubes in parallel to form a flow field tube array, each of the plurality of micro-tubes designed to receive a fluid flow, depositing a catalyst layer inside each of the plurality of micro-tubes, and attaching at least one burner to a first end of the flow field tube array. | 11-27-2008 |
20080213638 | ENGINE BLOCK FOR USE IN A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - In one embodiment, an engine block may comprise an interconnect having: a first manifold section, a second manifold section perpendicular to the first manifold section, the first manifold section and the second manifold section having a plurality of conduits to receive a gas flow, wherein the first manifold section and the second manifold section are formed from a single manifold device; a fuel cell stack housing coupled to the second manifold section to receive a fuel cell stack; and a fuel processor coupled to the first manifold section, wherein the fuel cell processor and the fuel cell stack operate at substantially the same temperature. | 09-04-2008 |