Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080199742 | System Stability and Performance Improvement with Anode Heat Exchanger Plumbing and Re-Circulation Rate - A fuel cell system that increases stack stability by reducing the amount of liquid water droplets at the anode input of a fuel cell stack in the system. Re-circulated anode exhaust gas from the fuel cell stack and fresh hydrogen gas are sent to an anode heat exchanger so that both the fresh hydrogen gas and the re-circulated anode exhaust gas are heated to reduce the formation of water droplets in the anode input gas. Further, a portion of the heated cooling fluid directly from the fuel cell stack is sent to the heat exchanger to heat the fresh hydrogen gas and the re-circulation hydrogen before the cooling fluid is sent to an isolation heat exchanger to have its temperature reduced. | 08-21-2008 |
20080199743 | Ambient Pressure Fuel Cell System Employing Partial Air Humidification - A fuel cell system is provided that is capable of operating at high temperatures and near-ambient pressure with partial humidification of air supplied to the fuel cell stack. The fuel cells of the stack incorporate gas diffusion barrier layers at the cathode side thereof. The system includes a cooling loop for circulating a liquid coolant through the stack. In some embodiments, an incoming air stream is partially humidified with water vapor transferred from a cathode exhaust stream in a gas-exchange humidifier or enthalpy wheel. In other embodiments, a cathode recycle is employed to partially humidify the incoming air. The humidity of the air and cathode exhaust streams is maintained below a stack saturation point. Methods of operating the fuel cell system are also provided. | 08-21-2008 |
20080206607 | METHOD TO REDUCE PRESSURE WHEN INJECTORS ARE STUCK OPEN UNDER FAULTED CONDITIONS AND REMEDIAL ACTION TO PREVENT WALK-HOME INCIDENT - A method for controlling a fuel cell system, capable of quickly detecting the pressure rise caused by a faulted open anode injector, reducing pressure in the fuel cell stack when the fault occurs, and taking remedial action to allow continued operation of the fuel cell stack, and militate against a walk-home incident. | 08-28-2008 |
20080206608 | METHOD FOR DYNAMIC ADAPTIVE RELATIVE HUMIDITY CONTROL IN THE CATHODE OF A FUEL CELL STACK - A fuel cell system and method for controlling relative humidity in a fuel cell system. A controller can be signally coupled to one or more sensors and configured to operate at least one flow manipulation device in response to changes in a relative humidity of a reactant passing through the cathode flowpath of the fuel cell in order to maintain the relative humidity within a prescribed range. The controller correlates one or more of a temperature setpoint, pressure setpoint, stoichiometry setpoint or actual operating condition of any of them to an operating condition of the system. In this way, a desired level of relative humidity can be achieved, maintained or both while minimizing the use of power-robbing flow manipulation devices, such as a pump, compressor, fan or related component. | 08-28-2008 |
20080206609 | Fuel cell apparatus - A fuel cell is disclosed having a water channel and a polymeric material contained in the water channel which minimizes freezing of water in the channel at sub-zero temperatures. Embodiments including attaching a thermo-responsive polymer such as an N-isopropyl acrylamide to the surface of the water channel to cause the thermo-responsive polymer to expand at low temperatures thereby reducing the propensity for water to freeze in the channel and also to cause the thermo-responsive polymer to contract at higher temperatures thereby preventing any restriction in the flow of circulating water in the channel. | 08-28-2008 |
20080206610 | Method of Operating an Electrochemical Device Including Mass Flow and Electrical Parameter Controls - This invention relates to a method of operating an electrochemical device. The method includes controlling the mass flow of fuel to the device so that the mass flow varies during the operation of the device. In combination with the mass flow control, the method also includes controlling an electrical parameter of the device so that the electrical parameter varies during the operation of the device. Another embodiment includes a method of operating a fuel cell using a flow of fuel or oxidant that contains a contaminant, and using a controller to control the flow and an electrical parameter of the fuel cell. A further embodiment includes a method of operating an electrochemical device using reactants that include a reactant causing an undesired electrochemical reaction, and using a controller to control the flow of reactants and an electrical parameter of the device. | 08-28-2008 |
20080213634 | OXYGEN ENRICHMENT DEVICE COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO MOLECULAR SIEVES FOR SUPPLYING A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A system is provided that combines an oxygen enrichment device (OBOGS) for generating oxygen-enriched air with a fuel cell system that includes, but is not limited to a fuel cell for using the oxygen-enriched air as a reaction gas within the fuel cell, as a result of which the output of the fuel cell is improved while the size and weight of the fuel cell remain the same. | 09-04-2008 |
20080220294 | INDIVIDUAL CELL SHORTING DURING STARTUP AND SHUTDOWN USING AN INTEGRATED SWITCH - An electrical shorting device for a fuel cell is provided, wherein the shorting device includes an electrically conductive body and an actuator coupled to the conductive body and adapted to selectively position the body between an electrically conductive and a non-electrically conductive position to selectively provide electrical communication between an anode plate and a cathode plate of the fuel cell. The shorting device facilitates electrical shorting of individual cells during the startup and shutdown of the fuel cell to eliminate the electrical potential across a proton exchange membrane that causes a degradation of a catalyst layer disposed on an a surface of an electrode of the fuel cells. | 09-11-2008 |
20080226952 | PROCESSES FOR ACTIVATING MEMBRANE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLIES - A process for the activation of a membrane electrode assembly, such as a direct methanol fuel cell membrane electrode assembly, with a hydrocarbon fuel, e.g., an alkanol fuel such as methanol, and an oxidant is described. The process comprises repeatedly applying an increasing or decreasing potential in each of a plurality of cycles over a voltage range of at least 0.1 volts, e.g., at least 0.2 volts or at least 0.3 volts, until the membrane electrode assembly is substantially activated. The cycles optionally are organized in cycle sets with rest periods therebetween. The temperature at which the cycles are run optionally is increased or decreased in a respective cycle set. | 09-18-2008 |
20080233437 | Fuel Cell System and Control Method Therefor - A fuel cell system preferably includes a fuel cell which generates electric energy by electrochemical reaction, an aqueous solution tank which holds the methanol aqueous solution, a water tank which holds fluid discharged from the fuel cell, a fluid level sensor for detecting an amount of fluid in the water tank, a water pump which recycles fluid in the water tank to the aqueous solution tank, and a CPU which controls components of the fuel cell system. After power generation is finished, the water pump is driven to recycle all the fluid in the water tank to the aqueous solution tank. Further, after power generation is finished or before power generation is started, the fluid level sensor detects the amount of fluid in the water tank. If the amount of fluid is not smaller than a predetermined amount, the water pump is driven to recycle fluid in the water tank to the aqueous solution tank. The fuel cell system has a simple construction and is capable of preventing fluid from being discharged outside. | 09-25-2008 |
20080233438 | Fuel for fuel cell, fuel cell and application thereof - A fuel cell fuel contains an organic fuel used as a fuel for a fuel cell. The organic fuel is in a form of a solid molecular compound, such as an inclusion compound. The molecular compound can be prepared by contact catalytic reaction of a compound for forming the molecular compound and the organic fuel, and allows a liquid organic fuel to be in a solid compound to store the organic fuel stably in a relatively lightweight form. The molecular compound easily releases the organic fuel by, for example, heating, and the organic fuel is supplied to the fuel electrode of a fuel cell. Thus, the handleability of the fuel cell fuel containing the organic fuel can be improved, and the problems of corrosion, freezing of the fuel, crossover, and so forth can be solved. | 09-25-2008 |
20080233439 | METHOD OF ADJUSTING FUEL DISTRIBUTION, MEMBRANE WHICH ADJUSTS FUEL DISTRIBUTION, METHOD OF PRODUCING MEMBRANE WHICH ADJUSTS FUEL DISTRIBUTION, FUEL CELL, AND METHOD OF PRODUCING FUEL CELL - A method of adjusting a fuel distribution includes: adjusting a distribution of a fuel supply amount to a membrane electrode assembly so that a temperature distribution in the membrane electrode assembly becomes substantially uniform by a membrane provided in a fuel supply side of the membrane electrode assembly of a fuel cell. A membrane adjusts a fuel distribution, which is provided in a fuel supply side of a membrane electrode assembly of a fuel cell. The membrane is provided with openings so that a temperature distribution in the membrane electrode assembly becomes substantially uniform. | 09-25-2008 |
20080241606 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HUMIDIFYING A GAS IN FUEL CELL SYSTEMS - A membrane exchange humidifier for use with a fuel cell system, fuel cell or fuel cell stack includes at least one wet chamber, a plurality of dry chambers, a water permeable sheet membrane; wherein each of the plurality of dry chambers is separated from one or more of the at least one wet chambers by the water permeable sheet membrane, whereby water is capable of being transferred across the water permeable sheet membrane; and a variable flow cross section restriction device fluidly connects to at least one of the plurality of dry chambers. | 10-02-2008 |
20080241607 | WATER REMOVAL SYSTEM FOR NON-REACTIVE REGIONS IN PEFMC STACKS - A device and method to extract water from a moisture-rich fuel cell flowpath. A water transport unit is integrated into the fuel cell so that liquid water stagnation within flow channels and manifolds is reduced. In one embodiment, the device includes numerous flowpaths that include an active region and an inactive region. The water transport unit includes a hydrophilic member such that upon passage of a fluid with the excess water through the inactive region of the device flowpath and into the presence of the hydrophilic member, it absorbs excess water from the fluid. | 10-02-2008 |
20080241608 | METHOD OF STARTING UP A FUEL CELL UNDER CONDITIONS IN WHICH WATER MAY FREEZE - A method including starting a fuel cell stack and generating heat in the fuel cell stack to raise the fuel cell stack temperature above 0° C. for each start to eliminate ice in the fuel cell stack before shutdown. | 10-02-2008 |
20080241609 | INTEGRATED FUEL-AIR DELIVERY SYSTEM - An integrated fuel and air delivery system for a fuel cell that includes a pump and an air inlet member connected to the pump. Additionally, an air outlet member is connected to the pump. Desired quantities of fuel and air are mixed in the air outlet member and resonance of the fuel and air are removed prior to introduction into the fuel cell. | 10-02-2008 |
20080241610 | Hydrogen generating apparatus and fuel cell power generation system controlling amount of hydrogen generation - Hydrogen generating apparatus that is capable of controlling the amount of hydrogen generation. The hydrogen generating apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention has an electrolyzer, a first electrode, a second electrode, a variable resistance, which is located between the first electrode and the second electrode, a flow rate meter, which measures an amount of hydrogen generation in the second electrode, and a variable resistance controller, which receives a set value, compares the amount of hydrogen generation measured by the flow rate meter with the set value, and controls a resistance value of the variable resistance. The amount of hydrogen generation can be controlled by use of variable resistance. | 10-02-2008 |
20080241611 | MCFC anode for direct internal reforming of ethanol, manufacturing process thereof, and method for direct internal reforming in MCFC containing the anode - A direct internal reforming system of ethanol for a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) is provided. An MCFC anode for a direct internal reforming of ethanol, a manufacturing process thereof, and a direct internal reforming method in MCFC where an ethanol solution is injected into the anode are provided. by the simple process of coating the surface of the anode with small quantity of catalyst, the drawback in that the performance of MCFC is degraded when the ethanol is directly used as a fuel is overcome. Further, an additional apparatus such as an external reforming apparatus and additional cost for pelletizing the catalyst powders are not required, which is economical. Furthermore, the performance improvement enables long-term operation, which contributes to commercialization of MCFC. | 10-02-2008 |
20080248336 | Water Management in Fuel Cells - An electrochemical fuel cell having an anode, an ion transfer membrane and a cathode has liquid water delivered to the fluid flow channels within the cathode so as to maintain a relative humidity of 100% throughout the fluid flow channels. A calibration method and apparatus is described for determining an optimum quantity or range of quantities of liquid water to be delivered to the cathode fluid flow channels under varying operating conditions. An operating method and apparatus is described that ensures an optimum quantity of liquid water is delivered to the cathode fluid flow channels under varying operating conditions. | 10-09-2008 |
20080248337 | Power Plant Comprising Fuel Cells - The invention relates to a power plant for generating electric power by means of fuel cells. The power plant is characterized by a nominal power amounting to less than 50% of the peak power, and preferably even less than 25% of the peak power. The power plant preferably comprises several hundred fuel cell stacks. | 10-09-2008 |
20080248338 | Fuel Cell and Power Generating Method - A fuel cell having a unit cell formed of a sheet-like solid polymer electrolyte, its cathode-side electrode plate, an anode-side electrode plate, an oxygen-containing gas supply unit for supplying an oxygen-containing gas to the cathode-side electrode plate, and a hydrogen gas flow path unit for supplying a hydrogen gas to the anode-side electrode plate, regarding the unit cell which is to be a final stage of hydrogen gas supply, a flow path sectional area of the hydrogen gas flow path unit is not more than 1% of an area of the anode-side electrode plate and, at the same time, a discharge control mechanism for discharging a gas at 0.02 to 4% by volume relative to a hydrogen gas supplied to the unit cell is provided at an outlet of the hydrogen gas flow path unit. | 10-09-2008 |
20080248339 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY CONVERSION - An electrochemical energy conversion system comprises an electrochemical energy conversion device, in fluid communication with a source of liquid carrier of hydrogen and an oxidant, for receiving, catalyzing and electrochemically oxidizing at least a portion of the hydrogen to generate electricity, a hydrogen depleted liquid, and water. A method of electrochemical energy conversion includes the steps of directing a liquid carrier of hydrogen to an electrochemical conversion device and electrochemically dehydrogenating the liquid carrier of hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to produce electricity. | 10-09-2008 |
20080248340 | Fuel cell system - The fuel cell system enabling shortening of the startup time of the system and preventing a pressure sensor from malfunctioning is provided. The fuel system | 10-09-2008 |
20080248341 | Fuel cell system and control method thereof - The object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell system enabling an improvement in fuel consumption and a method for controlling thereof. A fuel cell system | 10-09-2008 |
20080248342 | SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL POWER GENERATION APPARATUS AND POWER GENERATION METHOD THEREOF - A solid oxide fuel cell power generation apparatus, wherein cathode gas lines used for activation and used for power generation line are separated from each other, wherein a burner used for activation is disposed close to a header above a generator chamber inside a module, and a preheater used for power generation is also disposed at a position further away from the generator chamber (including fuel cells) inside the module than the burner used for activation is. | 10-09-2008 |
20080261089 | Fuel cell system and method for controlling fuel cell system - In a fuel cell unit that generates electric power using fuel gas supplied via an anode gas passage and air supplied via a cathode gas passage, an anode-off gas passage is connected to the downstream side of the anode gas passage. An orifice is provided at the anode-off gas passage and anode-off gas is discharged to the downstream side via the orifice. | 10-23-2008 |
20080268298 | POWER SOURCE WITH CAPACITOR - A power generator includes a hydrogen producing fuel and a fuel cell stack layer that includes a proton exchange membrane. An anode layer and a cathode layer are disposed on opposite surfaces of the fuel cell stack. A capacitor layer is integrated with the other layers and electrically coupled to the anode layer and the cathode layer. | 10-30-2008 |
20080280165 | Fuel Cell Cathode and a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Having the Same - A fuel cell cathode comprises a catalyst layer comprised of a catalyst-supported electrically conducive carrier and a polymer electrolyte. The catalyst-supporting electrically conductive carrier further supports or has mixed therein a catalyst that is in contact with an oxygen absorbing/releasing material. The cathode has excellent electrode characteristics with respect to oxygen-reducing reactions. A polymer electrolyte fuel cell fitted with the cathode can provide high battery output. | 11-13-2008 |
20080280166 | Solid Oxide Fuel Cell - Solid oxide fuel cell wherein the anode has a cermet, including a metallic portion and an electrolyte ceramic material portion substantially uniformly interdispersed. | 11-13-2008 |
20080280167 | FUEL CELL STACK PERFORMANCE MONITORING - A fuel cell system comprising a first fuel cell and a second fuel cell is provided. In certain examples, the fuel cell system may be configured to provide an operating variable to monitor fuel cell system performance is disclosed. A fuel cell assembly comprising the fuel cell system and methods of monitoring the fuel cell system are also disclosed. | 11-13-2008 |
20080280168 | Fuel Cell - A fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), a fuel delivery system distributing fuel to an anode side of the MEA, and a flow distributor delivering an oxidizer to a cathode side of the MEA. The flow distributor includes at least one serpentine channel through which the oxidizer is delivered to the cathode side of the MEA. Each portion of the serpentine channel delivers oxidizer to a portion of the cathode side of the MEA in contact, directly or through a porous diffuser, with the channel portion. The channel portion transfers water with the portion of the MEA in contact with the channel portion and also transfers water between adjacent channel portions via a water-permeable, gas impermeable material that defines at least a portion of the channel. | 11-13-2008 |
20080280169 | Nanowire structures comprising carbon - The present invention is directed to nanowire structures and interconnected nanowire networks comprising such structures, as well as methods for their production. The nanowire structures comprise a nanowire core, a carbon-based layer, and in additional embodiments, carbon-based structures such as nanographitic plates consisting of graphenes formed on the nanowire cores, interconnecting the nanowire structures in the networks. The networks are porous structures that can be formed into membranes or particles. The nanowire structures and the networks formed using them are useful in catalyst and electrode applications, including fuel cells, as well as field emission devices, support substrates and chromatographic applications. | 11-13-2008 |
20080280170 | Method for Operating an Electrochemical Cell and a Cassette for Use Therewith - A method for operating an electrochemical cell, comprises supplying reaction material from a first compartment of, and collecting a reaction product or unreacted material in a second compartment of, a cassette connected to the cell, and controlling the flow of the reaction material and/or of the reaction product/unreacted material. A cassette ( | 11-13-2008 |
20080286615 | Method For Operating Fuel Cells For Systems That Are Restricted By Exposure to Thermal Stress and Fuel Cell Stack For Carrying Out Said Method - According to the invention, a fuel cell is operated at a working temperature of between 60° C. and 110° C. and thermally insulated from the exterior, the waste air from the cathode being cooled by a surplus of incoming air that is provided for the reaction. The supplied fuel is pre-heated during the exchange of heat. The fuel cell that is operated according to said method can be used in systems that are restricted by exposure to thermal stress and can be produced in a cost-effective manner. | 11-20-2008 |
20080286616 | Alloy Catalysts for Extending Life of Fuel Cell Membranes and Ionomer - A membrane electrode assembly includes an anode, a cathode, a membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode, wherein at least one of the anode, cathode and membrane contains a hydrocarbon ionomer, and an electrode catalyst disposed in at least one of the anode and the cathode, wherein the catalyst is a metal alloy catalyst. | 11-20-2008 |
20080286617 | DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL - A direct oxidation fuel cell of this invention has at least one unit cell including: a membrane-electrode assembly comprising an electrolyte membrane sandwiched between an anode and a cathode, each of the anode and the cathode including a catalyst layer and a diffusion layer; an anode-side separator with a fuel flow channel for supplying a fuel to the anode; and a cathode-side separator with an oxidant flow channel for supplying an oxidant containing oxygen gas to the cathode. The fuel flow channel and the oxidant flow channel are so structured that the concentration of the oxygen gas in the oxidant flow channel is higher at a part opposing an upstream part of the fuel flow channel than at a part opposing a downstream part of the fuel flow channel. | 11-20-2008 |
20080286618 | FUEL CELL COOLING DEVICE - A fuel cell cooling device has a cooling loop for circulating a coolant fluid. At least during the operation of the fuel cell, an ion extraction medium that is in the liquid state is provided. A method for cleaning a coolant with a corresponding fuel cell cooling device is provided as well. | 11-20-2008 |
20080286619 | FLEXIBLE BIPOLAR PLATE - The present invention provides for a construction for a bipolar plate for a fuel cell stack that enables the bipolar plate to be a more compliant member in the fuel cell stack. The bipolar plate can be configured to provide varying levels of compliance, as demanded by the design of the fuel cell stack. The bipolar plate can be more compliant than the diffusion media members and the active elements used to form the individual fuel cells. The compliant nature of the individual bipolar plates enables localized dimensional changes that occur within the fuel cell stack to be compensated by a localized deformation of the portions of the bipolar plate within that region. The bipolar plate has an internal coolant flow field where some opposing pairs of lands are spaced apart with a gap therebetween while other opposing pairs of lands are in contact with one another. | 11-20-2008 |
20080292917 | PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH INTEGRATED FUEL CELL - A portable electronics device includes a base member containing electronic circuitry for device operation and configured for handheld use. A display is operatively connected to and driven by the electronic circuitry and pivotally connected to the base member. The display includes a backside that is typically not handled by a user when the device is in use. A fuel cell unit is secured to the backside of the display and operatively connected to the electronic circuitry and display for powering the device. The anode of the fuel cell is juxtaposed at the backside of the display and the cathode is oriented outward from the backside facilitating unobstructed air breathing, evacuation of water and heat dissipation. | 11-27-2008 |
20080292918 | Electrochemical system having multiple independent circuits - The present teachings relate to an electrochemical system including an electrochemical device and multiple independent circuits which permit independent control of the reaction rates at different sections of the electrochemical device. The electrochemical device can be a fuel cell or an electrolyzer, and can include a common electrode in electrical communication with two or more independent circuits. The present teachings also relate to operating methods of the electrochemical system described. | 11-27-2008 |
20080292919 | System and Method for Reducing Radiator Sizes for Low Temperature Fuel Cell Systems - A fuel cell cooling system ( | 11-27-2008 |
20080292920 | Methods of operating fuel cells - A fuel cell is disclosed which is formed on a semiconductor wafer by etching channel in the wafer and forming electronics on the substrate electronically coupled to the fuel cell that controls generation of power by the fuel cell through electrical communication with the fuel cell. A hydrogen fuel is admitted into one of the divided channels and an oxidant into the other. The hydrogen reacts with a catalyst formed on an anode electrode at the hydrogen side of the channel to release hydrogen ions (protons) which are absorbed into the PEM. The protons migrate through the PEM and recombine with return hydrogen electrons on a cathode electrode on the oxygen side of the PEM and the oxygen to form water. | 11-27-2008 |
20080299420 | FUEL CELL SYSTEMS WITH MAINTENANCE HYDRATION BY DISPLACEMENT OF PRIMARY POWER - Fuel cell systems that perform maintenance hydration by supplying power to satisfy at least part of an applied load from an energy-consuming assembly while a primary power source is in electrical communication with and available to supply power to the energy-consuming assembly to satisfy the portion of the applied load being satisfied by the fuel cell system. In some embodiments, a fuel cell system may determine a start time, or start condition, for maintenance of the fuel cell system. The fuel cell system then may be activated from an inactive condition according to the start time, or start condition, by initiating delivery of at least fuel, and optionally oxidant, to a fuel cell stack of the system. Power then may be supplied from the activated fuel cell system at an output voltage that is higher than a voltage at which power from the primary power source is being supplied, such that the applied load is satisfied, at least in part, by the power from the fuel cell system instead of the power from the primary power source. Upon operation of the fuel cell system for a period sufficient to rehydrate the fuel cell stack, operation of the fuel cell system may be discontinued, with the primary power source resuming supplying power to satisfy the applied load from the energy-consuming assembly. | 12-04-2008 |
20080299421 | Method for Analyzing the Performance of Mea and Segmented Cell Used for the Method - A separation plate having a gas flow path is segmented for analyzing MEA performance without segmenting an electrode or a gas diffusion layer. In advance, a MEA is operated for a long time in a real stack environment using a typical separation plate which is not segmented, and then the segmented separation plate for analyzing MEA performance is mounted to the MEA. | 12-04-2008 |
20080299422 | Hydrogen Sensor Cell For Detecting Contaminants - A fuel cell stack includes at least one fuel cell having a fuel inlet for directing a hydrogen fuel to the fuel cell to generate electric current; a sensor cell having an anode, a cathode and a membrane between the anode and the cathode, the anode being communicated with the fuel inlet to receive a portion of fuel from the fuel inlet, the sensor cell being connected across the stack to carry the electric current whereby hydrogen from the portion of fuel is electrochemically pumped to the cathode of the sensor cell; and a sensor communicated with the sensor cell to receive a signal corresponding to evolution of hydrogen from the anode to the cathode of the sensor cell and adapted to detect contaminants in the fuel based upon the signal. | 12-04-2008 |
20080305369 | Fuel Cell Operating Method and Apparatus For the Same - There is a problem in that a gas pressure in an oxygen container of an oxygen supply device is high, thereby causing a mounting cost for charging gas into the oxygen container. Further, there is also a problem in terms of safety at a time of operation. A hydrogen occluding alloy container ( | 12-11-2008 |
20080305370 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING A FUEL CELL - The invention provides an improved fuel cell system and a method of operating a fuel cell, which ensure that the fuel cell can be operated at high efficiency without irreversible damage. The fuel cell system according to the invention has at least one fuel cell with a fuel cell stack and with separator plates, which are equipped with inlets and outlets for a heat transfer medium, a thermostat, a heat transfer medium circuit, which has a transport device for the heat transfer medium and includes at least the fuel cell and the thermostat, at least one temperature sensor for the fuel cell and a monitoring and control unit for the temperature of the fuel cell. With the invention it is possible to operate the fuel cell in a range close to the preset optimum operating temperature. | 12-11-2008 |
20080311437 | METHOD FOR FUEL CELL START-UP WITH UNIFORM HYDROGEN FLOW - A fuel cell system is provided having a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cells. The fuel cell system includes an anode supply manifold in fluid communication with the plurality of fuel cells, the anode supply manifold adapted to deliver a anode supply stream to the plurality of fuel cells; an anode exhaust manifold in fluid communication with the anodes of the plurality of fuel cells, the anode exhaust manifold adapted to receive an anode exhaust stream from the plurality of fuel cells; a first valve in fluid communication with the anode supply manifold; and a second valve in fluid communication with the anode exhaust manifold. A method of starting the fuel cell system is also provided. The fuel cell system and method militates against a non-uniform distribution of the anode supply stream to the anodes of the plurality of fuel cells. | 12-18-2008 |
20080311438 | FUEL CELL HUMIDITY CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD - A control system for controlling the amount of water in at least one fluid stream that is passed through a fuel cell stack comprises a humidifier arrangement, a sensor and a controller. The humidifier arrangement is operable to humidify the fluid stream. The sensor is disposed downstream of the humidifier arrangement and configured to measure at least one characteristic of the fluid stream. The at least one characteristic of fluid stream is indicative of the amount of water in the fluid stream. The controller is configured to receive a signal from the sensor and to use the signal to determine a difference between an amount of water in the fluid stream and a target amount of water. The controller is operable to control the humidifier arrangement to control the amount of water in the fluid stream based on the difference. | 12-18-2008 |
20080311439 | Shut-down procedure for a fuel cell fed with pure oxygen - A shut-down procedure for an electricity delivery system comprising a fuel cell, the cell being fed with pure oxygen as oxidant and delivering an electrical voltage to an electrical power line. The electricity delivery system comprises a fuel gas circuit on the anode side, and a pure oxygen circuit on the cathode side. The shut-down procedure comprises the steps of an initial step during which the oxygen gas feed is interrupted, and an electrical consumption phase during which a hold current is drawn from the fuel cell until the pressure in the oxygen circuit reaches the water vapour pressure. | 12-18-2008 |
20080318089 | Fast Locally Resolved Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells - A fuel cell, such as a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, includes an anode reactant supply plate, an anode current collector, a cathode reactant supply plate, and a cathode current collector. At least one of the anode reactant supply plate, the cathode reactant supply plate, the anode current collector and the cathode current collector is electrically separated into a number of segments, wherein each segment of at least a subgroup of segments is separately connected to an electronic drive and analysis circuitry which performs in parallel impedance measurement in a frequency range of 0.1 mHz to 50 kHz of the respective segments. | 12-25-2008 |
20080318090 | Method For Operating a Direct Oxidation Fuel Cell and Corresponding Arrangement - The invention relates to a method for operating a direct oxidation fuel cell in which the fuel cell is supplied generally with methanol via a transport device for the fuel. The invention likewise relates to a corresponding arrangement comprising a direct oxidation fuel cell, a fuel reservoir and at least one device for transporting the fuel through the fuel cell. | 12-25-2008 |
20080318091 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF OPERATING A HIGH-TEMPERATURE FUEL CELL - The invention relates to a method and to a system of operating a high-temperature fuel cell. At least one fuel cell, a reformer, an afterburner and a heat exchanger are present in the system. The total efficiency should be increased with the invention in accordance with the object set. In accordance with the invention, for this purpose, fresh air supplied to the fuel cell(s) at the cathode side is preheated in multiple stages by heat from the afterburning and from the heated air dissipated from the fuel cell(s) at the cathode side by means of a high-temperature heat exchanger. | 12-25-2008 |
20080318092 | Co-production of hydrogen and electricity in a high temperature electrochemical system - A high temperature electrochemical system, such as a solid oxide fuel cell system, generates hydrogen and optionally electricity in a fuel cell mode. At least a part of the generated hydrogen is separated and stored or provided to a hydrogen using device. A solid oxide regenerative fuel cell system stores carbon dioxide in a fuel cell mode. The system generates a methane fuel in an electrolysis mode from the stored carbon dioxide and water by using a Sabatier subsystem. Alternatively, the system generates a hydrogen fuel in an electrolysis mode from water alone. | 12-25-2008 |
20090004513 | METHOD TO MAXIMIZE FUEL CELL STACK SHORTING RESISTANCE - A method of producing a fuel cell stack is disclosed, the method including the steps of compressing the fuel cell stack at a first pressure and compressing the fuel cell stack at a second pressure higher than the first pressure, wherein a shorting resistance of fuel cells in the fuel cell stack is maximized and a durability of the fuel cell stack is maximized. | 01-01-2009 |
20090004514 | Method of Selecting Non-Humidification Operation Condition of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell - The invention relates to fuel cell non-humidification operation, specifically to—a method on dry operation condition selection, wherein under condition of inputting dry gas, applying predetermined temperature, pressure and the input flow of the dry gas and detecting the temporary current-voltage curve of the cell. The selection method of this invention can realize steady operation of the cell under non-humidification condition and avoid the dehydration problem of the membrane under the dry gas as well as the “flood” phenomena. The present invention can be applied to not only normal temperature work condition, but also the start and run of the fuel cell under zero degree temperature condition especially. It can simplify the system of the fuel cell and therefore improve the development of the fuel cell. | 01-01-2009 |
20090004515 | Fuel Cell and Method of Operating Fuel Cell - A fuel cell stack is divided into a main power generation portion and a sub power generation portion. A variable load large in variation of output current is connected to the main power generation portion located upstream in a fuel flow and a steady load small in variation of output current is connected to the sub power generation portion located downstream in the fuel flow. This causes a fuel cell unit constituting the sub power generation portion to continue consuming a constant fuel by constant power generation and also causes hydrogen gas to continue flowing at a constant flow rate into the fuel cell unit, thereby preventing impurity gas concentrated and stored in the fuel cell unit from diffusing toward the upstream. | 01-01-2009 |
20090011287 | High temperature fuel cell stack and fuel cell having the same - In a fuel cell, a fuel cell stack for high temperature comprises: a main body of the fuel cell having an electrolyte membrane, and an anode electrode and a cathode electrode bonded to both sides of the electrolyte membrane for generating electric energy by electro-chemically reacting fuel supplied to the anode electrode and oxidizer supplied to the cathode electrode; and a heater having a chamber attached to the main body of the fuel cell and an oxidation catalyst installed inside the chamber. The heater generates heat by oxidizing fuel supplied to the inside of the chamber, and heats the main body of the fuel cell with the generated heat. According to the present invention, it is possible to significantly reduce the starting time of the main body of the fuel cell, and to easily control a starting temperature of the main body of the fuel cell. | 01-08-2009 |
20090011288 | Circulation of Gas-Entrained Fuel Cell Coolant - Coolant velocity greater than zero everywhere within the coolant channels ( | 01-08-2009 |
20090011289 | DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL SYSTEMS WITH REGULATED FUEL CONCENTRATION AND OXIDANT FLOW - A direct oxidation fuel cell (DOFC) system, comprises at least one fuel cell assembly including a cathode and an anode with an electrolyte positioned therebetween; a source of liquid fuel in fluid communication with an inlet of the anode; an oxidant supply in fluid communication with an inlet of the cathode; a liquid/gas (L/G) separator in fluid communication with outlets of the anode and cathode for: (1) receiving unreacted fuel and liquid and gaseous products, and (2) supplying a solution of fuel and liquid product to the anode inlet; and a control system for measuring the amount of liquid product and controlling oxidant stoichiometry of the system operation in response to the measured amount of liquid product. Alternatively, the control system controls the concentration of the liquid fuel in the solution supplied to the anode inlet, based upon the system operating temperature or output power. | 01-08-2009 |
20090017340 | CONTROL METHOD FOR COLD FUEL CELL SYSTEM OPERATION - A method of operating a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell and a compressor that provides air to the fuel cell. The method comprises sensing a temperature indicative of the temperature of a fuel cell, providing a restriction in an air flow path to the fuel cell when the sensed temperature is below a threshold, and increasing the speed of the compressor to provide a desired air flow to the fuel cell. In at least some implementations, increasing the speed of the compressor increases the power drawn from the fuel cell to power the compressor and helps to increase the heat of the fuel cell. The increased speed of the compressor can also result in warmer air flow from the compressor that can further increase the temperature of the system components. | 01-15-2009 |
20090017341 | Air electrode composition for intermediate temperature electrochemical devices - A composition of matter and method of use of an electrode for intermediate temperature electrochemical devices. An electrode consists essentially of a perovskite based oxide having a composition of La | 01-15-2009 |
20090017342 | FUEL CELL WITH SWITCHING ELECTRODES - A fuel cell includes a fuel source, an oxidizer source, and a plurality of electrodes each having a surface provided with an electrolyte. Relative movement is permitted between the electrodes and the fuel and oxidizer sources such that, when the electrodes are coupled to a load, each electrode is switched between (a) an anode condition wherein the electrode communicates with the fuel source for oxidizing the fuel and conducting electrons from the oxidized fuel to the load, and (b) a cathode condition wherein the electrode communicates with the oxidizer source and receives electrons from the load for reducing the oxidizer. The fuel cell also includes a driver to affect the relative movement between the electrodes and the fuel and oxidizer sources so as to continuously switch the electrodes between the anode and cathode conditions. | 01-15-2009 |
20090017343 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM HAVING PHOSPHORIC ACID POLYMER ELECTROLYTE MEMBRANE AND METHOD OF STARTING THE SAME - A method of starting a fuel cell system and a fuel cell system including: a fuel cell stack having a phosphoric acid polymer electrolyte membrane, in which an electrochemical reaction occurs using hydrogen and oxygen; a cooling water circulating unit that supplies heated cooling water to the stack to increase the temperature of the stack; and an air circulating unit that provides heated air, as a source of the oxygen, to the stack. The circulating unit can include a heating unit to directly heat the air and/or a heat exchanger to heat the air using air exhausted from the stack. The temperature of the stack can be rapidly increased by supplying the heated air and by generating an endothermic reaction in the stack. The condensation of water vapor in the stack is repressed while the stack is heated, by the heating of the air and/or by increasing the pressure of the air. | 01-15-2009 |
20090017344 | Composite Water Management Electrolyte Membrane For A Fuel Cell - A composite electrolyte membrane ( | 01-15-2009 |
20090023019 | BIDIRECTIONAL WATER SEPARATOR - A flow shifting fuel cell with water separator. The water separator is used to control the amount of moisture that passes through the anode flowpath of one or more fuel cells in one or more fuel cell stacks. The water separator is made up of a housing to direct the flow of a moisture-bearing fluid as well as act as a collection and container for separated moisture. Fluid that is cyclically passing through the fuel cell stack as part of its flow shifting mode of operation oscillates back and forth across a separation chamber formed within the water separator, thereby allowing bidirectional control of the moisture content within the fluid. A drain is formed in the separation chamber to allow removal of condensed water. | 01-22-2009 |
20090029196 | Dry method of making a gas diffusion electrode - A substantially dry method of making a gas diffusion electrode such as, e.g., an air cathode for a fuel cell or a metal-air battery cell. The method comprises forming an intimate mixture of catalytically active carbon particles and particles of a wet-proofing agent into a web; combining under pressure the web of with a current collector to form a current collector-web composite; and attaching a porous sheet of a fluorinated polymer to one side of the current collector-web composite of to form an air cathode. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. | 01-29-2009 |
20090029197 | FUEL CELL APPARATUS, VEHICLE INCLUDING THE FUEL CELL APPARATUS, AND POWER MANAGEMENT METHOD FOR A SYSTEM EQUIPPED WITH FUEL CELL UNIT - Variation of the amount of power to be produced by a fuel cell unit is limited in accordance with a relationship between an output voltage of the full cell unit and an oxidization-reduction potential of catalyst of a fuel cell of the fuel cell unit. The amount of power to be used to charge or discharged from a battery is then corrected according to the limited variation of the amount of power to be produced by the fuel cell unit | 01-29-2009 |
20090029198 | Influential fuel cell systems including effective cathodes and use with remediation efforts - Embodiments may include efficient fuel cell systems including an anode, a cathode, a lead-containing cathode catalyst, at least one proton exchange connector, and perhaps even an external circuit between the anode and the cathode. Other embodiments may include enhanced degradation of contaminants in environmental media such as perhaps petroleum hydrocarbon in groundwater with microbial fuel cells and the like. | 01-29-2009 |
20090029199 | Cathode Arrangements for Fuel Cells and Other Applications - The present invention generally relates to electrochemical devices such as fuel cells and, in particular, to cathode assemblies for use in such devices. In some aspects of the invention, the cathode assembly contains one or more channels able to transport a gas, such as air. In some cases, the channels may be defined by a cathode current collector and a cathode surrounding the cathode current collector, where the cathode current collector and the cathode define one or more channels. In some embodiments, the cathode contacts the current collector via one or more projections such that the cathode and the current collector are not in intimate contact. The cathode and the current collector, for example, may be in direct contact, and together define one or more spaces or conduits for gas flow. Other aspects of the invention relate to kits involving such cathode assemblies, methods of promoting the making or use of such cathode assemblies, and the like. | 01-29-2009 |
20090029200 | Fuel Cell System and Method to Prevent Freezing After Shut-Down - A fuel cell system has an apparatus sending gas to the fuel cell; a part calculating an amount of residual water in the fuel cell system based on an operating and an environmental condition; a part judging whether at least one state quantity value that includes a generating duration of the fuel cell, an amount of electric power generated, and an amount of temperature change of a coolant is equal to or less than a prescribed threshold value; a part calculating a sending apparatus operating time for decreasing the residual water amount to a prescribed value; and a control part operating the gas sending apparatus until the end of the operating time, wherein the operating time calculating part calculates a different operating time depending on whether one of the state quantity values is equal to or less than a prescribed threshold value. | 01-29-2009 |
20090029201 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system ( | 01-29-2009 |
20090035610 | PREHEATING ARRANGEMENT IN A FUEL CELL APPARATUS - The present invention relates to a preheating arrangement in a fuel cell apparatus, the fuel cell apparatus comprising at least a fuel cell unit, the fuel cells of which include an anode side and a cathode side and an electrolyte therebetween and in which fuel cell apparatus there is at least a fuel inlet into the anode side and an oxygen-containing gas inlet into the cathode side as well as a de-sulphuring unit and a fuel modifying unit and an afterburner for combusting the exhaust gases of the anode and/or cathode sides. According to the invention, a separate fuel channel has been arranged for the afterburner for introducing fuel to the afterburner at least during the start-up phase of the fuel cell apparatus and that at least a portion of the exhaust gases formed in the combustion of the separately fed fuel is arranged to be directed during the start-up phase of the fuel cell apparatus from the afterburner for heating at least the de-sulphuring unit and/or the fuel modifying unit. | 02-05-2009 |
20090035611 | METHOD OF STARTING FUEL CELL SYSTEM - Provided is a method of starting a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack by rapidly increasing the temperature of the PEMFC stack. The PEMFC stack includes: a first flow line that is connected to upper parts of cooling plates installed in a plurality of unit cells of the PEMFC stack; a second flow line that is connected to lower parts of the cooling plates; a coolant reservoir installed between the first flow line and the second flow line; a heat exchanger installed between the first flow line and the coolant reservoir; a by-pass line that connects a point between the coolant reservoir and the second flow line, to the first flow line; a heating element that heats coolant in the by-pass line; a first valve installed between the first flow line and the heat exchanger; and a second valve that selectively connects the coolant reservoir, the second flow line, and the by-pass line. The method of starting a PEMFC stack includes: closing the first valve and controlling the second valve so that the second flow line and the by-pass line are connected to each other, and the coolant in the coolant reservoir is not connected to the second flow line and the by-pass line; and increasing the temperature of the PEMFC stack by heating the coolant in the by-pass line, using the heating element. | 02-05-2009 |
20090035612 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - In a fuel cell system of the invention, a hydrogen leakage detection process closes a shutoff valve, which shuts off a supply of hydrogen from a hydrogen supply unit into a hydrogen supply flow path, and opens a pressure regulator, which reduces a pressure of hydrogen in the hydrogen supply flow path, so as to keep the hydrogen supply flow path in a state with no pressure regulation and make the fuel cell system in a leakage detectable state. In this leakage detectable state, the hydrogen leakage detection process measures at least one of a pressure and a flow rate as a state quantity of hydrogen in the hydrogen supply flow path that feeds the supply of hydrogen to fuel cells. The hydrogen leakage detection process analyzes a detected behavior of the state quantity in the leakage detectable process and specifies the occurrence of a hydrogen leakage in the downstream of the hydrogen supply unit. This arrangement enables highly accurate detection of a hydrogen leakage in the fuel cell system with the pressure regulator provided in the hydrogen supply flow path. | 02-05-2009 |
20090035613 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - The present invention provides a fuel cell system having means for controlling the flow of coolant within a fuel cell system. A desirable rate of flow of coolant is created, during power generation, by determining the difference in temperature between coolant flowing into individual cell sets of the fuel cell assembly and the temperature of coolant exhausted from the cell assembly. The fuel cell system features controls adapted to evaluate the heat generation state of each fuel cell set and to regulate the temperature of cell sets by controlling the rate circulation of the coolant. | 02-05-2009 |
20090035614 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME - A fuel cell system including: a fuel cell including a fuel gas channel and an oxidant gas channel, which is configured to generate electricity using a fuel gas and an oxidant gas; a diluting unit configured to dilute gas discharged from the fuel gas channel by mixing the discharged gas with a dilution gas which is supplied from an oxidant gas supply unit and passed through and discharged from the fuel cell, and to exhaust the diluted gas to outside; a purge valve configured to purge gas in the fuel gas channel to the diluting unit; a scavenging unit configured to scavenge the fuel gas channel and the oxidant gas channel; and a dilution assist unit configured to supply a dilution assist gas to the diluting unit through an assist passage connected to the diluting unit to assist dilution in the diluting unit, during scavenging by the scavenging unit. | 02-05-2009 |
20090035615 | Gas Diffusion Electrode for Electrolyte-Percolating Cells - The invention relates to a gas-diffusion electrode for chlor-alkali electrolysis cells integrated in a percolator of plastic porous material suitable for being vertically crossed by a downward flow of electrolyte. The electrode comprises a catalytic composition based on silver and/or nickel mixed to a polymeric binder, directly supported on the percolator without any interposed reticulated metal current collector. | 02-05-2009 |
20090035616 | Full cells evaporative cooling and combined evaporative and sensible cooling - Water passageways ( | 02-05-2009 |
20090042067 | MEMBRANE/ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY FOR POLYMER ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELL - A membrane/electrode assembly for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, comprising an anode and a cathode each having a catalyst layer containing a proton conductive polymer, and a polymer electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode, wherein the proton conductive polymer has an electrical conductivity of at least 0.07 S/cm at a temperature of 80° C. at a relative humidity of 40% and has a water content less than 150 mass %. | 02-12-2009 |
20090042068 | Hot box design with a multi-stream heat exchanger and single air control - A fuel cell stack module includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks, an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) which is located in a heat transfer relationship with the plurality of fuel cell stacks, a base supporting the plurality of fuel cell stacks and the ATO, and at least one heat exchanger located in the base. An ATO exhaust stream and an anode exhaust stream from the fuel cell stacks heat the stack fuel and air inlet streams in a multi-stream heat exchanger. | 02-12-2009 |
20090042069 | SOLID POLYMER ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELL ASSEMBLY, FUEL CELL STACK, AND METHOD OF OPERATING CELL ASSEMBLY - A cell assembly is formed by stacking a first unit cell and a second unit cell to each other. The first unit cell includes a first unified body, and the second unit cell includes a second unified body. In the cell assembly, the first and second unit cells have structures different from each other. | 02-12-2009 |
20090047551 | METHODS OF OPERATING FUEL CELL SYSTEMS HAVING A HUMIDIFICATION DEVICE - A method of operating a fuel cell system having a fuel cell stack and a humidifier is disclosed. The method includes directing at least a portion of the reactant gas through the reactant chamber of the humidifier, directing at least a portion of the exhaust gas through the exhaust chamber of the humidifier, determining the first pressure drop of the exhaust gas directed through the exhaust chamber, determining the first pressure drop limit of the exhaust gas directed through the exhaust chamber, and bypassing the remainder portion of the exhaust gas from the exhaust gas outlet around the exhaust chamber through the exhaust bypass passageway so that the first pressure drop does not exceed the determined first pressure drop limit. | 02-19-2009 |
20090047552 | HUMIDITY GAS CONDITIONER - A system and method for conditioning the temperature of at least one fluid stream that is passed through a fuel cell stack is provided. The system comprises a system module, at least one inlet and a conditioning device. The system module is operable to humidify the fluid stream to a reach a predetermined humidity level that corresponds to a predetermined temperature. The one inlet of the fuel cell stack receives the fluid stream at a first temperature that is different from the predetermined temperature. The fuel cell stack includes at least one outlet operable to present coolant having a temperature that is different from the first temperature of the fluid stream. The conditioning device is operable to receive the fluid stream and the coolant and present the fluid stream to the coolant to change the first temperature of the fluid stream to be equal to the predetermined temperature. | 02-19-2009 |
20090047553 | Fuel cell system and method for judging fuel gas leak in a fuel cell system - A high-precision gas leak judgment comparable to that when the fuel cell is operating normally is achieved even when a fuel cell is restarted. A gas leak judgment unit (for example ECU | 02-19-2009 |
20090053563 | PLATE FOR A FUEL CELL ASSEMBLY - A unitized plate such as a bipolar plate for a fuel cell assembly is provided. The unitized plate includes a plurality of active regions electrically insulated from one another, and a plurality of inlet and outlet apertures formed in the plate. Each of the active regions is in fluid communication with a dedicated inlet aperture adapted to selectively deliver gaseous reactants thereto. A fuel cell assembly having a plurality of independently operable fuel cell stack units, and a method for operating the fuel cell assembly, is also provided. | 02-26-2009 |
20090053564 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPERATING FUEL CELL STACKS TO REDUCE NON-STEADY STATE CONDITIONS DURING LOAD TRANSIENTS - Methods and systems for reducing irregularities in temperature distribution in the operation of a fuel cell stack during a load transient based on the actual stack outlet temperature. In representative embodiments, the coolant flow rate and/or the oxidant stoichiometry is adjusted during a load transient based on a determined value for the same in view on the actual stack outlet temperature. As a result, the fuel cell reaches steady state conditions more quickly, thus reducing periods of non-steady state fuel cell operation. | 02-26-2009 |
20090061262 | Retaining water in a fuel cell stack for cooling and humidification during frozen startup - A fuel cell power plant ( | 03-05-2009 |
20090061263 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ESTIMATING OUTPUT CHARACTERISTIC OF FUEL CELL - A fuel cell system according to the invention includes: a detecting unit ( | 03-05-2009 |
20090068504 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VERIFYING FUEL CELL FEED LINE FUNCTIONALITY - Systems and methods for verifying fuel cell system functionality are provided. Various tests and/or exercises may be executed while the fuel cell system is in standby mode to detect potential sources of malfunction. In some examples, one or more tests may be designed to detect leaks or ruptures in various reactant supply lines and/or to test the functionality of various valves associated therewith. A controller may be provided to automatically perform the disclosed tests. In certain examples, the disclosed tests may be conducted without the need to provide each component of a fuel cell system with individual electrical feedback. | 03-12-2009 |
20090068505 | Electrocatalyst for Alcohol Oxidation at Fuel Cell Anodes - In some embodiments a ternary electrocatalyst is provided. The electrocatalyst can be used in an anode for oxidizing alcohol in a fuel cell. In some embodiments, the ternary electrocatalyst may include a noble metal particle having a surface decorated with clusters of SnO | 03-12-2009 |
20090068506 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MONITORING INTERNAL STATE OF FUEL CELL - An internal state monitoring device for a fuel cell having multiple separators and an electrolyte sandwiched therebetween includes multiple electrodes for electrical conduction with multiple regions on a surface of a first separator at prescribed contact points in the fuel cell, a collecting portion for collecting currents flowing through the electrodes to give them the same electric potential, sensors for measuring the currents flowing through the electrodes, a load device connected to the fuel cell via the collecting portion and a second separator for variably controlling a load applied between the collecting portion and the second separator, and an extracting-monitoring device for extracting alternating current components, contained in each of the measured electrode currents, generated in response to a change in the load and monitoring the distribution of a state quantity of resistance polarization in the fuel cell based on each of the extracted alternating current components. | 03-12-2009 |
20090075127 | METHOD FOR MEASURING HIGH-FREQUENCY RESISTANCE OF FUEL CELL IN A VEHICLE - A transient load can be applied to a fuel cell stack to generate an AC voltage across and an AC current through the fuel cell stack. The AC voltage and AC current can be used to ascertain an impedance of the fuel cell stack. The ascertained impedance can be correlated to a state of hydration of the fuel cell stack thereby providing an independent determination of the state of hydration. The independently determined state of hydration can be used as a diagnostic tool to verify a different independent determination of the state of hydration and/or as an input for controlling operation of the fuel cell stack. | 03-19-2009 |
20090075128 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system includes: a cell including an anode flow channel plate having a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet the cell generating power by reaction of the fuel with air; a circulation pump; and a check valve between the fuel outlet and the buffer tank shutting off flowing the fuel in a reverse direction, wherein the circulation pump rotate reversely to flow the fuel in the reverse direction and to collect the fuel from the cell through the fuel inlet to the buffer tank, after completion of the generation of the power. | 03-19-2009 |
20090075129 | MICROFLUIDIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF USE - A microfluidic device and sensing method that utilize a resonating tube configured to have sufficient sensitivity to be capable of sensing the volume of a gas present as bubbles in a liquid or the flow rate and/or density of a gas or gas mixture flowing through the tube. The tube has a freestanding tube portion supported above a surface of a substrate so as to be capable of vibrating in a plane normal to the surface of the substrate. As a gas-containing fluid flows through an internal passage of the tube, a drive signal vibrates the freestanding tube portion at a resonant frequency thereof. Coriolis-induced deflections of the freestanding tube portion are sensed relative to the substrate to produce an output corresponding to the sensed deflections, and the drive signal and/or the output are assessed to determine the volume, density and/or flow rate of the gas of the gas-containing fluid. | 03-19-2009 |
20090081489 | ON-LINE SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION AND CONTROL OF FUEL CELL HUMIDIFICATION VIA HFR MEASUREMENTS - A fuel cell system is provided, including an HFR measurement device in electrical communication with a fuel cell stack. The HFR measurement is used online to measure an HFR of the fuel cell stack suitable for calculation of a d(HFR)/d(RH) ratio. A humidity regulator is provided in fluid communication with the fuel cell stack. A controller periodically changes stack operating conditions to perturb an RH of the fuel cell stack, process the HFR response, and compute the d(HFR)/d(RH) ratio. A method for online identification and control of the fuel cell stack humidification is also provided. The d(HFR)/d(RH) ratio is an auxiliary measurement of membrane hydration which is used as a feedback for hydration control. | 03-26-2009 |
20090081490 | CLOSED-LOOP METHOD FOR FUEL CELL SYSTEM START-UP WITH LOW VOLTAGE SOURCE - A fuel cell system is provided that includes a fuel cell stack and an air compressor in communication with a cathode inlet, a hydrogen source in communication with an anode inlet, and a start-up battery adapted to power the air compressor. The start-up battery is at least one of a low-voltage battery and a high-voltage battery. A pressure sensor is in communication with the air compressor and adapted to measure a compressor outlet pressure. A power conversion module is in electrical communication with the start-up battery and the air compressor. A controller is in communication with the power conversion module and adapted to set an air compressor speed based on an available electrical energy. A closed-loop method of operating the fuel cell system at start-up is also provided, wherein an anode purge is scheduled based on an air flow rate calculated from the compressor outlet pressure and the actual speed. | 03-26-2009 |
20090081491 | Method for Fast and Reliable Fuel Cell System Start-Ups - A method for providing a fast and reliable start-up of a fuel cell system. The method uses a stack voltage response to a load to assess if hydrogen and oxygen are being sufficiently distributed to all of the fuel cells by coupling an auxiliary load to the fuel cell stack until a predetermined minimum cell voltage has been reached or a first predetermined time period has elapsed. The method then determines whether a minimum cell voltage has dropped to a first predetermined voltage and, if so, reduces the maximum power allowed to be below the first predetermined voltage value, determines whether the minimum cell voltage in the stack is below a second predetermined voltage, or determines whether the minimum cell voltage drop rate is greater than a predetermined voltage drop rate. If none of these conditions are met, the method returns to loading the stack with system components. | 03-26-2009 |
20090081492 | Fuel Cell System, Moving Object Equipped With Fuel Cell System, and Abnormality Judgement Method For Fuel Cell System - A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a hydrogen gas pipework system for supplying hydrogen gas to the fuel cell, an injector which adjusts the gas state of the hydrogen gas pipework system in its upstream side and supplies it to its downstream side, and a control device which controls the drive of the injector in a predetermined drive period. This control device judges the presence of an abnormality in the hydrogen gas pipework system, based on a target injection amount for the injector and the detected pressure in the hydrogen gas pipework system. | 03-26-2009 |
20090081493 | FUEL CELL SYSTEMS INCLUDING SPACE-SAVING FLUID PLENUM AND RELATED METHODS - Fuel cell systems and methods having reduced volumetric requirements are described. The systems include, among other things, an enclosed region formed by the bonding of a fuel cell layer with a fluid manifold. The enclosed region transforms into a fluid plenum when, for example, a fluid exiting a manifold outlet pressurizes the enclosed region causing one or more portions of the fuel cell layer and/or the fluid manifold to deform away from each other. | 03-26-2009 |
20090081494 | METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL PARTS COMPRISING MATERIAL DEPOSITION PROCESSES - The present invention relates to the resultant products, the method and apparatus to produce electrochemical cell parts using a material deposition process or processes and specially developed inks appropriate to the specific application requirements at each location on the bipolar plate and can include the gas diffusion layer and the specific deposition of the catalyst and the seals. | 03-26-2009 |
20090081495 | GAS CONTROL AND OPERATION METHOD OF A FUEL CELL SYSTEM FOR WATER AND GAS DISTRIBUTION - A gas control and operation method of a fuel cell system for improved water and gas distribution is disclosed. The present invention provides for a mechanization of a fuel cell system that allows control of the anode reactant and anode effluent through the anode portions of the fuel cell system to improve water and gas distribution on the anode side of the fuel cells that increases the voltage stability of the fuel cells. | 03-26-2009 |
20090087697 | MICRO-SCALE ENERGY CONVERSION DEVICES AND METHODS - In various aspects, provided are solid oxide fuel cells with an operational temperature of less than about 500° C. that can provide, in various embodiments, a power density of greater than about 0. 1 W/cm | 04-02-2009 |
20090087698 | MEMBRANE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY WITH HYDROGENATABLE MATERIAL FOR A FUEL CELL - The invention relates to a membrane-electrode assembly ( | 04-02-2009 |
20090087699 | DRAINAGE SYSTEM FOR FUEL CELL - A drainage system for a fuel cell, including a gas-liquid separator configured to separate fuel gas and liquid water from a gas-liquid mixture discharged from the fuel cell, a water tank configured to receive the liquid water separated by the gas-liquid separator, a drain valve in fluid communication with the water tank, the drain valve configured to selectively discharge the liquid water from the water tank, and a control unit configured to selectively open and close the drain valve. The water tank includes a lower portion having a first horizontal cross sectional area and an upper portion having a second horizontal cross sectional area, the first horizontal cross sectional area being smaller than the second horizontal cross sectional area. The control unit opens and closes the drain valve to maintain a first water level within the upper portion of the water tank when the fuel cell is in an operating state and to maintain a second water level within the lower portion of the water tank when the fuel cell is in a stopped state. | 04-02-2009 |
20090087700 | Operation of a Fuel Cell - A fuel cell assembly comprises a fuel cell stack ( | 04-02-2009 |
20090087701 | METHOD OF SHUTDOWN OF REFORMING APPARATUS - In a shutdown method for a reforming apparatus, shutdown is carried out without exhausting untreated carbon monoxide as it is, the durability of catalyzer is inhibited from being lowered despite the repetition of start-up and shutdown, the shutdown is carried out without lowering the durability of a reforming section, and the shutdown is carried out with a little loss in energy. A control device for the reforming apparatus commences purge of residual gas in the reforming apparatus by stopping the supply of reforming fuel to the reforming section, by stopping the supply of reforming water to an evaporator section, and by supplying the reforming water remaining in the evaporator section to the reforming section while evaporating the reforming water by the utilization of the remaining heat of the reforming apparatus and flows oxidizing air for a predetermined period of time only from the time point of the commencement of the purge. | 04-02-2009 |
20090087702 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system and method of controlling a fuel cell system capable of preventing deterioration in performance when the system reinitiates a normal operation from an idle stop state. For a predetermined time after reinitiating the supply of fuel gas and oxidant gas from the idle stop state, discharge of off-gas occurs and the cessation of fuel gas and oxidant gas supply is prohibited. | 04-02-2009 |
20090092866 | STARTUP METHOD FOR FUEL CELL STACK STRUCTURE, TEMPERATURE CONTROL METHOD FOR FUEL CELL STACK STRUCTURE, AND FUEL CELL STACK STRUCTURE - A fuel cell stack structure and a method of starting up the fuel cell stack structure are disclosed. The fuel cell stack structure includes a stack of a plurality of solid electrolyte fuel cells, each equipped with a solid electrolyte simplex cell accommodated in a cell space surrounded by a metallic thin plate-like separator and having one surface exposed to the outside, and a gas flow channel formed in and extending through the solid electrolyte fuel cells to supply gas to the respective cell space areas of the solid electrolyte fuel cells, wherein an area with high-heat capacity is preferentially supplied with and heated by high temperature gas at the stage of increasing temperatures of the plurality of solid electrolyte fuel cells during startup thereof. | 04-09-2009 |
20090092867 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A method for operating a fuel cell system includes: disconnecting a connection between a cell and an electrical load, driving a fan and a circulation pump so as to circulate the fuel in a route from a buffer unit to the buffer unit through an anode electrode of the cell with a secondary battery when a detected amount of the fuel stored in a buffer unit is larger than a an upper-limit threshold value and a detected temperature of the cell or fuel is lower than or equal to a temperature threshold value. | 04-09-2009 |
20090092868 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - It is prevented that when a system is left unused, carried carbon ion a cathode-side catalyst to lower a power generation performance. The molar quantities of hydrogen and oxygen in a fuel gas supply/discharge system and an oxidizing gas supply/discharge system with respect to a fuel cell are calculated, and control is performed so that the molar ratio of hydrogen and oxygen which can chemically be reacted in a fuel gas and an oxidizing gas during the stop of the fuel cell is 2 or more. Hydrogen is preferably supplied in accordance with the magnitude of a cell voltage in the fuel cell so as to maintain the molar ratio. Moreover, a gas passage in the oxidizing gas supply/discharge system is preferably provided with an inlet valve and an outlet valve for sealing the oxidizing gas in the gas passage. | 04-09-2009 |
20090098420 | DE-ALLOYED MEMBRANE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLIES IN FUEL CELLS - Embodiments disclosed herein present a method for membrane electrode assembly (MEA) fabrication in fuel cells utilizing de-alloyed nanoparticle membranes as electrodes. A method for fabrication of a fuel cell electrode assembly, comprising: preparing a catalyst coated membrane, forming a membrane electrode assembly, assembling a fuel cell, and de-alloying the membrane electrode assembly. Further disclosed is a fuel cell apparatus, comprising a de-alloyed catalyst and a cathode comprising, a first membrane electrode assembly, wherein the de-alloyed catalyst is coated on the membrane electrode assembly. | 04-16-2009 |
20090104477 | FUEL CELL AND INFORMATION DEVICE - The present invention relates to a fuel cell capable of transferring a power generation state and coupling information of the fuel cell to an external apparatus and relates to an information device capable of receiving power and information from the fuel cell. The fuel cell includes a fuel cell stack for generating electricity by an electrochemical reaction of a fuel and an oxidant; a fuel supplier for supplying the fuel to the fuel cell stack; a set of output terminals for outputting electricity generated from the fuel cell stack and for outputting information on a power generation state of the fuel cell; and a power supply information processing unit for applying a voltage level according to the information to any one of the set of output terminals. | 04-23-2009 |
20090104478 | Method for Controlling the Pressure in an Anode of a Fuel Cell, and a Fuel Cell - The invention relates to a method for controlling the pressure in an anode ( | 04-23-2009 |
20090104479 | FUEL CELL WITH AN ION WICK - The present disclosure relates to a proton exchange membrane fuel cell comprising an ionically conductive liquid fuel solution, an anode configured to remain in contact with the fuel regardless of the orientation of the fuel cell, and a wicking material disposed within the fuel cell such that a part of the wick is in contact with the liquid fuel solution in any orientation of the fuel cell and such that a portion of the wicking material is in contact with the solid proton exchange membrane in any orientation of the fuel cell. The wicking material provides an ion pathway for transporting ions generated around the anode to the proton exchange membrane. | 04-23-2009 |
20090110965 | METHOD FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO FUEL CELL - The present invention provides a method for supplying fuel to a fuel cell, which comprises steps of: (a) feeding a specific amount of a fuel into a fuel cell system; (b) determining a specific monitoring period according to a characteristic value measured from the fuel cell when subjected to a load; (c) detecting if the load is varying during the specific monitoring period ; and (d) selecting to proceed to the step (a) or (b) according the variation of the load. In one embodiment, the method further comprises a step (e) determining, if the load is not changed, whether the specific amount of fuel is enough to judge the timing for supplying the fuel. By the aforesaid method, the supplying of fuel to the fuel cell under dynamic load can be effectively controlled for optimizing the performance of the fuel cell without the use of fuel concentration sensor. | 04-30-2009 |
20090110966 | Method for Improving FCS Reliability After End Cell Heater Failure - A method for improving fuel cell system reliability in the event of end cell heater failure in a fuel cell stack. The method includes detecting that an end cell heater has failed. If an end cell heater failure is detected, then the method performs one or more of setting a cooling fluid pump to a predetermined speed that drives a cooling fluid through cooling fluid flow channels in the fuel cell stack, limiting the output power of the fuel cell stack or the net power of the fuel cell system, limiting the maximum temperature of the cooling fluid flowing out of the stack, turning off stack anti-flooding algorithms that may be used to remove water from reactant gas flow channels in the stack, and turning off cathode stoichiometry adjustments for relative humidity control in response to water accumulating in cathode flow channels in the fuel cell stack. | 04-30-2009 |
20090110967 | ELECTROLYTE MEMBRANE FOR POLYMER ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELL, PROCESS FOR ITS PRODUCTION, MEMBRANE/ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY FOR POLYMER ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELL AND METHOD OF OPERATING POLYMER ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELL - An electrolyte membrane for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, which comprises an ion exchange membrane made of a fluoropolymer having a softening temperature of at least 90° C. and having acidic groups, and contains cerium atoms. | 04-30-2009 |
20090110968 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING FUEL CONCENTRATION IN DIRECT LIQUID FUEL CELL - A direct liquid fuel cell and a method and an apparatus for controlling fuel concentration therein is provided. Fuel cell output current density is sensed to determine if it becomes lowered by more than a certain magnitude and is maintained for a constant time. Fuel cell output voltage is sensed from an initial output voltage just before a point in time when the current density is lowered, to a output voltage, the new output voltage being increased as the current density is lowered and being then maintained at a new level. The new output voltage is compared with a transient voltage sensed between the initial output voltage and the new output voltage. If the transient voltage is equal to or less than the new output voltage, the fuel concentration in a liquid fuel supplied to the fuel cell stack is increased. | 04-30-2009 |
20090110969 | METHOD OF OPERATING A SOLID POLYMER ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELL AND AGING APPARATUS - In a first aging step, a plus electrode electric potential is applied to an anode of a fuel cell, and a minus electrode electric potential is applied to a cathode of the fuel cell. In this state, hydrogen pump operation is performed at maximum current density in use by supplying humidified hydrogen to the anode without supplying any oxygen-containing gas to the cathode. Thus, the hydrogen passes through a solid polymer electrolyte membrane toward the cathode. After the first aging step, in a second aging step, power generation of the fuel cell is performed at the maximum current density. | 04-30-2009 |
20090110970 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM, CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR, AND MOVABLE BODY - A fuel cell system has produced water amount detection means that detects the amount of water produced in the fuel cell during low-efficiency operation of the system and gas supply limitation means that limits the amount of gas to be supplied to the fuel cell, based on the detected amount of water. The produced water amount detection means allows the amount of produced water to be correctly determined during low-efficiency operation of the fuel cell, thereby enabling the appropriate warm-up, and inhibits a condition, in which the amount of produced water is too large and warm up operation is hindered, to be generated. As a result, the amount of water produced during low-efficiency operation of the fuel cell is correctly determined and the appropriate warm-up is enabled. | 04-30-2009 |
20090110971 | SOLID POLYMER TYPE FUEL CELL SYSTEM FOR POWER GENERATION - A fuel cell system for power generation comprising a solid polymer type fuel cell having a solid polymer electrolyte membrane for separating an anode gas and a cathode gas, a resistor, an inverter, a switch for switching the inverter and the resister with respect to the fuel cell, the switch and the inverter, a supply conduit and discharge conduit for the anode gas and the cathode gas, and a supply vale and a discharge valve. When a molar ratio of the hydrogen contained in the anode gas to oxygen contained in the cathode gas becomes 2/1 or less at the time of the stop of the fuel cell, the supply valve for air is closed. | 04-30-2009 |
20090117417 | METHOD FOR MODEL BASED EXHAUST MIXING CONTROL IN A FUEL CELL APPLICATION - A system and method for controlling a bleed valve and a compressor in a fuel cell system during an anode exhaust gas bleed so as to maintain the concentration of hydrogen within a mixed cathode exhaust gas and anode gas below a predetermined percentage. The system uses a valve orifice model to calculate the flow rate of the anode exhaust gas through the bleed valve to identify how much airflow from the compressor is required to dilute the hydrogen in the anode gas to be below the predetermined percentage. The system also uses sensor inaccuracies and production tolerances in the valve orifice model to ensure that the concentration of hydrogen in the mixed anode and cathode exhaust gas is below the determined percentage. | 05-07-2009 |
20090117418 | FUEL CELL AND DRIVING METHOD FOR FUEL CELL - The present invention is a driving method of a fuel cell in which power is generated from a liquid fuel containing fuel and oxidant by a fuel cell main assembly | 05-07-2009 |
20090117419 | DRY-STATE DETECTING METHOD AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE SYSTEM FOR FUEL CELL, AND POWER CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - Provided are a dry-state detecting method and an electronic device system for a fuel cell, which detect the dry state of an electrolyte film precisely, and a power control method for optimizing the control of a starting time on the basis of the dry state detected. The fuel cell is constituted to include an electrolyte film, and a catalyst electrode and a gas diffusion electrode disposed on the two faces of the electrolyte film. The dry-state detecting method detects the dry state on the basis of a displacement of the electrolyte film in an in-plane direction. | 05-07-2009 |
20090117420 | METHOD FOR JUDGING SYSTEM CONDITION IN FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A method for rapidly judging abnormalities, such as a decrease in a residual fuel amount and valve leakage, using only one pressure detecting device, includes a step of detecting a pressure change per unit time by the pressure detecting device after switching the fuel cutoff device from a cutoff state to a flow state, and a step of judging, by a pressure state judging device, whether the fuel amount in a fuel tank is smaller than a predetermined residual amount by comparing the pressure change per unit time detected by the pressure detecting device with a predetermined pressure change. | 05-07-2009 |
20090117421 | METHOD OF OPERATING HYDROGEN AND POWER GENERATING SYSTEM - If the combination fuel cell and ion pump is judged to be operating in a hydrogen generation mode, an input amount of electricity supplied to the combination fuel cell and ion pump is controlled, so as to control an amount of refined hydrogen generated thereby. If the combination fuel cell and ion pump is judged to be operating in an electricity generation mode, an output amount of electricity supplied from the combination fuel cell and ion pump is controlled, so as to control an amount of electricity generated thereby. The input amount of electricity supplied to the combination fuel cell and ion pump, or the output amount of electricity supplied from the combination fuel cell and ion pump, is corrected based on the temperature of a combustor. | 05-07-2009 |
20090123785 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - A fuel cell system and a control method therefor are capable of improving power generation efficiency of the fuel cell more reliably during a normal operation. A fuel cell system is arranged along a vehicle frame of a motorcycle. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell having a cathode, an air pump which supplies the cathode with oxygen-containing air, and a CPU which controls operation of elements which constitute the fuel cell system. The CPU determines, depending on situations, whether or not to perform an oxygen-starving process which is a process of starving the cathode of the oxidizer during the normal operation, and stops the air pump when a determination is made to perform the oxygen-starving process. | 05-14-2009 |
20090123786 | System and method for switching a dual mode electrochemical cell stack between modes of operation - A system and technique for switching the polarity of an electrochemical cell stack to switch operation of the stack between a power producing mode of operation and an electrochemical pumping mode of operation is provided. The system and technique include a plurality of polarity switches that are switched between configurations in response to a mode select signal. | 05-14-2009 |
20090123787 | FUEL CELL POWER PLANT AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - When stopping an operation of a fuel cell power plant, a controller ( | 05-14-2009 |
20090123788 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND OPERATION METHOD THEREOF - The present invention includes a fuel cell ( | 05-14-2009 |
20090123789 | METHODS OF GAS CONFINEMENT WITHIN THE VOIDS OF CRYSTALLINE MATERIAL AND ARTICLES THEREOF - There is disclosed articles for and methods of confining volatile materials in the void volume defined by crystalline void materials. In one embodiment, the hydrogen isotopes are confined inside carbon nanotubes for storage and the production of energy. There is also disclosed a method of generating various reactions by confining the volatile materials inside the crystalline void structure and releasing the confined volatile material. In this embodiment, the released volatile material may be combined with a different material to initiate or sustain a chemical, thermal, nuclear, electrical, mechanical, or biological reaction. | 05-14-2009 |
20090123790 | System and Method For Purging Condensate From An Electrochemical Cell Stack Prior To Operation - A system and technique for purging condensate from an electrochemical cell stack prior to operating the stack in one of a power producing mode of operation and an electrochemical pumping mode of operation is provided. The system and technique include storing hydrogen in the anode and cathode chambers of the stack to place the stack in a shutdown state, purging the anode and cathode chambers of condensate prior to starting operation of the stack, and preventing a fuel starvation condition in the stack while purging by sequencing communication of a fuel flow and an oxidant flow to the anode chamber with an oxidant flow to the cathode chamber while purging the condensate. | 05-14-2009 |
20090123791 | HYDROGEN AND POWER GENERATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHUTTING DOWN THE SAME - A hydrogen and power generation system includes a reforming device for producing a reformed gas from a reformable raw fuel, a combination fuel cell and ion pump operable selectively in a hydrogen generation mode and an electricity generation mode, a PSA mechanism for removing an unwanted component from the hydrogen produced by the combination fuel cell and ion pump, the PSA mechanism | 05-14-2009 |
20090123792 | HIGH-TEMPERATURE FUEL CELL STACK - The invention relates to a high temperature fuel cell stack ( | 05-14-2009 |
20090123793 | Heat Transfer Compositions with High Electrical Resistance for Fuel Cell Assemblies - The present invention relates generally to heat transfer compositions. More particularly, the present invention relates to heat transfer compositions with high electrical resistance for use in power-generating equipment or in engines. Such compositions are particularly useful in fuel cell assemblies. | 05-14-2009 |
20090130497 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND STARTING METHOD THEREFOR - A fuel cell system and a starting method therefor are capable of setting a start-up mode which is appropriate to energy stored in a secondary battery so as to eliminate problems in starting the fuel cell system. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a secondary battery which is electrically connected with the fuel cell, a secondary-battery charge-amount detection unit which detects an amount of charge in the secondary battery, and a memory which stores at least one threshold value for determining the start-up mode of the fuel cell system. Stored electric energy which corresponds to the amount of charge in the secondary battery is calculated, and a start-up mode of the fuel cell system is determined based on the electric energy stored in the secondary battery and the threshold value stored in the memory. | 05-21-2009 |
20090130498 | METHOD FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE CATALYTIC AND PHOTOCATALYTIC PROCESSES BY MEAN OF LASER IRRADIATION - Method for the improvement of the catalytic and photo-catalytic processes by mean of laser or multiple laser irradiations applying to chemical components, when molecules, atoms, and electrons transfer into excited state. This method could be used for improving fuel cells performance and in chemical reactors, | 05-21-2009 |
20090130499 | Method for Activating Solid Acid Salt, High-Capacity Capacitor and Fuel Cell, Using Same - There is provided a method for activating a solid acid salt electrolyte capable of enhancing the proton conductivity of solid acid salts at a temperature at or below a point of phase transition to the super proton conducting phase, through humidity control, by taking advantage of this phenomenon. The method for activating a solid acid salt electrolyte, comprising the steps of preparing a solid acid salt electrolyte composed of cations and anions, and forcibly keeping the surface of the solid acid salt electrolyte at humidity in a range of 10 to 100% at temperature in a range of 10 to 80° C., whereby proton conductivity in the solid acid salt electrolyte is improved. | 05-21-2009 |
20090130500 | METHOD OF OPERATING A FUEL CELL STACK AT LOW PRESSURE AND LOW POWER CONDITIONS - A method of operating a low pressure drop fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of low pressure drop fuel cells wherein during low pressure and low power operation, a heat transfer rate of a cathode flow field plate of each fuel cell is greater than a heat transfer rate of an anode flow field plate of the same fuel cell. Thus, a temperature gradient is created between an anode electrode and a cathode electrode of each fuel cell, as well as reactant fluids in at least one anode flow field and at least one cathode flow field of the same fuel cell. | 05-21-2009 |
20090130501 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME - The invention relates to a fuel cell system and method comprising a reformer with a thermal starting device, at least one gas processing stage downstream of the reformer, at least one fuel cell disposed downstream of the gas processing stage and a plurality of bipolar plates, the fuel cell having an inner region of a reaction with anode, cathode and electrolyte, and an outer region with at least one cooling channel permitting a coolant to flow through the cooling channel, wherein the outer region is not in fluid connection with the inner region. Upstream of the fuel cell, the fuel cell system has a switching device, which is switchable between a start-up position and an operating position, wherein in the operating position the product gases from the reformer and/or the thermal starting device are guided to the inner region of the fuel cell. | 05-21-2009 |
20090130502 | TRANSITION METAL-CONTAINING CATALYSTS AND PROCESSES FOR THEIR PREPARATION AND USE AS FUEL CELL CATALYSTS - This invention relates to the field of fuel cell catalysts, and more particularly to fuel cell catalysts including carbon supports having compositions which comprise one or more transition metals in combination with nitrogen (e.g., a transition metal nitride) formed on or over the surface of a carbon support. The present invention also relates to methods for preparation of fuel cell catalysts. The present invention further relates to the use of fuel cell catalysts described herein in processes for the generation of electric power. | 05-21-2009 |
20090136788 | HUMIDITY SENSING DEVICE FOR USE IN FUEL CELL SYSTEMS - A humidity sensing device for measuring a humidity of a reactant stream in a fuel cell system is provided. The humidity sensing device includes a humidity sensor coupled to a sensor housing. The sensor housing is adapted to selectively move the humidity sensor to an operating position and to a non-operating position in the fuel cell system. A fuel cell system and a method employing the humidity sensing device in the fuel cell system is also provided. | 05-28-2009 |
20090136789 | Integrated Flow Field (IFF) Structure - The present disclosure relates in part to a flow field structure comprising a hydrophilic part and a hydrophilic part communicably attached to each other via a connecting interface. The present disclosure further relates to electrochemical cells comprising the aforementioned flow fields. | 05-28-2009 |
20090136790 | Regulating An Oxidizer In An Electrochemical Cell Pumping System - A technique includes operating an electrochemical cell as a pump, including providing a current to the cell and providing a fuel flow to an anode chamber of the cell. The technique includes communicating an anode exhaust flow from the anode chamber to an oxidizer and controlling the current to regulate a temperature of the oxidizer. | 05-28-2009 |
20090136791 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell system capable of starting below freezing point without increasing the size of the diluter. The fuel cell system | 05-28-2009 |
20090136792 | METHOD OF MEASURING CONCENTRATION OF FUEL - A method of measuring concentration of a fuel is provided. First, a fuel cell unit having at least an anode, a cathode, and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is provided. Next, a fuel is supplied to the anode, while a reactive gas is supplied to the cathode. Then, the amount of the reactive gas supplied to the cathode is adjusted and the concentration of the fuel is estimated in accordance with the consumption rate of the reactive gas in the fuel cell unit, wherein a method of estimating the concentration of the fuel in accordance with a consumption rate of the reactive gas in the cathode includes measuring a concentration of the reactive gas supplied to the cathode and estimating the concentration of the fuel in accordance with a relationship between the concentration of the reactive gas supplied to the cathode and time. | 05-28-2009 |
20090136793 | HYDROGEN SUPPLY FOR A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system characterized by including: a fuel cell ( | 05-28-2009 |
20090136794 | DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL FOR THE CONVECTION-FREE TRANSPORT OF FUEL AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE FUEL CELL - The present invention relates to a direct oxidation fuel cell for the convection-free transport of at least one fuel and also to a method for operating the direct oxidation fuel cell. The principle according to the invention is hereby based on transport of the fluidic fuel from the fuel reservoir to a membrane electrode unit, the transport being effected through a capillary structure using capillary forces and an evaporation suction. | 05-28-2009 |
20090136795 | Method of Operating a Fuel Cell System - A method for operating a fuel cell system having a fuel cell equipped with an anode and a cathode includes the steps of generating electric power by allowing hydrogen gas supplied to the anode and oxygen gas supplied to the cathode to react electrochemically with each other, recovering water from water vapor discharged from at least one of the anode and cathode, storing recovered water in a water storing portion equipped with a tank having a closable drain opening, through which opening water stored in the tank is dischargeable to outside the fuel cell system, supplying water stored in the tank to a water utilizing means by a water supply portion, and making a decision whether or not to discharge the stored water to outside the fuel cell system through the drain opening in view of an increase in an amount of undesirable germs contained in water stored in the water storing portion. | 05-28-2009 |
20090142630 | Fuel Cell Apparatus and Method of Controlling Fuel Cell Apparatus - According to one embodiment, a fuel cell apparatus includes a cell stack of an active direct methanol type, and a DC-DC converter configure to receive output voltage of the cell stack and to control an output current of the cell stack so that the output voltage of the cell stack becomes greater than a lower-limit threshold Vt and the output current of the cell stack lies in a range of I | 06-04-2009 |
20090148727 | OUTPUT LIMITING DEVICE FOR FUEL CELL - An output limiting device for a fuel cell, including: an inlet coolant temperature sensor detecting an inlet coolant temperature at a coolant inlet of the fuel cell; an outlet coolant temperature sensor detecting an outlet coolant temperature at a coolant outlet of the fuel cell; and an output limiter limiting power or current extracted from the fuel cell according to the detected inlet coolant temperature and the detected outlet coolant temperature. | 06-11-2009 |
20090148728 | Fuel cell system and method of stopping the same - A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell body, a gas passage supplying reactive gas to the fuel cell body and discharging the reactive gas from the fuel cell body, and an adjustment part adjusting a flowing condition of the reactive gas in the gas passage. The fuel cell system includes at least two scavenging passages which scavenge a part of the gas passage, wherein a first scavenging passage is formed to contain the fuel cell body and a second scavenging passage is formed to bypass the fuel cell body. | 06-11-2009 |
20090148729 | Inorganic-hydrogen-polymer and hydrogen-polymer compounds and applications thereof - Compounds are provided comprising at least one neutral, positive, or negative hydrogen species having a binding energy greater than its corresponding ordinary hydrogen species, or greater than any hydrogen species for which the corresponding ordinary hydrogen species is unstable or is not observed. Compounds comprise at least one increased binding energy hydrogen species and at least one other atom, molecule, or ion other than an increased binding energy hydrogen species. One group of such compounds contains one or more increased binding energy hydrogen species selected from the group consisting of H | 06-11-2009 |
20090155634 | METHOD TO MAXIMIZE FUEL CELL VOLTAGE DURING START-UP - A method of operating a fuel cell system is disclosed, the method including the steps of providing a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cell assemblies, each fuel cell assembly having a proton exchange membrane disposed between a plurality of fuel cell plates, wherein water is purged from the fuel cell system during a shutdown operation, and a current is produced in the fuel cell system following the shutdown purge to produce product water to hydrate the proton exchange membrane. | 06-18-2009 |
20090155635 | METHOD OF ACTIVATING MEMBRANE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY (PEM) OF POLYMER ELECTROLYTE MEMBRANE FUEL CELL (PEMFC) USING CYCLIC VOLTAMMETRY (CV) - The present invention relates to a method of activating membrane electrode assemblies of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells of a fuel cell stack for a vehicle comprising: supplying a humidified gas to a fuel cell so as to hydrate an electrolyte membrane and an electrolyte of electrodes of the fuel cell; and performing a cyclic voltammetry process so as to activate the layers of the electrodes. | 06-18-2009 |
20090155636 | WATER MANAGEMENT FOR A FUEL CELL - A fuel cell is provided that includes a water transport plate separating an air flow field and a water flow field. The driving force for moving water across the water transport plate into the water flow field is produced by a differential pressure across a restriction. The restriction is arranged between an air outlet of the cathode water transport plate and a head of a reservoir that is in fluid communication with the water flow field. | 06-18-2009 |
20090155637 | SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR GENERATING ELECTRICAL POWER - The present invention is directed to a process for generating electricity in a solid oxide fuel cell system with low carbon dioxide emissions. A mixture of steam and a hydrocarbon containing feed is reformed to produce a reformed product gas containing hydrogen. A first gas stream containing at least 0.6 mole fraction hydrogen is separated from the reformed product gas and fed to the anode of a solid oxide fuel cell. The first gas stream is mixed with an oxidant at one or more anode electrodes in the fuel cell to generate electricity. An anode exhaust stream comprising hydrogen and water is separated from the fuel cell. The anode exhaust stream and/or a cathode exhaust stream from the fuel cell is fed into the reforming reactor, where heat is exchanged between the hot anode and/or cathode exhaust streams and the reactants in the reforming reactor. Carbon dioxide is produced in relatively small quantities in the process due to the thermal efficiency of the process. | 06-18-2009 |
20090155638 | SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR GENERATING ELECTRICAL POWER - The present invention relates to a process for generating electricity with a solid oxide fuel cell system. First and second gas streams containing hydrogen are fed at independently selected rates to an anode of a solid oxide fuel cell. The first and second gas streams are mixed with an oxidant at one or more anode electrodes of the solid oxide fuel cell to generate electricity. An anode exhaust stream comprising hydrogen and water is separated from the anode of the fuel cell, and the second gas stream comprising hydrogen is separated from the anode exhaust stream and fed back to the anode of the fuel cell. The rates that the first and second gas streams are fed to the fuel cell are selected so the fuel cell generates a high electrical power density. | 06-18-2009 |
20090162707 | PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE, METHOD OF PRODUCING PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE, FUEL CELL SYSTEM WITH PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING PRESSURE - Provided is a pressure control valve including a movable part ( | 06-25-2009 |
20090169926 | METHOD FOR STOPPING POWER GENERATION OF FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND FUEL CELL SYSTEM INCLUDING POWER GENERATION STOPPING UNIT - There is provided a method for stopping power generation of fuel cell system including: a fuel cell having a fuel electrode and an oxidizer electrode; a fuel container; and a fuel flow path for supplying a fuel from the fuel container to the fuel cell, which enables suppression of a pressure difference between the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode during a stop state of an operation of the fuel cell, the method including the steps of, during the stop state of the operation of the fuel cell: stopping supply of the fuel from the fuel container to the fuel cell; consuming a residual fuel in the fuel flow path by short-circuiting the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode or connecting a load between the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode; and opening the fuel flow path to the atmosphere. | 07-02-2009 |
20090169927 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system has a plurality of fuel cells stacked in one or more groups of fuel cells. Each fuel cell includes a fuel electrode supplied with fuel gas at a fuel gas supply pressure, an oxidizing electrode supplied with oxidizing gas at an oxidizing gas supply pressure, and an electrolyte membrane disposed between the fuel electrode and the oxidizing electrode. A pressure-difference control unit generates a pressure difference across the membrane such that the fuel gas supply pressure is greater than the oxidizing gas supply pressure in each fuel cell, a cell-voltage measuring device measures a cell voltage for each fuel cell or each group of fuel cells in the fuel cell stack, and a leakage determination unit determines the presence or absence of a leaking cell based on the behavior of the cell voltage of each fuel cell while the pressure difference is increased with time. | 07-02-2009 |
20090169928 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - A fuel cell system having a fuel cell for causing reactant gas to be electrochemically reacted to generate power, a reactant gas supply path for supplying reactant gas to the fuel cell, a reactant gas recirculation path for recirculating exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell and combining the recirculating exhaust gas with reactant gas flowing through the reactant gas supply path to the fuel cell, and a pump unit disposed in the reactant gas recirculation path to pump the recirculating exhaust gas through the reactant gas recirculation path. A pump-tempering apparatus increases the temperature of the pump unit and a controller controls the pump-tempering apparatus. After the controller receives a fuel cell system stop signal, the controller controls the pump-tempering apparatus such that the temperature of the pump unit becomes higher than the temperature of piping in the reactant gas recirculation path. | 07-02-2009 |
20090169929 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM, METHOD OF STOPPING OPERATION OF THE FUEL CELL SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF STARTING OPERATION OF THE FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, an oxygen-containing gas supply apparatus, a fuel gas supply apparatus, a pressure reduction apparatus, and a dilution apparatus. The oxygen-containing gas supply apparatus supplies an oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cell stack. The oxygen-containing gas supply apparatus is capable of supplying the air to the fuel gas flow field at the time of stopping operation of the fuel cell system. The fuel gas supply apparatus supplies a fuel gas to the fuel cell stack. The pressure reduction apparatus suctions gases in the oxygen-containing gas flow field and the fuel gas flow field. The dilution apparatus dilutes the fuel gas suctioned by the pressure reduction apparatus using the air. | 07-02-2009 |
20090176131 | ION EXCHANGE FILTER FOR FUEL CELL SYSTEM - The present invention is directed toward ion exchange filters useful in fuel cell systems, fuel cell systems including ion exchange filters and methods for treating fluid of fuel cells. One embodiment of the invention includes a cartridge containing an anion exchange resin in bicarbonate form. The invention is particularly useful in connection with vehicle mounted fuel cell systems. | 07-09-2009 |
20090176132 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM CAPABLE OF SUPPLYING AND RECEIVING POWER AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME - Provided is a fuel cell system including: a cartridge in which fuel is stored; a power unit producing power by using the fuel supplied from the cartridge; and a port to which an electronic device is connected, wherein the port comprises: a first channel which is a channel for receiving start-up power from the electronic device and supplying produced power to the electronic device; a second channel via which a signal indicating attachment of the fuel cell system to the electronic device is transmitted to the electronic device when the fuel cell system is attached to the electronic device; and a third channel for grounding. | 07-09-2009 |
20090176133 | FUEL CELL CONTROL SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - A fuel cell control system and a control method thereof are provided. The fuel cell control system includes an air supply module, a fuel supply module having a fuel supply end, a fuel cell set having an electrical output end, an measuring unit and a control module having an arithmetic logic unit. A set of control algorithms is employed to effectively adjust the electrical output in order to identify the transfer function and to perform controller design. When the electrical output of the fuel cell is different from the default electrical output, the controller then regulates the fuel supply and the air supply to provide a stable fuel cell electrical output and to reduce fuel consumption. | 07-09-2009 |
20090181267 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SYSTEM OUTSIDE OF DESIRED THERMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS - A fuel cell system is disclosed that employs a thermal sensor for measuring an amount of heat generated in the fuel cell system, wherein a sensor signal from the thermal sensor is used to adjust operation of the fuel cell system when the fuel cell system is operating outside of desired thermal operating conditions. | 07-16-2009 |
20090181268 | PROCEDURE FOR FILLING A FUEL CELL ANODE SUPPLY MANIFOLD WITH HYDROGEN FOR START-UP - A method for filling a fuel cell anode supply manifold with hydrogen prior to a start-up operation to facilitate a substantially even hydrogen distribution across the fuel cell is disclosed. The anode supply manifold is in fluid communication with a source of hydrogen. A first valve in fluid communication with the anode supply manifold and a second valve in fluid communication with an anode exhaust manifold are initially in a closed position while hydrogen is supplied to the anode inlet conduit to pressurize the fuel cell stack. The first valve is then opened to purge at least a portion of a fluid from the anode supply manifold to facilitate a filling of the manifold with hydrogen. | 07-16-2009 |
20090181269 | FUEL CELL STACK, FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell stack of the present invention includes intermediate current collectors ( | 07-16-2009 |
20090186245 | RACKED POWER SUPPLY VENTILATION - A ventilation system for a fuel cell power module is provided. The ventilation system includes a ventilation enclosure for evacuating fluids from the fuel cell power module, the ventilation enclosure having an air inlet for providing ingress of air to the enclosure. The ventilation system further concludes a ventilation shaft in fluid communication with the ventilation enclosure and an evacuation pump arranged to exhaust fluid from the ventilation enclosure to a desired location. | 07-23-2009 |
20090191432 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM CATHODE INLET RELATIVE HUMIDITY CONTROL - A fuel cell system ( | 07-30-2009 |
20090191433 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF - A fuel cell system operating method in which a temperature of a fuel cell power generator is measured when the fuel cell power generator stops generating power, and it is determined whether the temperature is within a predetermined temperature range, and a reverse current is supplied to the fuel cell power generator upon restart if the temperature was determined to be outside of the predetermined range so as to increase the efficiency of the system after restarting the fuel cell power generator after being exposed to extreme conditions. Subsequently, the reverse current supply to the fuel cell power generator stops and electric energy is generated through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in the fuel cell power generator. | 07-30-2009 |
20090191434 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD OF INFLUENCING THE HEAT AND TEMPERATURE BUDGET OF A FUEL CELL STACK - The invention relates to a fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack ( | 07-30-2009 |
20090197125 | Method for Maximum Net Power Calculation for Fuel Cell System Based on Online Polarization Curve Estimation - An algorithm for determining the maximum net power available from a fuel cell stack as the stack degrades over time using an online adaptive estimation of a polarization curve of the stack. The algorithm separates the current density range of the stack into sample regions, and selects a first sample region from the far left of the estimated polarization curve. The algorithm then calculates the cell voltage for that current density sample region, and determines whether the calculated cell voltage is less than or equal to a predetermined cell voltage limit. If the calculated cell voltage is not less than the cell voltage limit, then the algorithm selects the next sample region along the polarization curve. When the calculated cell voltage does reach the cell voltage limit, then the algorithm uses that current density for the sample region being analyzed to calculate the maximum power of the fuel cell stack. | 08-06-2009 |
20090197126 | Adaptive Gain Scheduled Control for Current Limitation Based on Voltage Performance of a Fuel Cell System - A system and method for limiting the output current of a fuel cell stack as the stack degrades overtime. A look-up table identifies a predetermined voltage set-point for stack current density. A first comparator provides a voltage difference signal between the set-point and the stack voltage. The voltage difference signal is provided to a controller, such as a proportional-integral controller, that provides a current limiting signal. The current limiting signal and a current request signal are provided to a second comparator that selects which signal will be used to limit the maximum output current of the stack. A polarization curve estimator estimates parameters of the stack that will change over the life of the stack. The parameters are provided to a gain scheduler that provides gains to the controller that are based on where in the life of the stack it is currently operating. | 08-06-2009 |
20090197127 | Algorithm for Stack Current Controller Based on Polarization Curve Estimation of a Fuel Cell Stack - A method for providing a current density set-point for a fuel cell stack in response to a power request from the stack where the set-point is determined based on system parameters that identify the life and degradation of the stack. The method includes dividing a current density range of the fuel cell stack into a predetermined number of sample regions, and selecting the sample regions in order from low to high during the current set-point analysis. The method calculates an average cell voltage for the current density of the selected sample region, and stack power from the average cell voltage. The method then determines whether a power request signal is less than the stack power for the selected sample region and greater than the calculated power for the previous sample region, and if so, calculates the current density set-point at the requested power based on these values. | 08-06-2009 |
20090202870 | Fuel Cell Employing Hydrated Non-Perfluorinated Hydrocarbon Ion Exchange Membrane - Fuel cells ( | 08-13-2009 |
20090202871 | METAL-COATED CARBON SURFACES FOR USE IN FUEL CELLS - A method of coating a carbon article with a metal by reductively electropolymerizing the metal via cyclic voltammetry on the carbon article, thereby forming a metal coating on the carbon article and the polymerized metal-coated carbon article made by the method. A polymerized metal-coated carbon article having a carbon article and a metal coating disposed on an exterior surface of the carbon article, the coating being present in an amount less than about 0.1 mg/cm | 08-13-2009 |
20090208781 | METHOD FOR OPERATING A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A method for operating a fuel cell system comprising: a first fuel cell stack having a first current and a first temperature, electrically coupled in parallel with a second fuel cell stack having a second current and a second temperature, may include: triggering a fault response when a differential between the first and second currents or between the first and second temperatures exceeds a respective threshold. | 08-20-2009 |
20090208782 | APPARATUS FOR OPTIMIZED COOLING OF A DRIVE UNIT AND A FUEL CELL IN A FUEL CELL VEHICLE - A system for cooling a fuel cell stack and a drive unit in a fuel cell vehicle is disclosed, wherein the system includes a drive unit and a fuel cell stack. An oil cooling loop for the drive unit includes a three way valve, a liquid to liquid heat exchanger, and a pump. The liquid to liquid heat exchanger may be used to transfer drive unit off heat into the stack coolant loop. By not using an oil to air heat exchanger overall heat exchanger arrangement air side pressure drop can be minimized and airflow increased. The three way valve allows decoupling of the cooling loops if needed to inhibit negative impact on the fuel cell stack. | 08-20-2009 |
20090208783 | Low porosity anode diffusion media for fuel cells - A direct oxidation fuel cell (DOFC) having a concentrated liquid fuel and an anode electrode configured to generate power. The anode electrode includes a diffusion medium (DM) with or without a microporous layer, such that a decrease in the porosity of the DM reduces fuel crossover through the membrane and achieves high power density of the DOFC fed directly with concentrated fuel. | 08-20-2009 |
20090208784 | Fuel cell system containing anode tail gas oxidizer and hybrid heat exchanger/reformer - A fuel cell system includes at least one fuel cell stack, a fuel inlet conduit, and a fuel heat exchanger containing a fuel reformation catalyst. The fuel heat exchanger is connected to the fuel inlet conduit and to at least one fuel cell system exhaust conduit which in operation provides a high temperature exhaust stream to the fuel heat exchanger. The fuel heat exchanger is thermally integrated with an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) exhaust conduit such that in operation an ATO exhaust stream in the ATO exhaust conduit heats a fuel inlet stream passing through the heat exchanger. | 08-20-2009 |
20090214900 | Fuel Cell System for Supplying Aircraft - A fuel cell system for aircraft with a passenger cabin comprises a fuel cell. The fuel cell comprises a first inlet connection, a first outlet connection, a cathode side and an anode side, wherein the first inlet connection is formed as the inlet connection of the cathode side and wherein the first outlet connection is formed as the outlet connection of the cathode side. In addition, the fuel cell system is designed in such a way that at the first inlet connection, a gas with a pressure is applied, which corresponds to an air pressure in the passenger machine. | 08-27-2009 |
20090220827 | Monitoring fuel cells using rfid devices - Radio frequency identification (RFID) devices may be used to monitor various operating parameters in fuel cells. For example, RFID devices may be used to monitor the voltage of individual cells in a fuel cell stack and thus to check for voltage reversal conditions during stack operation. | 09-03-2009 |
20090220828 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FUEL CELL START UP - Start up systems and methods for a fuel cell system are disclosed. The start up systems and methods include supplying a hydrogen containing fluid to both the cathode electrode and the anode electrode of the fuel cell at substantially the same time during a first stage in the start up, ceasing the supply of the hydrogen containing fluid to the cathode electrode during a second stage of the start up, and supplying an oxidant to the cathode electrode at a third stage in the start up of the fuel cell. | 09-03-2009 |
20090233127 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - In a viewpoint of the invention, a fuel cell system includes a fuel cell configured to generate a electric power by using fuel; a first assisting power source; a protecting circuit connected to the first assisting power source and configured to detect a failure in the first assisting power source; an auxiliary unit configured to supply the fuel to the fuel cell; a control circuit configured to control the fuel cell and the auxiliary unit; a first power converter configured to drive the control circuit by using electric power from the first assisting power source; and a first synthesizing section configured to synthesize a first electric power from the fuel cell and a second electric power from the first assisting power source to supply a synthesized power to a load. | 09-17-2009 |
20090233128 | FUEL, FUEL CELL SYSTEM, FUEL CELL VEHICLE AND OPERATING METHOD FOR FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A direct type fuel cell ( | 09-17-2009 |
20090233129 | METHOD OF STARTING OPERATION OF FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a battery, and a DC/DC converter capable of connecting the fuel cell and the battery on a power feeding circuit. A method of starting operation of the fuel cell system includes the steps of connecting a bypass line connected to a battery for bypassing the DC/DC converter to the power feeding circuit, and directly supplying electrical energy from the battery to an air compressor of an oxygen-containing gas supply apparatus through the bypass line in a state where the fuel cell is disconnected from the power feeding circuit. | 09-17-2009 |
20090239105 | Fuel Battery System, Method for Detecting Gas Leakage in Such System, and Mobile Object - The accuracy of detecting gas leakage in a fuel battery system is improved. A fuel battery system includes a fuel battery to which a reactive gas is supplied to generate power, and a gas passage (a fuel gas supply path and a fuel gas circulation path) connected to this fuel battery, this gas passage is provided with a plurality of adjoining closed spaces, and the system includes a detecting unit (a control section) to detect gas leakage in one closed space in a state in which at least a pressure of another closed space adjoining the one closed space as a gas leakage detection target on a downstream side is lowered. | 09-24-2009 |
20090239106 | INTEGRATED CHARGE AIR HEAT EXCHANGER - An integrated charge air heat exchanger for use in a vehicle fuel cell system is provided. The integrated charge air heat exchanger includes a plurality of coolant conduits adapted for a coolant fluid to flow therethrough. The integrated charge air heat exchanger further includes a plurality of heating elements and a plurality of fin elements. One heating element is disposed on a first surface of each of the coolant conduits, and one of the fin elements is disposed on a second surface of each of the coolant conduits. A method for heating the coolant fluid in a first operational mode and cooling a charge air stream in a second operational mode is also provided. | 09-24-2009 |
20090239107 | Gas Storage system for a fuel cell and method for using the same - The invention relates to a gas storage system for a fuel cell system comprising at least one gasbag whose volume increases and decreases with the increase and decrease in the amount of hydrogen contained therein, at least two hydrogen interface valves that are located at two ends of the gas storage system, an anode gas chamber for the fuel cell and pipes configured to interconnect the anode gas chamber of the fuel cell, the gasbag and the hydrogen interface valves, wherein the ratio of the capacity of the gas storage system including the gasbag before gas inflation to the capacity after full gas inflation is less than 50%. The invention also relates to a method for using the gas storage system, which comprises charging and discharging the gasbag at different ends thereof. The advantages of the present invention include high hydrogen purity after inflation, perfect effect in purging impure gas on discharging, and relatively stable Nernst voltage on operation when compared with that of the prior art. | 09-24-2009 |
20090239108 | FUEL CELL COGENERATION SYSTEM, METHOD OF OPERATING - A method of operating a fuel cell cogeneration system comprises the steps of cooling a fuel cell by circulating an internal heat transfer medium through the fuel cell while the fuel cell is generating electric power, storing an external heat transfer medium in a heat utilization portion, detecting remaining calories of the heat utilization portion by a first detector provided at the heat utilization portion, increasing a temperature of the fuel cell to an operating temperature by carrying out a first temperature increasing operation, and increasing the temperature of the fuel cell to the operating temperature by carrying out a second temperature increasing operation. | 09-24-2009 |
20090246564 | FUEL CELL AND METHOD OF OPERATING FUEL CELL - Provided is a fuel cell which has a buffer space provided on a downstream side of a fuel supply space, and in which an output of a most downstream fuel cell unit is less affected by impurity gas stored in the fuel supply space. | 10-01-2009 |
20090246565 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND FUEL CELL CONTROL METHOD - A fuel cell system includes a membrane electrode assembly including an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and an electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode; a porous body in contact with the anode electrode; an anode passage plate in contact with the porous body, including a gas passage which collects a gas generated in the anode electrode and a fuel passage which supplies a fuel to the anode electrode; and a gas supply unit configured to supply a second gas to the gas passage. | 10-01-2009 |
20090246566 | FUEL CELL CABINET HEAT MANAGEMENT AND THERMAL CONTROL SYSTEM - A fuel cell cabinet is provided. The fuel cell cabinet includes a housing, a fuel cell contained in an interior of the housing, and a heat management system that manages and controls an internal air temperature of the housing to be one of at a predetermined temperature and within a predetermined temperature range. | 10-01-2009 |
20090252995 | FUEL CELL WITH OXYGEN TRANSPORT MEMBRANE - A power generator includes a fuel cell having a proton exchange membrane for generating electricity from hydrogen and oxygen. An oxygen generator is coupled to the proton exchange membrane for providing oxygen to the proton exchange membrane. A hydrogen producing fuel may be used to provide hydrogen to the proton exchange membrane. | 10-08-2009 |
20090252996 | Conveying Device for Conveying Single Separator Plates for Fuel Cells - There is provided a conveying method for attracting and conveying separators for a fuel cell, from a stack of the separators, one at a time. According to the conveying method, when a separator arranged at the top of the separators stacked on top of each other is attracted, gas is supplied into a clearance formed between the separator and another separator arranged immediately below the separator. The clearance is formed due to presence of a seal portion that is formed on the separator so as to protrude therefrom in order to provide sealing to at least one of a fluid passage and a fluid manifold formed in the separator. | 10-08-2009 |
20090252997 | Fuel Cell System and Its Operation Stop Method - The present invention provides a fuel cell system including a fuel cell, a hydrogen gas pipe system for supplying a fuel gas to the fuel cell, and an injector for adjusting a pressure of the upstream side of the hydrogen gas pipe system to supply the hydrogen gas to the downstream side, wherein the injector includes an internal channel for communicating the upstream side of the injector with the downstream side of the injector, and a valve body movably arranged in the internal channel for switching a channel opening area in multiple stages corresponding to a movement position of the valve body, and wherein water at least around the valve body of the injector is reduced when the system stops. | 10-08-2009 |
20090252998 | AUTOMOTIVE FUEL CELL WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME - Actuators are attached with plates of a fuel cell stack. Electrical power is provided to the actuators to drive the actuators to mechanically excite the plates to agitate liquid water restricting or blocking flow fields formed in the plates. | 10-08-2009 |
20090252999 | Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Process and Apparatus - Conveying gas containing sulfur through a sulfur tolerant planar solid oxide fuel cell (PSOFC) stack for sulfur scrubbing, followed by conveying the gas through a non-sulfur tolerant PSOFC stack. The sulfur tolerant PSOFC stack utilizes anode materials, such as LSV, that selectively convert H | 10-08-2009 |
20090258256 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF STARTING A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A system and method for starting up a fuel cell system are disclosed. Briefly described, an embodiment for starting an electrochemical reaction between a fuel and an oxidant during a start-up process includes a fuel cell stack operable to output a nominal voltage during a normal operating condition and operable to output a reduced start-up voltage during the start-up process, and includes at least one balance of plant (BOP) device that supports operation of the fuel cell stack, operable at a nominal output when sourced by the fuel cell stack at the nominal voltage, and operable at a reduced output when sourced by the fuel cell stack at the reduced start-up voltage. | 10-15-2009 |
20090258257 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack having a plurality of single cells stacked on one another, each single cell including an anode to which fuel gas can be supplied, a cathode to which oxidizing gas can be supplied, and a solid polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and the cathode. The oxidizing gas and the fuel gas are configured for counter-flow with respect to each other. A cell voltage detector detects a cell voltage at a cathode outlet-side of a single cell. A total voltage detector detects a total voltage of the fuel cell stack. A cell voltage difference computing unit is configured to determine an average cell voltage from the total cell voltage detector and a minimum cell voltage from the cell voltage detector and to compute a difference between the average cell voltage and the minimum cell voltage. A stack current detector detects electric current in the fuel cell stack. An anode outlet local current detector detects a local current at an anode outlet-side of the fuel cell stack. A current density-computing unit is configured to compute a stack current density from the stack current detector and an anode outlet local current density from the anode outlet local current detector. A wet state-judging unit is configured to judge a wet state of the fuel cell stack based on the difference between the average cell voltage and the minimum cell voltage, and based on the difference between the stack current density and the anode outlet local current density. | 10-15-2009 |
20090258258 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPERATION OF A FUEL CELL - A pressure equalizing system ( | 10-15-2009 |
20090263679 | SHUTDOWN OPERATIONS FOR AN UNSEALED CATHODE FUEL CELL SYSTEM - Processes to shut down a fuel cell system are described. In one implementation ( | 10-22-2009 |
20090263680 | Alternative Path Cooling of a High Temperature Fuel Cell - Systems and methods provide for the thermal management of a high temperature fuel cell. According to embodiments described herein, a non-reactant coolant is routed into a fuel cell from a compressor or a ram air source. The non-reactant coolant absorbs waste heat from the electrochemical reaction within the fuel cell. The heated coolant is discharged from the fuel cell and is vented to the surrounding environment or directed through a turbine. The energy recouped from the heated coolant by the turbine may be used to drive the compressor or a generator to create additional electricity and increase the efficiency of the fuel cell system. A portion of the heated coolant may be recycled into the non-reactant coolant entering the fuel cell to prevent thermal shock of the fuel cell. | 10-22-2009 |
20090263681 | THERMAL MANAGEMENT OF A HIGH TEMPERATURE FUEL CELL ELECTROLYZER - Apparatus, systems, and methods provide for the management of a high temperature electrolysis process. According to embodiments described herein, a fuel cell electrolyzer stack is utilized in an electrolysis process. One implementation includes the use of a solid oxide electrolyzer. Input voltage is cycled around a thermal neutral voltage such that the fuel cell electrolyzer stack cycles between operation in an exothermic mode and an endothermic mode. The waste heat generated by operation in the exothermic mode is used to support the endothermic operation. By cycling between operation modes, the temperature of the fuel cell electrolyzer stack may be controlled without the use of a cooling loop or recirculated reactant flow, and the efficiency of the electrolysis process is maximized. | 10-22-2009 |
20090269624 | HYDROGEN SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR FUEL CELL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - The present invention provides a hydrogen supply system including a plurality of hydrogen tanks, in which an in-tank regulator is mounted only on one hydrogen tank and a solenoid valve is mounted on each of the other hydrogen tanks so that a reduction in manufacturing cost is realized and hydrogen is stably supplied to a fuel cell stack by controlling the solenoid valves during driving, and a method for controlling the same. | 10-29-2009 |
20090269625 | Methods and Systems for Determining and Controlling Fuel Concentrations in Fuel Cells - Methods and systems for electrical determination and adjustment of the fuel concentration in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) are provided. | 10-29-2009 |
20090269626 | Method of optimizing operating efficiency of fuel cells - A method of operating a fuel cell electrochemical system includes receiving at least one of a cost of electricity and a cost of fuel and adjusting at least one of an operating efficiency and throughput of the fuel cell based on the at least one of the received cost of electricity and the received cost of fuel. | 10-29-2009 |
20090274934 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND STARTING METHOD THEREFOR - A fuel cell system and a starting method therefore prevent problems when the system is started. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a secondary battery that is electrically connected with the fuel cell, and a cell temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the fuel cell. Energy which is necessary for starting the fuel cell system is calculated based on the temperature of the fuel cell detected by the cell temperature sensor. The calculated value is used as a threshold for determining a start-up mode of the fuel cell system. | 11-05-2009 |
20090274935 | Fuel Cell System Designed to Ensure Stability of Operation - A fuel cell control system is provided which is designed to ensure the stability of operation of a fuel cell stack. The system includes a magnetic sensor and a controller. The magnetic sensor works to measure a change in magnetic flux density of magnetic field produced by an electric current as generated by electrochemical reaction taken place in each of fuel cells. The controller is designed to analyze the change in magnetic flux density measured by the magnetic sensor to specify the cause and location resulting in a drop in ability of the fuel cell stack to generate electricity which is to occur partially in the fuel cell stack. The controller takes a predetermined measure to control the operation of the fuel cell stack for eliminating the drop in ability of the fuel cell stack to generate the electricity. | 11-05-2009 |
20090274936 | CARBON MONOXIDE CATALYST SYSTEM TO REMOVE CO - The present invention provides an apparatus and method for removing CO gas from gas streams or static air. One application of interest in removing CO from air to provide clean air to breathe or other application such as CO monitoring instruments for calibration, to the air side of the fuel cell and to the reformate stream that is employed for a PEM fuel cell. This invention protects the fuel cell catalyst by a means to controlling CO in the reformate stream. The control system is designed to minimize the CO concentration using the novel CO oxidation catalysts described above. One preferred embodiment catalyzes and monitors the CO to indicate the effectiveness; and further comprising two alternate chambers containing catalyst, which is made of high surface area substrate with supramolecular chemistry coated onto that substrate. These supramolecular catalyst converts CO gas to CO2 and at least one CO sensor monitors each catalyst chamber and control the process to maximize the fuel cell efficiency or to trigger a signal for service. Many other applications to reduce CO in static air as well as in gas stream are feasible including ultra zero air for CO measuring instruments, diving air, ultra-high purity laboratory air and air cleaners and air purifiers designed to reduce health impact to people in homes, hotels, health facilities, transportation systems, workplaces and in other enclosed structures. | 11-05-2009 |
20090274937 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM WITH CIRCUIT MODULES - A solid oxide fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack and a voltage providing member configured to provide a non-zero reference voltage to the fuel cell stack. The fuel cell stack includes a plurality of fuel cell stack subunits electrically coupled in series electrical connections and a plurality of field effect transistor assemblies. The field effect transistor assemblies include a switch member. Each field effect transistor assemblies is coupled to one of the fuel cell stack subunits and comprises a ground lead, a positive lead, a negative lead, and a bypass lead, a voltage between the ground lead and at least one of the positive lead and the negative lead providing an operating voltage for operating the switching member. | 11-05-2009 |
20090280360 | Derivation of control parameters of fuel cell systems for flexible fuel operation - A method of operating a fuel cell system includes characterizing the fuel or fuels being provided into the fuel cell system, characterizing the oxidizing gas or gases being provided into the fuel cell system, and calculating at least one of the steam:carbon ratio, fuel utilization and oxidizing gas utilization based on the step of characterization. | 11-12-2009 |
20090286109 | Fuel cell system and driving method of fuel cell system - In a fuel cell system equipped with polymer electrolyte fuel cells, an alternating current generator applies an alternating current of a fixed frequency and a fixed amplitude to the fuel cells. An alternating current voltage acquisition module (combination of a filter unit and an A-D converter with a controller) extracts an alternating current component attributed to the application of the alternating current from an output voltage in a specific unit cell of the fuel cells and time-sequentially obtains a voltage value of the extracted alternating current component. A moisture state monitoring module (the controller) identifies whether the fuel cells have a moistening tendency. In the case of identification of the moistening tendency of the fuel cells by the moisture state monitoring module, an over-hydration detection module (the controller) computes a statistical value representing a magnitude of a variation in time-sequentially obtained voltage value of the alternating current component and determines that the fuel cells are in an over-hydration state when the computed statistical value representing the magnitude of the variation exceeds a preset reference level. | 11-19-2009 |
20090286110 | Fuel Cell System and Its Operation Stop Method - The present invention relates to a fuel cell system including a fuel cell which has a catalyst layer therein and which receives supply of a reactive gas to generate a power, and a refrigerant system which supplies a refrigerant to the fuel cell to control a temperature of the fuel cell, and it also relates to a method for stopping an operation of the system. When the system is operated in a low-temperature environment, the system cannot be restarted owing to freezing in the fuel cell. Therefore, during stop of the system, control has heretofore been performed so that a flow rate of a coolant to the fuel cell is reduced to lower a cooling performance and that the operation of the fuel cell is continued to raise the temperature of the fuel cell or the like. However, the control is performed regardless of a situation during the next system start, so that there has been a problem that the control might become useless. According to the present invention, in the above system, in a case where it is presumed that the temperature of the fuel cell during the next system start is a predetermined temperature or less, the supply of the refrigerant is stopped during the system stop, and the supply of the refrigerant is resumed after elapse of a predetermined time, whereby the above problem is solved. | 11-19-2009 |
20090286111 | SELF-TUNING THERMAL CONTROL OF AN AUTOMOTIVE FUEL CELL PROPULSION SYSTEM - A fuel cell system that employs an on-line self-tuning algorithm that provides temperature control of a fuel cell stack in response to disturbances on the system. The system includes a thermal sub-system having a cooling fluid pump that pumps a cooling fluid through the fuel cell stack, a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the cooling fluid out of the stack, a radiator that cooling the cooling fluid from the fuel cell stack and a by-pass valve that selectively controls how much of the cooling fluid flows through the radiator or by-passes the radiator. A controller controls the position of the by-pass valve in response to a temperature signal from the temperature sensor. The controller calculates a plurality of variables and a dead-time value, and determines whether the dead-time value should be increased, decreased or kept the same based on an estimate of a dead-time plant model. | 11-19-2009 |
20090286112 | METHOD FOR ACCELERATING ACTIVATION OF FUEL CELL - The present invention provides a method for accelerating activation of a fuel cell, which can significantly reduce the time required for the activation of the fuel cell and the amount of hydrogen used and facilitate the activation of the fuel cell. | 11-19-2009 |
20090286113 | Fuel Cell, Supply And Disposal Unit For Fuel Cells, And Method For Removing Reaction Products From Fuel Cells - The inventions relate to a fuel cell in which the disposal of reaction products is possible in a particularly advantageous manner and also to a supply and disposal unit which can be part of such a fuel cell or can be connected to such a fuel cell. The inventions relate in addition to a method for the disposal of reaction products from fuel cells. | 11-19-2009 |
20090291332 | System and Method of Controlling Fluid to a Fluid Consuming Battery - A fluid regulating system is provided for controlling fluid to a fluid consuming battery having a fluid consuming cell. The fluid regulating system includes a valve and an actuator for opening and closing the valve. The actuator is controlled to open the valve when greater battery electrical output is required and to close the valve when lesser battery electrical output is required to operate a device. A controller controls operation of the actuator to open and close the valve based on a monitored rate of change in electrical output, such as voltage, compared to a rate of change threshold, wherein the valve is opened when the monitored rate of change exceeds the threshold. | 11-26-2009 |
20090291333 | REACTION PRODUCT CONTROL SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR CONTROLLING A REACTION PRODUCT IN A FUEL CELL - A reaction product control system for a fuel cell that includes a controller and a fuel mass flow sensor linked with the controller. An oxidant mass flow sensor is also linked with the controller. Fuel and oxidant control devices are linked with the controller. A fuel and oxidant react to form a reaction product. The fuel mass flow sensor is calibrated for a fuel at an oxidant flow rate and the controller then automatically adjusts the fuel control device when the fuel changes composition to produce the desired reaction product. | 11-26-2009 |
20090297894 | Rehydration of Fuel Cells - One or more operating parameters, such as electrical current flow from and air flow to, a fuel cell stack within a fuel cell assembly is periodically modulated during rehydration intervals to intermittently increase hydration levels of the fuel cell stack independently of the electrical current demand on the fuel cell assembly from an external load, while maintaining electrical current delivery to that external load. | 12-03-2009 |
20090297895 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING HEAT IN PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES - Embodiments of the invention relate to a heat management system for a portable electronic device. The system includes at least one fuel cell, at least one electrical power consumer electrically connected to the at least one fuel cell, an endothermic fuel system configured to provide fuel to the at least one fuel cell and at least one thermal transmission path thermally coupling the at least one electrical power consumer and the endothermic fuel system. At least a portion of heat produced by the electrical power consumer is transferred to the endothermic fuel system. | 12-03-2009 |
20090305087 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A FUEL CELL SYSTEM HAVING A VARIABLE NUMBER OF PARALLEL-CONNECTED MODULES - A fuel cell APU system comprising a plurality of fuel cell modules connected in parallel. Each module includes a local controller connected to a master controller that coordinates the modules to achieve a desired power output at any given time. Each module is operated within an output range to maximize efficiency of the system. When load demand on a first module exceeds the desired output range of the module, an additional module is brought online in parallel with the first. As the load increases further, additional modules are brought online in cascade fashion to permit all modules to be operated efficiently. If a module is disabled, it is automatically switched out of service and replaced by a standby module. The master controller keeps track of the total operating time of each module and varies the sequence in which different modules are brought into service to balance deterioration among the modules. | 12-10-2009 |
20090305088 | MODIFIED STARTUP STRATEGY TO IMPROVE STARTUP RELIABILITY AFTER EXTENDED OFF TIME - A system and method for improving fuel cell system start-up reliability. The method includes determining if the resistance of the membranes in a fuel cell stack is too high, where the reliability of system start-up will be reduced, and if so, providing one or more remedial actions to help ensure that the start-up is more reliable. In one embodiment, the system and method determine that the fuel cell membranes are too dry based on the time that has gone by since the last shut-down. If the time threshold has been exceeded, a special start-up procedure is used that increases the reliability that the start-up will be successful using the remedial actions, such as reducing cathode airflow and turning on stack end cell heaters. | 12-10-2009 |
20090305089 | ORGANELLES IN BIOANODES, BIOCATHODES, AND BIOFUEL CELLS - Bioanodes, biocathodes, and biofuel cells comprising an electron conductor, at least one anode organelle or cathode organelle, and an organelle immobilization material. The anode organelle is capable of reacting with a fuel fluid to produce an oxidized form of the fuel fluid, and capable of releasing electrons to the electron conductor. The cathode organelle is capable of reacting with an oxidant to produce water, and capable of gaining electrons from the electron conductor. The organelle immobilization material for both the anode organelle and the cathode organelle is capable of immobilizing the organelle, and is permeable to the fuel fluid and/or the oxidant. In various embodiments, the organelle immobilization material is further capable of stabilizing the organelle. | 12-10-2009 |
20090305090 | CATALYSTS COMPOSITIONS FOR USE IN FUEL CELLS - The present invention generally relates to the generation of electrical energy from a solid-state fuel. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a solid-oxide fuel cell for generating electrical energy from a carbon-based fuel, and to catalysts for use in a solid-oxide fuel cell. | 12-10-2009 |
20090305091 | Production And Uses Of Carbon Suboxides - Methods for the reduction of gaseous carbon dioxide emissions from combustion or oxidation reactions are provided. The various methods involve the formation of carbon suboxides and/or polymerized carbon suboxides (PCS), preferentially over gaseous carbon oxides to thereby reduce gaseous carbon dioxide emissions. The various methods can be employed for efficient generation of energy and/or hydrogen. In addition, various methods for the use of polymerized carbon suboxide are disclosed. | 12-10-2009 |
20090311560 | Method for reverse activation of fuel cell - The present invention provides a method for reverse activation of a fuel cell, which can improve fuel cell performance by performing a first fuel cell activation process and then performing a second fuel cell activation process in which a hydrogen inlet and a hydrogen outlet of the fuel cell are shifted to an air (or oxygen) inlet and an air (or oxygen) outlet of the fuel cell. | 12-17-2009 |
20090311561 | FUEL CELL ASSEMBLY - Disclosed herein is a fuel cell assembly that arranges a plurality of individual fuel cells into an array. The fuel cells are set into openings formed in a frame. The openings are arranged into the array, such as in columns and rows. A rear cover is sealingly attached to the frame, thereby defining a chamber between the frame and a base of the rear cover, where the chamber serves as a manifold. Optional supports extend from the base to the fuel cells. The void forms a fluid manifold for dispersing fuel for the fuel cells from a fuel reservoir to the fuel cells. Alternatively, the rear cover separates the interstitial space between the rear cover and the frame into compartments, which are fluidly interconnected by channels. The array may also include a functional element electrically connected to the fuel cells configured to transfer power an electronic device. | 12-17-2009 |
20090311562 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF ACTIVATING FUEL CELL STACK - An activation method and system to selectively activate defective cells in a laminated fuel cell stack. The system includes a tank to store a polar solvent used to activate the cells; a body including a transfer unit to transfer the polar solvent to the fuel cell stack and a control unit to control the transfer unit; and a nozzle coupled to the body, to be inserted into an inlet manifold of the fuel cell stack. The nozzle has an opening positioned opposite to a channel inlet of at least one non-activated cell of the plurality of cells, to jet the polar solvent into only a channel of the non-activated cell, through the opening. | 12-17-2009 |
20090311563 | Manifold Sealing and Corrosion Preventive Interface Plate for a Fuel Cell Stack - A fuel cell assembly having a terminal plate that is isolated from fluid flows passing to the fuel cell stack through manifolds is provided. A corrosion resistant member is positioned between the fuel cell stack and the terminal plate and sealingly engages with the manifold. The sealing engagement between the manifold and the corrosion resistant member prevents fluid flowing through the manifold to the fuel cell stack from contacting the terminal plate. Thus, a fuel cell assembly according to the present invention can be operated while preventing a fluid flow through the manifold from contacting the terminal plate. | 12-17-2009 |
20090317667 | DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE CONTROL METHOD FOR MOLTEN CARBONATE FUEL CELL POWER PLANTS - A molten carbonate fuel cell System in which the fuel cell stack(s) is (are) enclosed within a containment vessel and in which a burner exhaust is used to control the system operating pressure is described. Moreover, highly reliable, simple and low-cost differential pressure control method never affected by service interruption or troubles in control valves or other components is disclosed. Excluding differential control valves and reducing the cost by guiding the anode, cathode and vessel exhaust gases to the inlet of a catalytic burner forward the containment vessel and mixed therein so that the pressure of these gases are equal to each other, this fuel cell system guarantees dynamic pressure balancing between the vessel and reactants to prevent leakage of the reactants from the fuel cell stack and avoid an excessive differential pressure between the fuel cell and the vessel and between the anode and the cathode. | 12-24-2009 |
20090317668 | FUEL CELLS - This invention provides a redox fuel cell comprising an anode and a cathode separated by an ion selective polymer electrolyte membrane; means for supplying a fuel to the anode region of the cell; means for supplying an oxidant to the cathode region of the cell; means for providing an electrical circuit between the anode and the cathode; a non-volatile catholyte solution flowing fluid communication with the cathode, the catholyte solution comprising a polyoxometallate redox couple being at least partially reduced at the cathode in operation of the cell, and at least partially re-generated by reaction with the oxidant after such reduction at the cathode, the catholyte solution comprising at least about 0.075M of the said polyoxometallate. | 12-24-2009 |
20090324999 | FUEL CELL DEVICE AND SYSTEM - The present invention relates to fuel cell devices and fuel cell systems, methods of using fuel cell devices and systems, and methods of making fuel cell devices. According to certain embodiments, the fuel cell devices may include an elongate substrate, such as a rectangular or tubular substrate, the length of which is the greatest dimension such that the coefficient of thermal expansion has only one dominant axis that is coextensive with the length. In addition, or in accordance with other certain embodiments, a reaction zone is positioned along a first portion of the length for heating to an operating reaction temperature, and at least one cold zone is positioned along a second portion of the length for operating at a temperature below the operating reaction temperature. There are one or more fuel passages in the elongate substrate, each having an associate anode, and one or more oxidizer passages in the elongate substrate, each having an associate cathode. In some embodiments, the passages are formed by sacrificial organic materials that are melted or baked out of the structure and/or by removable structures that are pulled out after lamination. Bake-out paths may also be used to facilitate removal of the sacrificial organic materials, which paths are later sealed. Embodiments of the invention further include methods and devices in which a current collector is recessed into the electrode. | 12-31-2009 |
20090325000 | AUTOMOTIVE ROTATABLE POWER TRANSFER SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME - A rotating power transfer system for an automotive fuel cell vehicle includes one of an impeller and turbine in fluid communication with a fuel cell stack, an electric machine and a shaft operatively associated with the one of impeller and turbine. The system also includes a heating element disposed within the shaft. The heating element is configured to be selectively electrically coupled with a stator coil of the electric machine. | 12-31-2009 |
20090325001 | Non-circulating coolant PEM fuel cell power plant with antifreeze back pressure air venting system - A PEM fuel cell ( | 12-31-2009 |
20090325002 | FUEL CELLS - The invention provides a fuel cell comprising an anode in an anode region of the cell and a cathode in a cathode region of the cell, the anode being separated from the cathode by an ion selective polymer electrolyte membrane, the anode region of the cell being supplied in use thereof with an alcoholic fuel, the cathode region of the cell being supplied in use thereof with an oxidant, the cell being provided with means for generating an electrical circuit between the anode and the cathode and with a non-volatile redox couple in solution in flowing fluid communication with the cathode in the cathode region of the cell, the redox couple being at least partially reduced at the cathode in operation of the cell, and at least partially re-generated by reaction with the oxidant after such reduction at the cathode, the redox couple and/or the concentration of the redox couple in the catholyte solution being selected so that the current density generated by the cell in operation is substantially unaffected by the crossover of the alcoholic fuel from the anode region of the cell to the cathode region of the cell across the polymer electrolyte membrane. | 12-31-2009 |
20090325003 | Intermediate Circuit, Fuel Cell System Having the Intermediate Circuit, and Method for Controlling the Intermediate Circuit - An intermediate circuit for controlling the connection of a fuel cell stack to a load bus includes three switching elements arranged in a pi configuration. At least one such switching element is provided for short circuiting either or both of the fuel cell stack and the load bus, while a further switching element controllably interrupts the line connection between the fuel cell stack and the load bus. The respective switches are driven according to a control method that accommodates start-up operation, switch-off operation, emergency shut down, and a self diagnostic mode. | 12-31-2009 |
20090325004 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING OUTPUT OF FUEL CELL IN FUEL CELL HYBRID VEHICLE - The present invention provides a method for controlling output of a fuel cell to improve fuel efficiency of a fuel cell hybrid vehicle, in which the fuel cell is operated at a constant power at a maximum efficiency point, wherein the fuel cell and a storage means are directly connected if the output and energy of the storage means is insufficient, and the power generation of the fuel cell is stopped when the level of energy of the storage means is increased during stopping or during low power operation such that the fuel cell is intensively operated at the maximum efficiency point, thus improving the fuel efficiency of the fuel cell and the efficiency of the fuel cell system. | 12-31-2009 |
20090325005 | ELECTROLYTIC MEMBRANE - An electrolyte membrane comprising a reinforcement structure and an ionomer is provided. The reinforcement structure comprises a plurality of pores with a diameter of 0.3 μm to 2.5 μm as established by a PMI Capillary Flow Porometer and exhibit a linear swelling expansion below 0.5% for all directions in the X-Y plane. Furthermore, a method of manufacturing such electrolyte membranes is provided. The electrolyte membrane is particularly suitable for application as electrolyte membrane in low temperature fuel cells, such as polymer exchange fuel cells and direct methanol fuel cells, and in electrolysis cells. | 12-31-2009 |
20090325006 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system is provided with a power generation unit including stacked cells. Cell voltage signals are output from predetermined ones of the cells. A load change is applied to the generation unit, wherein first connection in which the first load is connected to the generation unit is switched to a second connection in which a second load is connected to the generation unit. The cell voltage changes are detected from the cell voltage signals. Each of the voltage changes has an inherent voltage difference between a minimum voltage generated immediately after the load change and an output response voltage generated after a predetermined elapse of time from the generation of the minimum voltage. Control parameters falling within a predetermined voltage range, are selected from the inherent voltage differences, and an amount of fuel supplied to the generation unit is determined based on the control parameters. | 12-31-2009 |
20090325007 | CONTROL OF PARALLELED FUEL CELL ASSEMBLIES - Fuel cell stack assemblies ( | 12-31-2009 |
20100003546 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHORTING A FUEL CELL STACK - A fuel cell system is provided that includes a fuel cell stack with a plurality of fuel cells and a power converter in electrical communication with the fuel cell stack. The power converter is configured to selectively regulate a power of the fuel cell stack and short circuit the fuel cell stack, as desired. A method for starting the fuel cell stack is also described including the steps of causing a short circuit of the fuel cell stack by placing the power converter in a short circuit mode; introducing a hydrogen to the anodes of the fuel cell stack to displace a quantity of air on the anodes; and placing the power converter in a power regulation mode. A degradation of the fuel cell stack during start-up is thereby militated against. | 01-07-2010 |
20100003547 | METHOD FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO FUEL CELL - The present invention provides a method for supplying fuel to a fuel cell, in which a monitoring period is determined for monitoring the fuel cell, and then a feeding amount of fuel is determined by integrating characteristic value generated from the fuel cell in the monitoring period. In another embodiment, it is further comprising a step of determining the variation profile associated with the characteristic value during the period so as to judge whether it is necessary to feed the fuel into the fuel cell or not. By means of the present invention, the supplying of fuel to the fuel cell under dynamic loadings can be effectively controlled for optimizing the performance of the fuel cell as well as reducing the cost without installing any fuel sensor. | 01-07-2010 |
20100003548 | RECYCLING OF WASTE MATERIAL - A process and apparatus for recycling municipal domestic waste comprises subjecting the waste to steam at 150° C.-200° C. at above atmospheric pressure but less than twice atmospheric pressure, After steam treatment, the resultant material is separated into constituent parts and biomass and/or plastics subjected to further treatment: The further treatment preferably produces bioethanol from the biomass and diesel from the plastics. As an alternative, some or all of the biomass may be gasified in order to produce hydrogen which may, in turn be fed to a fuel cell to produce an electrical output. | 01-07-2010 |
20100003549 | FUEL CELL, FUEL CELL SYSTEM, AND CONTROL METHOD OF FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell stack includes: a first cell having a first fuel gas flow path; and a second cell having a second fuel gas flow path constructed to have a specific flow path structure having a higher potential for a decrease in concentration of a fuel gas than that of the first fuel gas flow path during power generation. A sensor is located on the second cell to detect a decrease in concentration of the fuel gas during power generation. In one exemplified structure, a groove formed on an anode separator of the second cell as the second fuel gas flow path has a restriction element to narrow the sectional area of flow passage. A hydrogen concentration sensor is located in a non-narrowed area in the downstream of the restriction element having a lower pressure level. Impurity gas discharge control discharges an anode off gas out of the fuel cell stack, in response to detection of a decrease in hydrogen concentration to or below a preset reference level by the hydrogen concentration sensor. This arrangement of the invention enables the effective use of the fuel gas and prevents deterioration of membrane electrode assemblies of the fuel cell stack by carbon oxidation in an anode dead end-type fuel cell system. | 01-07-2010 |
20100003550 | FUEL CELL DEVICE AND METHOD FPR REGULATING FUEL SUPPLY TO FUEL CELL DEVICE - A fuel cell device having a fuel cell, a pump, an inhalation/exhalation port and a controller is provided. The pump is configured to regulate fuel supply to the fuel cell. The inhalation/exhalation port is configured to inhale oxygen and exhale moisture into and from the fuel cell, respectively. The controller is configured to open and close the inhalation/exhalation port, the controller being configured to control the pump so as to supply the fuel cell with fuel while the inhalation/exhalation port is closed in such a way that the fuel cell keeps an output voltage equal to or around a determined threshold value. | 01-07-2010 |
20100003551 | METHOD FOR OPERATING A FUEL CELL SYSTEM IN A MODE OF REDUCED POWER OUTPUT - The invention relates to a method for operating a fuel cell system in a mode of reduced power output. The fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell stack (BS) having at least one fuel cell (BZ) with an anode (A), a cathode (K), and a proton exchange membrane, anode and cathode inlets, anode and cathode outlets, and a hydrogen and air supply. In order not to adversely affect the life span of the fuel cell system, the air supply to the cathode (K) is interrupted during the changeover to the mode of reduced power output, and an electric voltage (U) of the fuel cell stack (BS) is reduced by means of a current pulse. | 01-07-2010 |
20100003552 | SOFC Power System With A/C System and Heat Pump For Stationary and Transportation Applications - An improved CHP system combining a VCCHP system with an SOFC system for application as a combined CHP system wherein the compressor motor of a heat pump is powered by a portion of the electricity generated by the SOFC, and wherein the thermal output of the heat pump is increased by abstraction of heat from the SOFC exhaust. This integration allows for complementary operation of each type of system, with the benefits of improved overall fuel efficiency for the improved CHP system. The heat pump is further provided with a plurality of flow-reversing valves and an additional heat exchanger, allowing the heat pump system to be reversed and thus to operate as an air conditioning system. | 01-07-2010 |
20100009219 | IDLE STOP-START CONTROL METHOD OF FUEL CELL HYBRID VEHICLE - The present invention provides an idle stop-start control method of a fuel cell hybrid vehicle including a fuel cell as a main power source and a storage means as an auxiliary power source, in which air and hydrogen supply is cut off during low power operation where the efficiency of the fuel cell is low and during regenerative braking such that residual oxygen and hydrogen are consumed to drop the voltage of a fuel cell stack, thus stopping the operation of the fuel cell. | 01-14-2010 |
20100009220 | Fuel cell load controller - A method for distributing power includes identifying a value of a variable in a fuel cell system, where the fuel cell system is configured to provide electrical power to a load. Based at least in part on the identified value of the variable, it is determined that the variable has exceeded a threshold. A first portion of the electrical power is determined for use in correcting the variable, and the first portion of the electrical power is used to correct the variable. | 01-14-2010 |
20100009221 | Recuperators with spiral flow for fuel cell systems - A fuel cell system includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks, and one or more devices which in operation of the system provide an azimuthal direction to one or more anode or cathode feed or exhaust fluid flows in the system. | 01-14-2010 |
20100009222 | CERIUM-MODIFIED DOPED STRONTIUM TITANATE COMPOSITIONS FOR SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL ANODES AND ELECTRODES FOR OTHER ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICES - The present invention provides novel compositions that find advantageous use in making electrodes for electrochemical cells and electrochemical devices such as solid oxide fuel cells, electrolyzers, sensors, pumps and the like, the compositions comprising cerium-modified doped strontium titanate. The invention also provides novel methods for making and using anode material compositions and solid oxide fuel cells and solid oxide fuel cell assemblies having anodes comprising the compositions. | 01-14-2010 |
20100015474 | Adaptive Technique and Apparatus to Detect an Unhealthy Condition of a Fuel Cell System - A technique that is usable with a fuel cell system having a fuel cell stack includes storing in a memory a healthy behavior pattern and an unhealthy behavior pattern for the fuel cell stack, comparing observed behavior of the fuel cell stack to the healthy and unhealthy behavior patterns, and classifying the observed behavior as healthy or unhealthy based on the comparison. The technique further includes modifying the stored healthy behavior pattern and the stored unhealthy behavior pattern based upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, such as the detection of an unhealthy condition, the issuance of an alarm, or the passage of a time interval. Modifying the behavior patterns enhances the accuracy of the health classification since the modification takes into account actual system behavior and any performance degradation that may occur over time. | 01-21-2010 |
20100015475 | SOLID POLYMER FUEL CELL AND METHOD FOR ACTIVATING SAME - A solid polymer fuel cell has a catalyst layer including a nanohorn aggregate as a catalyst carrier, catalyst metal supported on the catalyst carrier, and a polymer electrolyte coating the catalyst carrier. Voltage higher than the open circuit voltage of the solid polymer fuel cell is applied to the catalyst layer so as to increase triphasic interfaces at which the reaction gas reduced at the catalyst layer, the catalyst metal, and the polymer electrolyte meet. | 01-21-2010 |
20100015476 | THERMALLY INTEGRATED FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A thermally integrated fuel cell system includes a stack zone, a burner zone and a low temperature zone. The fuel is combined with steam and passed sequentially through a primary reformer and a secondary reformer or a radiative fuel heat exchanger. Air may be passed sequentially through an afterburner heat exchanger and a radiative air heat exchanger such that the radiative heat exchanger may be used to heat the stack zone. The stack exhaust is combusted in an afterburner. Afterburner exhaust heats the primary reformer, the high temperature air heat exchanger, the low temperature air heat exchanger and steam generator. The stack zone includes the stacks, the secondary reformer and the radiative heat exchanger. The burner zone includes the afterburner which includes a start burner, the primary reformer and the high temperature air heat exchanger. The low temperature zone includes the low temperature air heat exchanger and a steam generator. | 01-21-2010 |
20100021776 | COMPOSITES AND ELECTRODES FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICES AND PROCESSES FOR PRODUCING THE SAME - The present invention is directed to a composite including a substrate and a film deposited on a surface of the substrate, and processes for producing the composites. The deposited film includes at least one metal oxide having the formula: M | 01-28-2010 |
20100021777 | ALKALINE MEMBRANE FUEL CELLS AND APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR SUPPLYING WATER THERETO - A device to produce electricity by a chemical reaction without the addition of liquid electrolyte comprises an anode electrode, a polymer membrane electrolyte fabricated to conduct hydroxyl (OH—) ions, the membrane being in physical contact with the anode electrode on a first side of the membrane, and a cathode electrode in physical contact with a second side of the membrane. The anode electrode and cathode electrode contain catalysts, and the catalysts are constructed substantially entirely from non-precious metal catalysts. Water may be transferred to the cathode side of the membrane from an external source of water. | 01-28-2010 |
20100021778 | FUEL CELL EMERGENCY POWER SYSTEM - Fuel cell emergency power systems comprising a fuel cell having an anode and a cathode, a power distribution unit for selectively directing electrical current from the fuel cell to one or more consuming device, a hydrogen gas control system and an oxygen gas control system. The hydrogen gas control system includes a pressurized hydrogen tank providing hydrogen gas in selective fluid communication to the anode, a hydrogen gas-liquid water phase separator in downstream fluid communication with the anode, and a hydrogen recirculation pump for recirculating substantially liquid water-free hydrogen from the hydrogen gas-liquid water phase separator to the anode. Similarly, the oxygen gas control system includes a pressurized oxygen tank providing oxygen gas in selective fluid communication to the anode, an oxygen gas-liquid water phase separator in downstream fluid communication with the anode, and an oxygen recirculation pump for recirculating substantially liquid water-free oxygen from the oxygen gas-liquid water phase separator to the anode. | 01-28-2010 |
20100028726 | Method for Supplying Fuel Gas To a Gas Chamber of a Fuel Cell and Fuel Cell - Mechanical stresses of the membrane of a fuel cell can be reduced by virtue of the fact that the supply of feed gas to a gas chamber of the fuel cell takes places, initially, by means of a first pressure increasing speed and then by means of a second pressure increasing speed. The first pressure increasing speed is slower than the second pressure increasing speed. Pressure surges are prevented in the membrane due to the lower pressure increasing speed in the first phase of the gas supply, and as a result, the life span of the membrane is increased. | 02-04-2010 |
20100028727 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STARTING A FUEL CELL ENGINE IN A VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH AN ULTRACAPACITOR - A hybrid fuel cell system that employs a fuel cell stack and an ultracapacitor. A diode is provided on a high voltage electrical bus between the fuel cell stack and the ultracapacitor so that high voltage from the ultracapacitor does not affect the operation of the fuel cell stack. During system start-up, a by-pass switch is closed to by-pass the ultracapacitor so that power from the ultracapacitor can be used to start various system loads, such as a cathode side air compressor that provides air to the fuel cell stack. A 12 volt-to-high voltage converter is employed to provide a low power, high voltage supply from a low voltage battery to the system loads at start-up when the by-pass switch is opened, but before a fuel cell stack switch is closed. | 02-04-2010 |
20100028728 | HUMIDIFICATION CONTROL DURING SHUTDOWN OF A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A process for controlling the length of a purge and the purge rate of a fuel cell stack at system shut-down so as to provide the desired amount of stack humidity. The membrane humidification is measured at system shut-down by a high frequency resistance sensor that detects membrane humidification and provides the measurement to a controller. The controller controls the compressor that provides cathode input air to the fuel cell stack so that the time of the purge and the flow rate of the purge provide a desired membrane humidity for the next start-up. | 02-04-2010 |
20100028729 | FUEL CELL POWER PLANT INCLUDING A VARIABLE RESISTIVE DEVICE - A fuel cell power plant ( | 02-04-2010 |
20100028730 | FUEL CELL POWER PRODUCTION SYSTEM WITH AN INTEGRATED HYDROGEN UTILIZATION DEVICE - A fuel cell power production system and method for supplying power to a load, comprising a high-temperature fuel cell including an anode compartment, adapted to receive fuel from a fuel supply path and to output anode exhaust, and a cathode compartment adapted to receive oxidant gas and to output cathode exhaust, a water transfer assembly for transferring water in the anode exhaust to the fuel supply path and for outputting water-separated anode exhaust; and a hydrogen utilization device adapted to receive oxidant gas and one of the water-separated anode exhaust and gas derived from the water-separated anode exhaust and to output hydrogen utilization device exhaust including oxidant gas, wherein the hydrogen utilization device exhaust is used to provide oxidant gas to said cathode compartment. | 02-04-2010 |
20100028731 | OPERATION METHOD OF FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND FUEL CELL SYSTEM - An operation method of a fuel cell system of the present invention has a water layer forming step in which before starting supply of at least one of the reducing agent and the oxidizing agent in a supply start operation of at least one of the reducing agent and the oxidizing agent, the water supplier supplies water to form a water layer so as to clog at least one of at least a portion of the reducing agent supply path which is located upstream of the reducing agent supply end in a flow direction of the reducing agent and at least a portion of the oxidizing agent supply path which is located upstream of the oxidizing agent supply end in a flow direction of the oxidizing agent. | 02-04-2010 |
20100035095 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system of the present invention includes: a fuel cell ( | 02-11-2010 |
20100035096 | Fuel Cell System Operated by Compressed Air - Described is a fuel cell system wherein at least one fuel cell ( | 02-11-2010 |
20100035097 | FUEL CELL STACK USED AS COOLANT HEATER - A system and method for increasing the temperature of a fuel cell stack quickly, especially at cold stack start-up. The method includes determining whether the fuel cell stack is below a first predetermined temperature threshold, and, if so, starting a cooling fluid flow through the stack and engaging a shorting circuit across the stack to short circuit the stack and cause the stack to operate inefficiently. The method then determines a desired heating rate of the fuel cell stack and calculates a cathode airflow to the fuel cell stack based on the desired heating rate. The method reduces the flow of cathode air to the stack if a minimum cell voltage is below a predetermined minimum cell voltage threshold and disengages the shorting circuit and applies vehicle loads to the stack when the stack temperature reaches a predetermined second temperature threshold. | 02-11-2010 |
20100035098 | Using chemical shorting to control electrode corrosion during the startup or shutdown of a fuel cell - A technique that is usable with a fuel cell includes providing a fuel and oxidant mixture to a reactant chamber of the fuel cell to regulate an electrode potential of the fuel cell during startup or shutdown of the fuel cell. | 02-11-2010 |
20100035099 | SOLID OXIDE CELL - A solid oxide cell is provided which, after short-time activation, can generate electricity at a high power density over a prolonged period. This cell can be constituted so as to eliminate the necessity of carrier gas introduction during power generation and, hence, can more easily realize a size reduction in power generation systems. The solid oxide cell at least has an anode having an anode material, a cathode having a cathode material, and an electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode and including an ionically conductive solid oxide, wherein the anode material includes a composite metal oxide or a cermet, solid carbon is deposited on the anode material during activation and at least the following reaction schemes (1) and (2) are utilized at the anode during power generation to generate electricity. | 02-11-2010 |
20100035100 | Method and Apparatus for Supplying Input Gases to a Fuel Cell Stack - A fuel supply system for a fuel cell stack includes a cathode gas supply line for supplying an oxidant to the cathode input of the fuel cell stack and an anode gas supply line for supplying fuel to the anode input of the fuel cell stack. An anode gas recirculation line recirculates partially used anode gas from the anode output to the anode input while a purge line may be connected for conducting away the partially used anode gas, as a purge gas from the anode gas recirculation line into the cathode gas supply line. The supply system also includes a conditioning arrangement disposed upstream of the cathode input. The conditioning arrangement is designed to a) mix a partial flow of the oxidant with the purge gas in a mixing station, b) compress accelerate, and/or heat the partial flow or the mixed flow, and c) conduct the mixed flow into the cathode gas supply line. | 02-11-2010 |
20100035101 | Fuel cell unit and method for producing an eletrically conductive connection betweenan electrode and a bipolar plate - In order to create a fuel cell unit, comprising a cathode-electrolyte-anode unit and at least one bipolar plate which is connected to an electrode of the cathode-electrolyte-anode unit in an electrically conductive manner, which has a low contact resistance between the bipolar plate and an electrode of the cathode-electrolyte-anode unit, it is suggested that the fuel cell unit comprise at least one electrically conductive intermediate element which is arranged between the bipolar plate and the electrode and has at least one contact surface facing the electrode. | 02-11-2010 |
20100035102 | ENERGY STORAGE INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK FOR PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES - Embodiments of the invention relate to a fuel cell system for a portable electronic device including one or more fuel storage components, adapted to store and deliver a fuel, one or more electronic components and one or more fuel cells in contact with at least one of the one or more fuel storage components and one or more electronic components. The one or more fuel storage components are adapted to provide a secondary function, in addition to storing and delivering fuel. | 02-11-2010 |
20100040910 | ELECTROCATALYST AND ENZYMATIC ELECTRODE - A novel electrocatalyst made of an oxidase having high electron transfer efficiency and an enzymatic electrode using the same are provided. The electrocatalyst is made of CueO. The enzymatic electrode comprises a carbonaceous porous body and an electrocatalyst made of CueO supported on the surface of the carbonaceous porous body. CueO is preferably CueO from | 02-18-2010 |
20100040911 | FUEL CELL FLOW FIELD HAVING STRONG, CHEMICALLY STABLE METAL BIPOLAR PLATES - A bipolar plate ( | 02-18-2010 |
20100040912 | Process for operating a fuel cell in dry conditions - The invention pertains to a process for operating a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), said PEMFC comprising:
| 02-18-2010 |
20100047629 | PEM FUEL CELL SYSTEM WITH A POROUS HYDROPHOBIC GAS VENTING MEMBER WITH GAS FLOW BLOCKAGE PREVENTION - A polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell power plant is cooled evaporatively with a water coolant system which does not permit liquid water to exit or flow through the coolant system. The coolant system utilizes a hydrophobic porous member ( | 02-25-2010 |
20100047630 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND ITS OPERATION METHOD - A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell which generates electricity; and control means which supplies an output power from the fuel cell to a predetermined load power source while realizing a low-efficiency operation of the fuel cell, thereby driving and controlling the load power source. The control means sets the output voltage of the fuel cell during the low-efficiency operation to a value not smaller than the minimum drive voltage of the load power source. | 02-25-2010 |
20100047631 | MEMBRANE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY HAVING PROTECTIVE LAYER AND METHOD FOR MITIGATING MEMBRANE DECAY - A membrane electrode assembly includes an anode; a cathode; a membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode; and a protective layer positioned between the membrane and the cathode, the protective layer having a first side and a second side and being adapted to restrict migration of oxygen at the first side and to restrict the migration of hydrogen at the second side and thereby maintain a plane of potential change between the anode and the cathode within the protective layer. | 02-25-2010 |
20100047632 | TEST BENCH AND TESTING METHOD FOR A FUEL CELL STACK - The invention relates to a test stand for a fuel cell stack comprising an insulating device for thermally insulating the fuel cell stack, a media supply device for supplying a gaseous fuel and an oxidising agent to the fuel cell stack and an electronic control device for controlling and/or regulating as well as for monitoring a test method. The invention further relates to a test method for a fuel cell stack. | 02-25-2010 |
20100055508 | FUEL CELL SYSTEMS WITH WATER RECOVERY FROM FUEL CELL EFFLUENT - Fuel cell systems that use a desiccant to recover water from fuel cell effluent. In some embodiments, the fuel cell system may include one or more fuel cells configured to generate electrical output from a supplied fuel and an oxidant while emitting effluent. The fuel cell system also may include a desiccant disposed downstream of the one or more fuel cells. The desiccant may bind water from at least a portion of the effluent. Heat then may be generated to release bound water from the desiccant. The heat may be generated by combustion of an exhausted fuel from the fuel cells and/or by combustion catalyzed by a combustion catalyst disposed downstream of the fuel cells. | 03-04-2010 |
20100055509 | Inorganic Salt Mixtures as Electrolyte Media in Fuel Cells - Fuel cell designs and techniques for converting chemical energy into electrical energy uses a fuel cell are disclosed. The designs and techniques include an anode to receive fuel, a cathode to receive oxygen, and an electrolyte chamber in the fuel cell, including an electrolyte medium, where the electrolyte medium includes an inorganic salt mixture in the fuel cell. The salt mixture includes pre-determined quantities of at least two salts chosen from a group consisting of ammonium trifluoromethanesulfonate, ammonium trifluoroacetate, and ammonium nitrate, to conduct charge from the anode to the cathode. The fuel cell includes an electrical circuit operatively coupled to the fuel cell to transport electrons from the cathode. | 03-04-2010 |
20100055510 | POLYMER ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELL - A polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes a power generation part as an electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly formed of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, a fuel electrode arranged in contact with one side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and an oxygen electrode arranged in contact with the other side of the membrane, and a fuel supply part for storing and supplying an alcohol fuel to the fuel electrode. The fuel supply part is composed of a high-concentration fuel tank for storing and supplying a highly-concentrated fuel and a water fuel tank for storing and supplying a water fuel. The fuel is gasified and supplied to the power generation part through a fuel gasification/supply layer provided between at least the high-concentration fuel tank and the fuel electrode. | 03-04-2010 |
20100055511 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system calculates amount of fluid discharged from a fuel gas circulation path with water and fuel gas in accordance with an ordinary process map if inside an anode is not scavenged when a fuel cell stops electrochemical reaction; measures amount of water remaining in a fuel gas circulation path in accordance with cumulative electricity output, temperature, or elapsed time after starting the electrochemical reaction if the inside the anode is scavenged previously; and determines whether the inside the fuel gas circulation path is in dry condition or humid condition. The fuel cell system calculates amount of fluid discharged from the fuel gas circulation path with water or the fuel gas in accordance with a map predetermined for the dry condition if the fuel cell system determines that the inside the fuel gas circulation path is in the dry condition. The fuel cell system calculates the amount of the fluid to be discharged with the water or the fuel gas in accordance with the ordinary map if the fuel cell system determines that the inside the fuel gas circulation path is in the humid condition. Accordingly, wasteful discharge of fuel gas can be prevented in a purging operation after starting up the fuel cell system. | 03-04-2010 |
20100055512 | ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM - A closed loop energy storage system configured with a hydrogen tank, an oxygen tank, a fuel cell stack and an electrolyzer. A heat exchanger freeze-dries the hydrogen and oxygen prior to their storage in their respective tanks. The heat exchanger also uses excess fuel cell heat to preheat streams of hydrogen and oxygen coming from the tanks. Phase separators serve both to separate water from hydrogen and oxygen, and to store the water. A thermal management system encloses all the system components except the tanks. An airfoil-shaped shell covers the system, and the larger of the two tanks extends substantially across the shell at its point of greatest camber thickness. The tanks are composed of polymer liners integral with composite shells. | 03-04-2010 |
20100055513 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY CONVERSION AND STORAGE - An electrochemical energy conversion and storage system comprises an electrochemical energy conversion device, in fluid communication with a source of an organic liquid carrier of hydrogen and an oxidant, for receiving, catalyzing and electrochemically oxidizing at least a portion of the hydrogen to generate electricity, a hydrogen depleted liquid, and water; and a vessel for receiving the hydrogen depleted liquid; wherein the organic liquid carrier of hydrogen comprises at least two secondary hydroxy groups is provided. | 03-04-2010 |
20100055514 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF A FUEL CELL ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM - Current pulsing improves the performance of fuel cells in a fuel cell stack based power system. Voltage clamping limits the voltage peaks that occur after a current pulse. In a hybrid power system, an electric storage device supplies the loads during current pulsing. The electric storage device may sink current to achieve the voltage clamping, and/or power system may employ other the voltage clamping circuits. | 03-04-2010 |
20100062289 | Apparatus and Method for Managing Fluids in a Fuel Cell Stack - A plurality of flow field plate assemblies forms a fuel cell stack. Each flow field plate assembly has a first flow field plate positionable on an anode side of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of a first fuel cell, a second flow field plate positionable on a cathode side of an MEA of a second fuel cell, adjacent the first fuel cell. At least one back-feed channel is interposed between the first and second flow field plates. At least a portion of the back-feed channel or a reactant manifold opening formed by the first and second flow field plates has a geometry that forms regions of high and low capillary forces, promoting liquid migration toward regions substantially isolated from a flow of reactants, to prevent water collection and ice formation. The migrated liquid being is purged during a purge of the fuel cell stack after operation. | 03-11-2010 |
20100062290 | METHOD FOR TESTING THE IMPERMEABILITY OF A FUEL CELL STACK - The invention relates to a method for testing the leak-tightness of a fuel cell stack comprising the steps of operating the fuel cell stack using defined gas supply rates, a defined modification of at least one gas supply rate, detecting at least one cell or cell group voltage and analysing the variation in time of the at least one cell or cell group voltage. | 03-11-2010 |
20100068563 | LIQUID METAL HEAT EXCHANGER FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE FUEL CELLS - A heat exchanger for a fuel cell stack includes a first plate and a second plate. The first and second plates are connected to one another by at least one wall. The first and second plates and the at least one wall form an enclosure having an interior area defined by interior surfaces of the enclosure. At least one liquid metal and transfer means are disposed within the interior area. The liquid metal flows within the transfer means and the interior area in response to a temperature gradient applied to the enclosure. | 03-18-2010 |
20100068564 | APPARATUS FOR STABILIZING FUEL CELL AND METHOD THEREFOR - An apparatus for stabilizing the fuel cell comprises a converter, a direct voltage detector and a regulating module. The converter can transform direct current generated from the fuel cell into electric power output, wherein a voltage of the electric power output is stable. The direct voltage detector can detect a direct voltage of the direct current. The regulating module can regulate an electric current of the electric power output according to the direct voltage of the direct current. | 03-18-2010 |
20100068565 | VARIABLE FUEL PRESSURE CONTROL FOR A FUEL CELL - A fuel cell includes a cathode having an air flow field. An anode includes an inlet and an outlet for providing unused fuel to a fuel recycling line. A pressure regulator is arranged upstream from an ejector and communicates with the air flow field for adjusting a fuel pressure at the motive inlet in response to an air pressure associated with the air flow field. The cathode and/or anode includes a porous water transport plate adjacent to the air flow field and/or fuel flow field respectively. A back pressure valve is arranged downstream from the air flow field for producing an air back pressure that generates a desired differential pressure across the water transport plate. The back pressure valve is controlled to achieve the desired differential pressure across the water transport plate so that the fuel cell maintains water balance. | 03-18-2010 |
20100068566 | METHOD FOR MINIMIZING MEMBRANE ELECTRODE DEGRADATION IN A FUEL CELL POWER PLANT - A method and apparatus for mitigating decay of multiple membrane electrode assemblies ( | 03-18-2010 |
20100068567 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A system voltage indicated by an intersection of a graph of an FC maximum output characteristic of the output voltage/output power characteristic of a fuel cell and a graph of a load device maximum output characteristic is output so as to obtain optimal output power, thereby matching an output current-output voltage characteristic of a fuel cell and a maximum output characteristic of a load. Thus, a fuel cell system which has high operating efficiency and which is free of physical failures is provided. | 03-18-2010 |
20100068568 | GAS PURGE CONTROL FOR COOLANT IN A FUEL CELL - A fuel cell includes a water transport plate providing a water flow field. The water flow field permits a flow of water having an entrained gas. A vent is in fluid communication with the water flow field. At least some of the gas is released from fuel cell by opening a vent. In a disclosed example, a valve is opened in response to conditions indicative of an undesired amount of gas. For example, the valve is actuated in response to a signal from a water level sensor. In another example, the valve is opened based upon a schedule. | 03-18-2010 |
20100068569 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A gas-supply passage ( | 03-18-2010 |
20100068570 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system is provided which efficiently performs a scavenging process for a fuel cell stack ( | 03-18-2010 |
20100075182 | METHOD FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL ACTIVATION OF FUEL CELLS - There is provided a method for the activation of a fuel cell. An exemplary method comprises operating the fuel cell entirely or partially at least briefly in an electrolysis regimen during galvanic operation. | 03-25-2010 |
20100075183 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DELIVERING HYDROGEN IN A VEHICLE - One exemplary embodiment includes a modular hydrogen storage system including discrete modules constructed and arranged so the hydrogen can be delivered from a discrete module independent of the rest of the system. | 03-25-2010 |
20100081016 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHUTTING DOWN THE SYSTEM - A fuel cell system includes an oxidant gas supply apparatus and a fuel gas supplier. The oxidant gas supply apparatus includes first and second open/close valves disposed respectively in oxidant gas supply and discharge lines, and an oxidant gas flow field having a first volume and formed between the first and second open/close valves. The fuel gas supplier includes third and fourth open/close valves disposed respectively in fuel gas supply and discharge lines, and a fuel gas flow field having a second volume and formed between the third and fourth open/close valves. A ratio of the first volume to the second volume is determined such that substantially all oxygen in the oxidant gas remaining in the oxidant gas flow field is consumed by reaction with the fuel gas remaining in the fuel gas flow field when the oxidant gas flow field and the fuel gas flow field are closed. | 04-01-2010 |
20100081017 | MULTIFUNCTIONAL FUEL SYSTEM AND RELATED METHODS - Embodiments of the invention relate to a multifunctional fuel system, including a multifunctional fuel cartridge including a hydrogen carrier capable of releasing hydrogen and one or more fuel cells, removably coupled to the fuel cartridge. The one or more fuel cells are capable of producing electricity upon receiving hydrogen from the fuel cartridge and wherein the multifunctional fuel cartridge is additionally adapted to release heat. | 04-01-2010 |
20100081018 | Increasing thermal dissipation of fuel cell stacks under partial electrical load - A method of operating a high temperature fuel cell system containing a plurality of fuel cell stacks includes operating one or more of the plurality of fuel cell stacks at a first output power while operating another one or more of the plurality of the fuel cell stacks at a second output power different from the first output power. | 04-01-2010 |
20100081019 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - The present invention provides fuel cell system to supply liquid fuel and air to a stack to thus cause reaction, thereby generating rated power. The fuel cell system includes a liquid fuel supply system, and an air-supply system. An air-supply rate being a volume of air supplied from the air-supply system per unit time, the air-supply rate of the air is set to a first air-supply rate upon start-up. The first air-supply rate is higher than the air-supply rate during the rated power generation. | 04-01-2010 |
20100086810 | FUEL CELL ASSEMBLY - A fuel cell assembly ( | 04-08-2010 |
20100086811 | CONTROLLING AN AMOUNT OF LIQUID WITHIN A FUEL CELL - A method of controlling an amount of liquid in a fuel cell includes increasing the oxygen utilization within the fuel cell to increase heat. The heat reduces the amount of liquid in the fuel cell. A disclosed example method includes decreasing a supply of air to the fuel cell to lower a fuel cell voltage by increasing the oxygen utilization. The example method includes maintaining an essentially electrical current density while decreasing the supply of air. | 04-08-2010 |
20100086812 | Supply System and Warning Device for a Fuel Cell Stack and Method for Controlling the Supply System - In a fuel cell stack, fuel, such as often hydrogen, electrochemically reacts with an oxidant, such as ambient air, and electric energy is generated from chemical energy. During the reaction, a proton exchange membrane (PEM) separates the fuel from the oxidant during the electrochemical process. A supply system for the fuel cell stack comprises an adjustable humidifying device for humidifying a supply gas which is supplied to the fuel cell stack, as a function of a control signal; and a dehumidifying device, which is configured to dehumidify an exhaust gas that is formed from the supply gas conducted through the fuel cell stack, and to discharge the same as a dehumidified exhaust gas. A controller, which generates the control signal, is configured from a programming and/or switching point of view to generate the control signal based on the gas temperature of the dehumidified exhaust gas. | 04-08-2010 |
20100092810 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM WITH A COMPENSATION REGION FOR MOISTENING AND/OR TEMPERING - The subject of the present invention is a fuel cell system having at least one fuel cell which has an anode, a cathode, and a membrane element. Two electrode chambers are disposed in the fuel cell, and the electrode chambers are an anode chamber and a cathode chamber. An educt flows into the anode chamber and into the cathode chamber by means of a respective incoming stream. According to the invention, it is provided that at least one compensation region is disposed on the end of the membrane element and serves solely to moisten and/or temper at least one of the incoming streams. | 04-15-2010 |
20100092811 | WETTABLE GAS DIFFUSION LAYER FOR A WET SEAL IN A FUEL CELL - An example fuel cell stack ( | 04-15-2010 |
20100092812 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING EXHAUST GAS FROM FUEL CELL - An exhaust gas processing device ( | 04-15-2010 |
20100092813 | Thermal Control of a Flow Cell Battery - A flow battery with thermal management is presented. The flow battery is housed in an enclosure where fluid is uniformly circulated about holding tanks of electrolyte to control the temperature inside the enclosure. | 04-15-2010 |
20100092814 | Online configurable control system for fuel cells - A fuel cell system control system includes a fuel cell system and a controller. The controller includes a display and a processor configured to execute a program for managing an operation of a fuel cell state machine having a plurality of states and capable of executing logic to execute state transitions, and a fuel cell failure detection and correction program, configured to detect one or more fuel cell system failures and correct each detected failure while the fuel cell system continues to operate. The control process includes the steps of representing an operation of a fuel cell control system as a state machine having one or more states, controlling the operation of the fuel cell system using the state machine, executing one or more states of the state machine, and correcting operational errors in the fuel cell control system while the fuel cell system continues to operate. | 04-15-2010 |
20100092815 | MEMBRANE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY HAVING CATALYST DIFFUSION BARRIER LAYER - A membrane electrode assembly includes an anode; a cathode; a membrane between the anode and the cathode and having a thickness defined between the anode and the cathode; and a catalyst diffusion barrier layer in a location bounded on one side by an interface between the membrane and the cathode, and bounded on the other side by a plane approximately 50% of the thickness of the membrane from the cathode. A method of manufacture is also provided. | 04-15-2010 |
20100092816 | METHODS OF REMOVING CONTAMINANTS FROM A FUEL CELL ELECTRODE - A method of optimizing a waveform of an electrical current applied to an electrode includes the steps of: applying an electrical current to an electrode of a device; determining a waveform of the voltage or the current of the electrical current; representing the waveform by a mathematical description such as a number of points or an analytical function characterized by a number of unknown coefficients and a fixed number of known functions; measuring a function of the device associated with the application of the electrical current; feeding the waveform description and the measurements to an algorithm, which may be in a computer program or other calculating device including manual calculations, including an optimization routine which uses the points or coefficients as independent variables for optimizing the function of the device; and performing the calculations to determine values of the points or coefficients which optimize the function of the device, and thereby determine an optimized waveform of the electrical current to be applied to the electrode of the device. | 04-15-2010 |
20100092817 | METHOD FOR REVISING A POLARIZATION CURVE THAT DEFINES THE CURRENT/VOLTAGE RELATIONSHIP OF A FUEL CELL STACK - A method for revising a reference polarization curve of a fuel cell stack that identifies the relationship between the voltage and the current of the stack over time. When the stack is operating at a low load where kinetic voltage losses of the stack dominate, a first adaptation value is revised as the difference between the actual stack voltage and the stack voltage of the reference polarization curve. When the stack is operating at higher loads where ohmic voltage losses of the stack dominate, a second adaptation value is revised as the difference between the actual stack voltage and the stack voltage of the reference polarization curve. | 04-15-2010 |
20100098976 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CHECKING FOR HYDROGEN LEAKAGE IN FUEL CELLS THEREOF - A fuel cell system and a method for checking for hydrogen leakage are provided. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell module having at least one fuel cell. The fuel cell system further includes a valve coupled to the fuel cell module and a hydrogen source for allowing hydrogen to be passed to the fuel cell module or blocking hydrogen from being passed to the fuel cell module. The fuel cell system further includes a controller board coupled to the valve and the fuel cell module for checking output voltage of the at least one fuel cell to determine whether there is hydrogen leak. The control board controls the valve for blocking hydrogen from being passed to the fuel cell module when the control board determines that there is a hydrogen leak. | 04-22-2010 |
20100098977 | CURRENT COLLECTOR OF END PLATE FOR FUEL CELL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - The present invention provides a current collector of an end plate for a fuel cell and a method for controlling the same, in which a plurality of current collector plates having different resistance values is mounted on an end plate so that the current of a fuel cell is consumed during cold start and during low power operation to improve cold startability of the fuel cell and, further, the durability of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is improved due to an increase in voltage during low power operation. | 04-22-2010 |
20100104896 | Device and Method for Augmenting the Useful Life of an Energy Storage Device | 04-29-2010 |
20100112381 | ELECTROCHEMICAL ACTUATOR - A heat switch system includes a first surface thermally coupled to at least a portion of an associated component requiring temperature control. A second surface is spaced by a gap relative to the first surface. A gas generator is coupled to a first chamber configured to hold a gas generated by the gas generator. The first chamber includes a diaphragm configured to be deformed in response to an increase in an amount of the gas in the first chamber. A deformation of the chamber in response to the increase in the amount of the gas in the first chamber causes movement of the first surface and/or the second surface such that the first surface and the second surface move toward each other to reduce the gap and heat is transferred from the first surface to the second surface. | 05-06-2010 |
20100112382 | LIFE EXTENSION OF PEM FUEL CELL USING STARTUP METHOD - A fuel cell system that employs a technique for reducing or significantly eliminating the MEA degradation that occurs as a result of the hydrogen-air front in the anode flow channels at system start-up. After system shut-down, any hydrogen remaining within the anode flow channels will be quickly reacted or diffused. At the next start-up, a switch is closed to provide a dead short across the positive and negative terminals of the fuel cell stack as hydrogen is being introduced into the anode flow channels. The existing air in the cathode flow channels reacts with the hydrogen being introduced across the membrane in the normal fuel cell reaction. However, the short prevents a voltage potential across the membrane. | 05-06-2010 |
20100112383 | DIAGNOSTIC TO DETERMINE A VALVE/LINE FREEZE-UP OR FAILURE IN A FUEL CELL BLEED MANIFOLD UNIT - A system and method for determining whether valves in a fuel cell system bleed manifold unit (BMU) are blocked with ice or have otherwise failed. The system opens a first bleed valve, closes a second bleed valve and opens an exhaust valve, and then reads a pressure signal to determine whether there is flow through a flow restriction to determine whether the first bleed valve or the exhaust valve is blocked. The system then closes the exhaust valve, leaves the first bleed valve open, and again reads the pressure signal to determine the pressure drop across the flow restriction, which will indicate whether the flow restriction the pressure sensor lines are blocked. The system then closes the first bleed valve and opens the second bleed valve to determine whether the pressure signal indicates a flow through the second bleed valve. | 05-06-2010 |
20100112384 | REMEDIAL ACTION TO OPERATE A FUEL CELL SYSTEM WITH A FAILED BLEED MANIFOLD UNIT - A system and method for providing an anode exhaust gas bleed in a fuel cell system. The system provides a normal anode side bleed using first and second bleed valves if the first and second bleed valves are not blocked and the temperature of first and second split sub-stacks is greater than a predetermined temperature, provides a continuous anode side bleed using the bleed valves if the bleed valves are not blocked and the temperature of the sub-stacks is less than the predetermined temperature, provides a normal center anode bleed through the drain valve if the first or second bleed valve is blocked and the temperature of the sub-stacks is above the predetermined temperature and provides a continuous center anode side bleed through the drain valve if the first or second bleed valve is blocked and the temperature of the sub-stacks is below the predetermined temperature. | 05-06-2010 |
20100112385 | METHOD FOR REMEDIAL ACTION IN THE EVENT OF THE FAILURE OF THE COMPRESSOR BYPASS VALVE IN A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A system and method for controlling the speed of a compressor that provides air to the cathode side of a fuel cell stack in the event that a cathode by-pass valve fails. If a by-pass valve failure is detected, a failure algorithm first disengages the normal flow and pressure algorithms used to control the airflow to the cathode side of the stack. Next, the failure algorithm opens the cathode exhaust gas valve to its fully opened position. Then, in response to a stack power request, the compressor control will be put in an open-loop control where a look-up table is used to provide a particular compressor speed for a power request. An airflow meter will measure the airflow to the stack, and the stack current will be limited based on that airflow. | 05-06-2010 |
20100112386 | METHOD FOR REMEDIAL ACTION IN THE EVENT OF THE FAILURE OF THE PRIMARY AIR FLOW MEASUREMENT DEVICE IN A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A system and method for controlling the speed of a compressor in the event that an airflow meter that measures the airflow from the compressor to the cathode input of the stack fails. When a failure of the airflow meter is detected, an algorithm first deactivates the primary feedback control algorithms used to control cathode pressure and flow, and sets the cathode exhaust valve to a fully open position. The speed of the compressor is controlled by an open loop set-point and the airflow from the compressor is estimated by a model using compressor discharge pressure and the compressor speed. The cathode by-pass valve position is determined by calculating the difference between the requested cathode airflow and the modeled compressor output flow. The position of the by-pass valve is then adjusted using the valve characteristics and the compressor discharge pressure. The estimated airflow to the stack is used to control the maximum stack current. | 05-06-2010 |
20100112387 | FUEL CELL MOTOR VEHICLE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - In a motor vehicle equipped with a fuel cell ( | 05-06-2010 |
20100112388 | FUEL CELLS - This invention provides a redox fuel cell comprising an anode and a cathode separated by an ion selective polymer electrolyte membrane; means for supplying a fuel to the anode region of the cell; means for supplying an oxidant to the cathode region of the cell; means for providing an electrical circuit between the anode and the cathode; a non-volatile catholyte solution flowing in fluid communication with the cathode, the catholyte solution comprising a redox mediator which is at least partially reduced at the cathode in operation of the cell, and at least partially regenerated by, optionally indirect, reaction with the oxidant after such reduction at the cathode, and a transition metal complex of a multidentate N-donor ligand as a redox catalyst catalysing the regeneration of the mediator. | 05-06-2010 |
20100112389 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND WARMING UP COMPLETION DETERMINING METHOD FOR THE SAME - A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, a warming up status detector, a warming up completion threshold setter, an informing device, an estimator, and a threshold changer. The warming up status detector is configured to detect a warming up status of the fuel cell stack. The informing device is configured to inform of completion of warming up when a value corresponding to a warming up status detected by the warming up status detector is equal to or higher than a threshold value set by the warming up completion threshold setter. The estimator is configured to estimate whether generated water is frozen in the fuel cell stack. The threshold changer is configured to change the threshold value set by the warming up completion threshold setter in accordance with a freezing state of the generated water in the fuel cell stack estimated by the estimator. | 05-06-2010 |
20100112390 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND ACTIVATING COMPLETION DEGREE DISPLAYING METHOD OF THE SAME - The progress of activation of a fuel cell is appropriately transmitted in accordance with the rise of the temperature of the fuel cell, and an estimated time till the completion of the activation is displayed with higher accuracy. To realize this, the current percentage of a fuel cell temperature is displayed on a gauge (G) which displays, as a starting point, the temperature of the fuel cell at the start of the activation and which displays, as an end point, the temperature of the fuel cell at the completion of the activation. The percentage of the temperature is displayed as the estimated time till the completion of the activation, whereby an adverse effect due to a low accuracy in the case of the estimation of the time is eliminated. When the fuel cell is activated for a failure check, the percentage of an actually elapsed time with respect to a time required to complete the failure check may be displayed on the gauge (G). After comparing the percentage of the actually elapsed time with respect to the time required to complete the failure check with the percentage of the temperature of the fuel cell, the smaller value is preferably displayed. | 05-06-2010 |
20100119883 | FUEL CELL WITH TRANSPORT FLOW ACROSS GAP - The present invention relates to a fuel cell with a gap for transport flow of an electrolyte containing charge carrying ions from either a fuel or an oxidizer between anode and a cathode. | 05-13-2010 |
20100119884 | ROBUST HEATING OF FUEL CELLS DURING SUBFREEZING START - The electrical output connections ( | 05-13-2010 |
20100119885 | Tailored Heat Transfer Characteristic of Fuel Cell Coolers - The thermal profile of one or more fuel cells ( | 05-13-2010 |
20100119886 | METHOD OF PRODUCING A MULTILAYER BARRIER STRUCTURE FOR A SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL - The present invention provides a method of producing a multilayer barrier structure in a solid oxide cell stack, comprising the steps of: -providing a metal interconnect; -applying a first metal oxide layer on said metal interconnect; -applying a second metal oxide layer on top of said first metal oxide layer; -applying a third metal oxide layer on top of said second metal oxide layer; -forming a solid oxide cell stack comprising said metal interconnect having said metal oxide layers thereon; and -reacting the metal oxide in said first metal oxide layer with the metal of said metal interconnect during the SOC-stack initialisation, and a solid oxide stack comprising an anode contact layer and support structure, an anode layer, an electrolyte layer, a cathode layer, a cathode contact layer, a metallic interconnect, and a multilayer barrier structure which is obtainable by the above method and through an initialisation step, which is carried out under controlled conditions for atmosphere composition and current load, which depends on the layer composition facilitating the formation of the desired reaction products as a dense barrier layer without chromium species migrating to the air-electrode. | 05-13-2010 |
20100119887 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND ACTIVATION METHOD FOR FUEL CELL - A cell unit voltage is controlled such that a hydrogen production reaction is caused to occur in an oxidizer electrode, thereby allowing a current corresponding to a moving amount of protons, which is larger than a diffusion limiting current, to pass through a fuel cell. As a result, regardless of a supply amount of an oxidizer, a current larger than a limiting current of a fuel cell reaction is allowed to flow. | 05-13-2010 |
20100119888 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - A fuel cell system includes: a power generation stack ( | 05-13-2010 |
20100119889 | SOLID OXIDE PROTON CONDUCTOR SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME FOR ENHANCED PROTON TRANSPORT - A proton conductor system includes a solid oxide having at least one hydrogen vibrational mode defined by a bandwidth and resonance frequency. A light source irradiates the solid oxide with infrared light in a wavelength band having a center frequency matching the resonance frequency. | 05-13-2010 |
20100119890 | Systems and Methods for Biomethane Cleaning and Distribution - Systems and methods are disclosed herein which produce renewable energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, by transforming biomethane gas into a mobile and renewable energy source. Biomethane gas, in this process, is generated from the anaerobic degradation process that occurs in landfills or other biomethane sources. The biomethane gas, after it has gone through a specialized cleaning system at the biomethane source sites and subsequently transported to gas consumer's customer site or natural gas pipeline, can be used as a substitute for natural gas for use in power generation units, fuel cells, vehicle fuels, and/or other applications. | 05-13-2010 |
20100119891 | METHOD FOR OPERATING FUEL CELL AND FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A method for operating a direct methanol fuel cell is provided. The fuel cell includes a fuel cell main body having a fuel electrode and an air electrode disposed in opposing positions on either side of an electrolyte film. In this method, an aqueous methanol solution is supplied directly to the fuel electrode. A quantity of the aqueous methanol solution supplied is controlled in accordance with an electric current value drawn from the fuel cell main body so as to minimize a quantity of unused methanol within a discharge fluid discharged from the fuel electrode. | 05-13-2010 |
20100119892 | RECUPERATED ATMOSPHERIC SOFC/GAS TURBINE HYBRID CYCLE - A method of operating an atmospheric-pressure solid oxide fuel cell generator ( | 05-13-2010 |
20100124677 | DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL SYSTEM WITH UNIFORM VAPOR DELIVERY OF FUEL - A fuel cell system which includes a fuel distribution structure that uniformly distributes vaporizing fuel to a fuel cell is provided. As the fuel travels in a flow field channel in the fuel distribution structure, it is substantially converted to a vapor by the heat of the fuel cell operation in such a manner that the resulting vapor pressure works to substantially uniformly distribute fuel evenly outwardly across substantially the entire active area of the anode aspect of one or more membrane electrode assemblies in the system, and whereby localized, uneven “hot spots” of fuel at the anode aspects are substantially prevented. A pair of enthalpy exchanger and heat spreader assemblies include a cathode current collector element that also has a heat spreader plate that collects and redirects heat in the fuel cell system, the assembly acting to manage the heat, temperature and condensation in the fuel cell system. | 05-20-2010 |
20100124678 | FUEL CELL FEED SYSTEMS - Fuel feed systems capable of providing substantially consistent flow of fuel to a fuel cell and also capable of tolerating varying pressures from a reservoir (also referred to as fuel supply or fuel cell cartridge) and the fuel cell while maintaining substantially consistent control flow to the fuel cell are disclosed. | 05-20-2010 |
20100124679 | METHOD FOR INCREASING THE DURABILITY OF DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELLS - Methods for increasing the durability of direct oxidation fuel cells are disclosed. In one instance, the method for increasing durability of a vapor fed direct oxidation fuel cell includes reducing fluctuations in output power, provided by the vapor fed direct oxidation fuel cell, to a load. The reduction of the fluctuations in output power can include, in one instance, utilizing a mass flow controller or an electro-osmotive pump to supply fuel to the vapor fed direct oxidation fuel cell. | 05-20-2010 |
20100124680 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM OPERATED WITH LIQUID GAS - A fuel cell system comprises at least one fuel cell with a high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane. The fuel cell is supplied with liquefied petroleum gas from a supply of liquefied petroleum gas. The liquefied petroleum gas can be directly fed into an anode reaction chamber of the fuel cell without complex reforming. Water vapor is admixed to the liquefied petroleum gas before it enters the anode reaction chamber. | 05-20-2010 |
20100129688 | METHODS OF OPERATING FUEL CELL STACKS AND SYSTEMS RELATED THERETO - Methods and systems for operating a fuel cell stack having a fuel exhaust stream and a vessel downstream of the fuel cell stack fluidly connected to the fuel exhaust stream are provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises displacing substantially all residual gas in the vessel by providing at least a portion of the fuel exhaust stream to the vessel, and isolating the vessel from the fuel cell stack after the fuel exhaust stream displaces substantially all residual gas in the vessel. At least one bleed down characteristic is determined as fuel exhaust within the vessel is released through an orifice, and an operating condition of the fuel cell stack is set or determined based on the at least one bleed down characteristic. In a specific embodiment, the hydrogen concentration in the fuel exhaust is determined based on the at least one bleed down characteristic. | 05-27-2010 |
20100129689 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACTIVATING FUEL CELL - A system for activating a fuel cell includes a flow meter for measuring the amount of water discharged from an outlet of the air electrode and an outlet of the fuel electrode; a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure at the respective outlets; and a back pressure regulator receiving flow values measured by the flow meters and pressure values measured by the pressure sensors, which are fed back from a controller, and regulating a pressure difference (ΔP=P | 05-27-2010 |
20100129690 | VEHICULAR POWER SOURCE UNIT - Provided is a vehicular power source unit having an external electric power supply controlling element ( | 05-27-2010 |
20100136376 | IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO FUEL CELLS - A method of fuelling an intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell comprises providing a fuel rich in carbon monoxide to an anode region, after the fuel has contacted a water gas shift reaction catalyst in the region of the anode, so that the water gas shift reaction occurs due to the presence of residual water in the fuel, and/or steam produced at the anode. A fuel cell assembly comprises a gas impermeable electrolyte between an anode and a cathode, first means for the supply of oxidant to the cathode, and second means for the supply of fuel to the anode that comprises a water gas shift reaction catalyst to catalyse the water gas shift reaction between carbon monoxide in the fuel and water/steam occurring as a residual in the fuel or from the reaction at the anode. A method also applies a catalyst to a metal substrate by ink-jet printing. | 06-03-2010 |
20100136377 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - A method of driving a fuel cell system according to embodiments of the present invention includes supplying a first amount of oxidizer (which is less than a normal amount of oxidizer) to a fuel cell stack while continuously supplying fuel to the fuel cell stack, supplying a second amount of oxidizer (which is more than the normal amount) to the fuel cell stack, and supplying a third amount of oxidizer (which is the normal amount of oxidizer supplied in a normal driving state) to the fuel cell stack. | 06-03-2010 |
20100143754 | SHUTDOWN STRATEGY TO AVOID CARBON CORROSION DUE TO SLOW HYDROGEN/AIR INTRUSION RATES - A fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cells, each of the fuel cells including an electrolyte membrane disposed between an anode and a cathode, an anode supply manifold in fluid communication with the anodes of the fuel cells, the anode supply manifold providing fluid communication between a source of hydrogen and the anodes, an anode exhaust manifold in fluid communication with the anodes of the fuel cells, and a fan in fluid communication with the anodes of the fuel cells, wherein the fan controls a flow of fluid through the anodes of the fuel cells after the fuel cell system is shutdown. | 06-10-2010 |
20100151284 | METHODS AND CONTROLS FOR HYDROGEN TO CATHODE INLET OF A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A system and method for quickly heating a fuel cell stack at fuel cell system start-up. The fuel cell system includes a three-way valve positioned in the anode exhaust that selectively directs the anode exhaust gases to the cathode input of the fuel cell stack so that hydrogen in the anode exhaust gas can be used to heat the fuel cell stack. During normal operation when the fuel cell stack is at the desired temperature, the three-way valve in the anode exhaust can be used to bleed nitrogen to the cathode exhaust. | 06-17-2010 |
20100151285 | ANODE REACTIVE BLEED AND INJECTOR SHIFT CONTROL STRATEGY - A system and method for correcting a large fuel cell voltage spread for a split sub-stack fuel cell system. The system includes a hydrogen source that provides hydrogen to each split sub-stack and bleed valves for bleeding the anode side of the sub-stacks. The system also includes a voltage measuring device for measuring the voltage of each cell in the split sub-stacks. The system provides two levels for correcting a large stack voltage spread problem. The first level includes sending fresh hydrogen to the weak sub-stack well before a normal reactive bleed would occur, and the second level includes sending fresh hydrogen to the weak sub-stack and opening the bleed valve of the other sub-stack when the cell voltage spread is close to stack failure. | 06-17-2010 |
20100151286 | METHOD OF STABILIZING A STACK AFTER COMPLETING STARTUP, WITHOUT EXTENDING THE STARTUP TIME - A fuel cell system that controls the speed of the compressor providing cathode air to a fuel cell stack just after a system start-up procedure has ended so as to reduce the chance that the compressor current draw will cause a stack quick stop. The method includes recognizing a command for high compressor speed just after the system start-up procedure ends, where the stack is in the run state, and instead of providing a step change in the compressor command, ramping up the compressor speed so that the current draw from the compressor does not spike. | 06-17-2010 |
20100151287 | ADAPTIVE ANODE BLEED STRATEGY - A system for providing an adaptive anode bleed strategy for bleeding nitrogen from the anode side of a fuel cell stack. The system includes a hydrogen concentration sensor provided in an exhaust line from the fuel cell stack that provides a hydrogen concentration reading of the hydrogen being emitted from the stack during the bleed. A controller analyzes the hydrogen concentration reading during the bleed and determines when a plateau in the hydrogen concentration begins to spike upward, indicating that more hydrogen is being emitted and less nitrogen is being emitted. By looking at multiple hydrogen concentration plateaus over multiple bleeds, the controller can calculate an efficient bleed duration for the bleed event for different current densities of the fuel cell stack, where the bleed can be stopped just after the hydrogen concentration spike occurs. Thus, the duration of the bleed is adapted over the life of the stack. | 06-17-2010 |
20100151288 | METHOD OF OPERATING A FUEL CELL SYSTEM IN STANDBY/REGENERATIVE MODE - A system and method for putting a fuel cell system in a stand-by during a system idle condition to improve system fuel efficiency. The method can include diverting the cathode airflow around the stack, reducing an airflow output from a cathode compressor to a minimum allowable set-point, opening the stack contactors to disconnect the stack from the high voltage bus and electrically isolate the stack from the rest of the system, engaging an independent load to the stack, such as end cell heaters in the stack, to suppress stack voltage, maintaining a positive pressure in the anode side of the fuel cell stack and periodically bleeding the anode into the exhaust stream. When a system power request is made removing the idle condition, the system returns to normal operation by directing the airflow back to the cathode and opening the stack contactors when an open circuit voltage is attained. | 06-17-2010 |
20100151289 | METHOD OF REMOVING RESIDUAL OXYGEN IN FUEL CELL BY ELECTROCHEMICAL PURGING - A method of removing residual oxygen in a residential high temperature non-humidification fuel cell stack including at least one cathode. The method includes making the pressure in the cathode higher than that outside of the cathode and maintaining airtight sealing of the cathode of the fuel cell stack, removing the residual oxygen in the fuel cell stack, and stopping supplying of fuel to the fuel cell stack. The setting of the pressure includes blocking air flow out of the cathode, comparing the pressure in the cathode with a set pressure higher than the pressure outside the cathode, and supplying air to the cathode until the pressure in the cathode is the same as or is higher than the set pressure. | 06-17-2010 |
20100151290 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD OF STARTING FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a cathode supply passage, a cathode discharging passage, an anode supply passage, an anode discharging passage, a pair of cathode shutoff units, an anode shutoff unit, an anode discharging unit, a discharged gas processing unit, and a control unit. The control unit releases the sealing of the cathode passage by the pair of cathode shutoff units, at the time of start-up of the fuel cell system, and releases the sealing of the anode passage by the anode discharging unit, thereby performing a purge process to allow discharge of the anode gas. | 06-17-2010 |
20100159295 | ON-LINE REPLACEMENT OF DCFC TUBULAR ELEMENTS - In one embodiment, the present invention relates generally to a method for replacing at least one direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) tube of a plurality of DCFC tubes in a fuel cell on-line. In one embodiment, the method includes detecting a degradation in performance of the at least one DCFC tube, removing the at least one DCFC tube while the fuel cell is still operating and providing a replacement DCFC tube while the fuel cell is still operating. | 06-24-2010 |
20100159296 | Fuel cell system and driving method thereof - Disclosed are a fuel cell system, and a method of driving the system. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack having a plurality of unit cells producing electricity, a switching unit connecting the plurality of unit cells to a discharge resistor, a switching controller synchronously operated when the voltage of the fuel cell stack reaches an open circuit voltage after power generation of the fuel cell stack is stopped. The switching controller generates select control signals to control the switching unit. The fuel cell system further includes a sensing unit measuring respective cell voltages of the plurality of unit cells and generating cell voltage sensing signals to control activation periods of the select control signals. | 06-24-2010 |