Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090029208 | ON-LINE MONITORING ASSEMBLY FOR DETECTION OF SULFUR BREAKTHROUGH IN A DESULFURIZER ASSEMBLY AND SULFUR BREAKTHROUGH DETECTION METHOD - A monitoring assembly for use in a fuel cell system for detecting sulfur-containing compounds in fuel. The monitoring assembly comprises an indicator assembly for passing the fuel therethrough, the indicator assembly including an indicator material and a housing for housing said indicator material, wherein the housing is adapted to be placed on-line in one of a main path receiving substantially all the fuel and a bypass path receiving only a portion of the fuel in the fuel cell system and the indicator material is such that when the housing is placed on-line in the fuel cell system at least one physical property of the indicator material changes when the indicator material is exposed to sulfur-containing compounds in the fuel of the fuel cell system, and the indicator assembly being additionally adapted to allow detection of the change in the physical property of the indicator material. | 01-29-2009 |
20090110989 | FLOW CONTROL ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH FUEL CELL SYSTEMS OPERATING ON FUELS WITH VARYING FUEL COMPOSITION - A flow control assembly for use in a fuel cell system, comprising a sensor for sensing hydrogen concentration in one of anode exhaust leaving an anode side of the fuel cell system and a gas derived from the anode exhaust, and a fuel flow control assembly for controlling the flow of fuel to the anode side of the fuel cell system based on the hydrogen concentration sensed by the sensor. | 04-30-2009 |
20090176134 | Water recovery assembly for use in high temperature fuel cell systems - A water recovery assembly for use in a fuel cell system having an anode and a cathode, the anode being adapted to receive fuel and output anode exhaust, the water recovery assembly comprising a first cooling assembly adapted to receive and quench cool the anode exhaust and to recover a first portion of water including electrolyte from the anode exhaust, and to output quenched anode exhaust and the first portion of water, and a second cooling assembly adapted to receive the quenched anode exhaust and to recover a second portion of water from the quenched anode exhaust, the second portion of water being suitable for humidifying the fuel supplied to the anode. | 07-09-2009 |
20090236265 | PRE-PROCESSING ASSEMBLY FOR PRE-PROCESSING FUEL FEEDSTOCKS FOR USE IN A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A pre-processing assembly and method for processing fuel feedstock containing oxygen and hydrocarbons having higher and lower hydrocarbon content for a fuel cell, wherein the pre-processing assembly has a deoxidizing bed for reducing oxygen in the fuel feedstock and a pre-reforming bed for reducing higher hydrocarbon content in the fuel feedstock and wherein the deoxidizing bed and the pre-reforming bed are disposed within a common reaction vessel such that the fuel feedstock first passes through the deoxidizing bed and thereafter through the pre-reforming bed. The pre-reforming assembly may further include a propane processor bed for processing propane and propylene in the fuel feedstock, where the propane processor bed is disposed within the common reaction vessel with the deoxidizing bed and the pre-reforming bed. | 09-24-2009 |
20100216039 | FUEL HUMIDIFIER ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN HIGH TEMPERATURE FUEL CELL SYSTEMS - A humidifier assembly for humidifying fuel for use in a fuel cell system, comprising a water heater adapted to receive recycled water and to generate heated water using cathode exhaust, and a fuel saturator adapted to receive deaerated cleansed water, at least a portion of the deaerated cleansed water comprising the heated water, and fuel and to humidify the fuel with a first portion of the deaerated cleansed water, the fuel saturator tower outputting humidified fuel for use in the fuel cell system and a second portion of the deaerated cleansed water for use as recycled water in the water heater. | 08-26-2010 |
20110192085 | PRE-PROCESSING ASSEMBLY FOR PRE-PROCESSING FUEL FEEDSTOCKS FOR USE IN A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A pre-processing assembly and method for processing fuel feedstock containing oxygen and hydrocarbons having higher and lower hydrocarbon content for a fuel cell, wherein the pre-processing assembly has a deoxidizing bed for reducing oxygen in the fuel feedstock and a pre-reforming bed for reducing higher hydrocarbon content in the fuel feedstock and wherein the deoxidizing bed and the pre-reforming bed are disposed within a common reaction vessel such that the fuel feedstock first passes through the deoxidizing bed and thereafter through the pre-reforming bed. The pre-reforming assembly may further include a propane processor bed for processing propane and propylene in the fuel feedstock, where the propane processor bed is disposed within the common reaction vessel with the deoxidizing bed and the pre-reforming bed. | 08-11-2011 |
20120129267 | SULFUR BREAKTHROUGH DETECTION ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN A FUEL UTILIZATION SYSTEM AND SULFUR BREAKTHROUGH DETECTION METHOD - A sulfur breakthrough monitoring assembly for use in a fuel utilization system for detecting sulfur-containing compounds in desulfurized fuel, said monitoring assembly comprising: a heater for heating desulfurized fuel to a predetermined temperature, the predetermined temperature being between 450° C. and 600° C., a sulfur breakthrough detector adapted to receive heated fuel from the heater and including at least a reforming catalyst bed for reforming the heated fuel and a plurality of temperature sensors including a first temperature sensor for sensing temperature of the heated fuel before the fuel is conveyed through the reforming catalyst bed and a second temperature sensor for sensing temperature in the reforming catalyst bed, and a controller for determining whether concentration of the sulfur-containing compounds in the fuel exceeds a first predetermined concentration based on temperature outputs from the first and second temperature sensors. | 05-24-2012 |