Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080315471 | System And Method For Damping Vibration In A Drill String - A system for damping vibration in a drill string can include a valve assembly having a supply of a fluid, a first member, and a second member capable of moving in relation to first member in response to vibration of the drill bit. The first and second members define a first and a second chamber for holding the fluid. Fluid can flow between the first and second chambers in response to the movement of the second member in relation to the first member. The valve assembly can also include a coil or a valve for varying a resistance of the fluid to flow between the first and second chambers. | 12-25-2008 |
20110024188 | APPARATUS FOR MEASURING BENDING ON A DRILL BIT OPERATING IN A WELL - An apparatus for measuring the bending on a drill bit operating down hole in a well may comprise at least three pockets circumferentially spaced equidistantly around the drill collar of the drill string to which the drill bit is attached. Four strain gauges are equidistantly circumferentially spaced around each of the pockets so as to form first and second sets of strain gauges. The strain gauges in the first set are connected into one Wheatstone bridge while the gauges in the second set are connected in a second bridge. Each of the strain gauges that are oriented similarly within each of the pockets are connected in series within a single leg of a bridge so that the output voltage of the bridge is unaffected by bending in the drill string. The output of first bridge is used to determine the bending on the drill bit. Further, an apparatus for measuring the bending, weight, and torque on a drill bit operating down hole in a well may comprise at least three pockets circumferentially spaced equidistantly around the drill collar of the drill string to which the drill bit is attached with twelve strain gauges that are equidistantly circumferentially spaced around each of the pockets so as to form first and second sets of strain gauges. The arrangement of the twelve strain gauges allow for a bending on bit measurement that cancels out the affects of the weight on bit and torque on bit. | 02-03-2011 |
20110291334 | System And Method For Damping Vibration In A Drill String - A system for damping vibration in a drill string can include a valve assembly having a supply of a fluid, a first member, and a second member capable of moving in relation to first member in response to vibration of the drill bit. The first and second members define a first and a second chamber for holding the fluid. Fluid can flow between the first and second chambers in response to the movement of the second member in relation to the first member. The valve assembly can also include a coil or a valve for varying a resistance of the fluid to flow between the first and second chambers. | 12-01-2011 |
20120228028 | Apparatus And Method For Damping Vibration In A Drill String - An apparatus and method for damping vibration, especially torsional vibration due to stick-slip, in a drill string, Sensors measure the instantaneous angular velocity of the drill string at one or more locations along the length of the drill string. One or more vibration damping modules are also spaced along the length of the drill string. When torsional vibration above a threshold is detected, the damping module imposes a reverse torque on the drill that dampens the torsional vibration. The reverse torque can be created by imparting a frictional resistance to the rotation of the drill string. The frictional resistance can be created externally, by extending friction pads from the damping module so that they contact the bore hole wall and drag along the bore hole as the drill string rotates, or internally by anchoring a housing mounted on the drill string to the wall of the bore hole and then imposing frictional resistance on a fluid, such as a magnetorheological fluid, flowing within the drill string. | 09-13-2012 |
20130056283 | System and Method for Vibration in a Drill String - A system for damping vibration in a drill string can include a valve assembly having a supply of a fluid, a first member, and a second member capable of moving in relation to first member in response to vibration of the drill bit. The first and second members define a first and a second chamber for holding the fluid. Fluid can flow between the first and second chambers in response to the movement of the second member in relation to the first member. The valve assembly can also include a coil or a valve for varying a resistance of the fluid to flow between the first and second chambers. | 03-07-2013 |
20130239674 | APPARATUS FOR MEASURING BENDING ON A DRILL BIT OPERATING IN A WELL - An apparatus for measuring the bending on a drill bit operating down hole in a well may comprise at least three pockets circumferentially spaced equidistantly around the drill collar of the drill string to which the drill bit is attached. Four strain gauges are equidistantly circumferentially spaced around each of the pockets so as to form first and second sets of strain gauges. The strain gauges in the first set are connected into one Wheatstone bridge while the gauges in the second set are connected in a second bridge. Each of the strain gauges that are oriented similarly within each of the pockets are connected in series within a single leg of a bridge so that the output voltage of the bridge is unaffected by bending in the drill string. The output of first bridge is used to determine the bending on the drill bit. Further, an apparatus for measuring the bending, weight, and torque on a drill bit operating down hole in a well may comprise at least three pockets circumferentially spaced equidistantly around the drill collar of the drill string to which the drill bit is attached with twelve strain gauges that are equidistantly circumferentially spaced around each of the pockets so as to form first and second sets of strain gauges. The arrangement of the twelve strain gauges allow for a bending on bit measurement that cancels out the affects of the weight on bit and torque on bit. | 09-19-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090035616 | Full cells evaporative cooling and combined evaporative and sensible cooling - Water passageways ( | 02-05-2009 |
20100304239 | RAPID START-UP AND OPERATING SYSTEM FOR A FUEL CELL POWER PLANT UTILIZING A REFORMATE - A fuel cell power plant ( | 12-02-2010 |
20100330448 | Fuel cell power plant having improved operating efficiencies - A fuel cell power plant ( | 12-30-2010 |
20110045371 | Evaporatively cooled hybrid PEM fuel cell power plant assembly - A PEM fuel cell power plant includes fuel cells, each of which has a cathode reactant flow field plate which is substantially impermeable to fluids, a coolant source, and a fluid permeable anode reactant flow field plate adjacent to said coolant source. The anode reactant flow field plates pass coolant from the coolant sources into the cells where the coolant is evaporated to cool the cells. The cathode flow field plates prevent reactant crossover between adjacent cells. By providing a single permeable plate for each cell in the power plant the amount of coolant present in the power plant at shut down is limited to a degree which does not require adjunct coolant purging components to remove coolant from the plates when the power plant is shut down during freezing ambient conditions. Thus the amount of residual frozen coolant in the power plant that forms in the plates during shut down in such freezing conditions will be limited. The power plant can thus be restarted and brought up to full operating power levels quickly due to the reduced amount of frozen coolant that must be melted during startup. Pressure in the coolant source is preferably greater than ambient pressure, and pressure in the anode reactant flow field is greater than the pressure in the coolant source so as to prevent the coolant from flooding the cells. The power plant is well suited for use in powering vehicles. | 02-24-2011 |
20110189570 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PASSIVATING A FUEL CELL POWER PLANT - A system and method for passivating a fuel cell power plant | 08-04-2011 |
20110223495 | PREVENTING AIR INTRUSION INTO HYDROGEN-STABILIZED FUEL CELLS DURING SHUTDOWN - During a process of shutting down a fuel cell power plant ( | 09-15-2011 |
20110244340 | MEMBRANE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLIES WITH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE DECOMPOSITION CATALYST - A membrane electrode assembly includes an anode including a hydrogen oxidation catalyst; a cathode; a membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode; and a peroxide decomposition catalyst positioned in at least one position selected from the group consisting of a layer between the anode and the membrane and a layer between the cathode and the membrane wherein the peroxide decomposition catalyst has selectivity when exposed to hydrogen peroxide toward reactions which form benign products from the hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide decomposition catalyst can also be positioned within the membrane. Also disclosed is a power-generating fuel cell system including such a membrane electrode assembly, and a process for operating such a fuel cell system. The assembly components contain ionomer material which can be perfluorinated or non-perfluorinated, high temperature, hydrocarbon, and the like. | 10-06-2011 |
20110269055 | MULTIPLE TRANSITION FLOW FIELD AND METHOD - A reactant flow field ( | 11-03-2011 |
20110281186 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FUEL CELL START FROM FREEZING WITHOUT MELTING ICE - Fuel cell systems ( | 11-17-2011 |
20120003560 | FUEL CELL FOR MOISTURE MANAGEMENT AT GAS INLETS - A fuel cell includes an electrode assembly having an electrolyte between a cathode catalyst and an anode catalyst, and a flow field plate having a channel for delivering a reactant gas to the electrode assembly. The flow field plate includes a channel having a channel inlet. A porous diffusion layer is located between the electrode assembly and the flow field plate. The porous diffusion layer includes a first region near the channel inlet and a second region downstream from the first region relative to the channel inlet. The first region includes a filler material that partially blocks pores of the first region such that the first region has a first porosity and the second region has a second porosity that is greater than the first porosity. | 01-05-2012 |
20120168975 | METHOD FOR PROCESSING A POROUS ARTICLE - A method of processing a porous article includes distributing a blended material that includes an electrically conductive material and a binder into a cavity of a mold that is at a temperature below a curing temperature of the binder. The electrically conductive material is formed from particles of the electrically conductive material that have a size distribution such that 10 vol % of the particles are less than 12 micrometers in diameter, 50 vol % of the particles are less than 27 micrometers in diameter, and 90 vol % of the particles are less than 53 micrometers. The blended material is compressed within the cavity under a molding pressure, and the mold is heated to a curing temperature of the binder to form a molded article. | 07-05-2012 |
20120203392 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPERATING A FLOW BATTERY SYSTEM BASED ON ENERGY COSTS - A method and system for storing and/or discharging electrical energy that has a cost, which method includes steps of: (a) providing a flow battery system comprising at least one flow battery cell and a controller; (b) operating the flow battery cell at a power density having a first value; and (c) changing the power density at which the flow battery cell is operated from the first value to a second value as a function of the cost of the electrical energy, wherein the power density is changed using the controller, and wherein the second value is different than the first value. | 08-09-2012 |
20120244395 | FLOW BATTERY WITH INTERDIGITATED FLOW FIELD - A flow battery includes a first liquid-porous electrode, a second liquid-porous electrode spaced apart from the first liquid-porous electrode, and an ion-exchange membrane arranged between the first liquid-porous electrode and the second liquid-porous electrode. First and second flow fields are adjacent to the respective first liquid-porous electrode and second liquid-porous electrode. Each of the flow fields includes first channels having at least partially blocked outlets and second channels having at least partially blocked inlets. The second channels are interdigitated with the first channels. The flow fields provide a configuration and method of operation for relatively thin electrodes with moderate pressure drops and forced convective flow through the liquid-porous electrodes. | 09-27-2012 |
20120258345 | FLOW BATTERY HAVING ELECTRODES WITH A PLURALITY OF DIFFERENT PORE SIZES AND OR DIFFERENT LAYERS - A flow battery includes an electrode operable to be wet by a solution having a reversible redox couple reactant. In one embodiment, the electrode can have plurality of micro and macro pores, wherein the macro pores have a size at least one order of magnitude greater than a size of the micro pores. In another embodiment, the electrode includes a plurality of layers, wherein one of the plurality of layers has a plurality of macro pores, and wherein another one of the plurality of layers has a plurality of micro pores. In another embodiment, the electrode has a thickness less than approximately 2 mm. In still another embodiment, the electrode has a porous carbon layer, wherein the layer is formed of a plurality of particles bound together. | 10-11-2012 |
20120321916 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SENSING AND MITIGATING HYDROGEN EVOLUTION WITHIN A FLOW BATTERY SYSTEM - A method is provided for mitigating hydrogen evolution within a flow battery system that includes a plurality of flow battery cells, a power converter and an electrochemical cell. The method includes providing hydrogen generated by the hydrogen evolution within the flow battery system to the electrochemical cell. A first electrical current generated by an electrochemical reaction between the hydrogen and a reactant is sensed, and the sensed current is used to control an exchange of electrical power between the flow battery cells and the power converter. | 12-20-2012 |
20120321920 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A FLOW BATTERY SYSTEM AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE - A flow battery system includes a flow battery stack, a sensor and a coolant loop. The flow battery stack has an electrolyte solution flowing therethrough, and the sensor is in communication with the electrolyte solution. The coolant loop is in heat exchange communication with the electrolyte solution, wherein the heat exchange communication is selective based on an output from the sensor. | 12-20-2012 |
20130029196 | FLOW BATTERY CELLS ARRANGED BETWEEN AN INLET MANIFOLD AND AN OUTLET MANIFOLD - A flow battery stack includes an inlet manifold, an outlet manifold and a plurality of flow battery cells. The inlet and outlet manifolds each have first and second passages. The first and second passages in at least one of the inlet and outlet manifolds are tortuous. Each flow battery cell includes a separator arranged between a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer. The flow battery cells are axially connected between the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold such that a first solution having a first reversible redox couple reactant is directed from the inlet first passage through the flow battery cells, wetting the first electrode layers, to the outlet first passage. | 01-31-2013 |
20130071714 | FLOW BATTERY STACK WITH AN INTEGRATED HEAT EXCHANGER - A flow battery stack includes a plurality of flow battery cells, a manifold and a heat exchanger. Each flow battery cell includes an electrode layer that is wet by an electrolyte solution having a reversible redox couple reactant. The manifold includes a solution passage that exchanges the electrolyte solution with the flow battery cells. The heat exchanger includes a heat exchange fluid passage. The heat exchanger exchanges heat between the electrolyte solution in the solution passage and a heat exchange fluid directed through the heat exchange fluid passage. The flow battery cells, the manifold and the heat exchanger are arranged between first and second ends of the flow battery stack. | 03-21-2013 |
20130081394 | SOLAR POWER SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREFOR - A solar power system includes a solar energy collector that has at least one solar receiver that is operable to carry a working fluid and at least one solar reflector that is operable to direct solar energy towards the at least one solar receiver to heat the working fluid. The working fluid has a maximum predefined operational temperature up to which it can be heated. A first storage unit is connected to receive the working fluid from the at least one solar receiver, and a second storage unit is connected to provide the working fluid to the at least one solar receiver. A power block generates electricity using heat from the heated working fluid. A heater is operable to heat the working fluid to approximately the maximum predefined operational temperature. | 04-04-2013 |
20130157087 | FLOW BATTERY SYSTEM WITH STANDBY MODE - A flow battery system includes an ON mode, and OFF mode and a STANDBY mode. The ON mode enables access to a full energy capacity of the flow battery system with regard to an amount of electric power that can be drawn from or stored to the flow battery system. The OFF mode disables access to the full energy capacity and the STANDBY mode enables access to a portion of the full energy capacity. | 06-20-2013 |
20130157169 | MIXED-IONOMER ELECTRODE - A membrane electrode assembly includes a membrane, an anode catalyst layer and a cathode catalyst layer. The anode catalyst layer is on a first side of the membrane and the cathode catalyst layer is on a second side of the membrane, wherein the second side of the membrane is opposite the first side of the membrane along a first axis. The cathode catalyst layer includes agglomerates formed of a catalyst support supporting catalyst particles, an agglomerate ionomer and an inter-agglomerate ionomer. The agglomerate ionomer surrounds the agglomerates and the inter-agglomerate ionomer is in regions between the agglomerates surrounded by the agglomerate ionomer. The agglomerate ionomer is different than the inter-agglomerate. Methods to produce the catalyst layer are also provided. | 06-20-2013 |
20130257199 | COOLING ARRANGEMENT USING AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL - An example generator cooling arrangement includes an electrochemical hydrogen pump configured to receive and adjust a fluid containing hydrogen and to provide a refined supply of hydrogen. An electric power generator receives the supply of hydrogen. The refined supply of hydrogen is used to remove thermal energy from the electric power generator. | 10-03-2013 |
20130260274 | Hybrid Bipolar Plate for Evaporatively Cooled Fuel Cells - A fuel cell power plant ( | 10-03-2013 |
20140065505 | FREEZE-RESISTANT FUEL CELL CONDENSERS - Cathode exhaust of an evaporatively cooled fuel cell stack ( | 03-06-2014 |
20140132238 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SENSING AND MITIGATING HYDROGEN EVOLUTION WITHIN A FLOW BATTERY SYSTEM - A method is provided for mitigating hydrogen evolution within a flow battery system that includes a plurality of flow battery cells, a power converter and an electrochemical cell. The method includes providing hydrogen generated by the hydrogen evolution within the flow battery system to the electrochemical cell. A first electrical current generated by an electrochemical reaction between the hydrogen and a reactant is sensed, and the sensed current is used to control an exchange of electrical power between the flow battery cells and the power converter. | 05-15-2014 |
20140212787 | MULTIPLE TRANSITION FLOW FIELD AND METHOD - A fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly having an anode side and a cathode side, a first gas diffusion layer adjacent the cathode side of the membrane electrode assembly, and a first flow field plate contacting the first gas diffusion layer. The first flow field plate includes a reactant inlet, a reactant outlet, and a plurality of flow field chambers separated from one another by at least one rib. The reactant inlet is separated from the plurality of flow field chambers by at least one rib and the reactant outlet is separated from the plurality of flow field chambers by at least one rib. The ribs are configured to force a reactant flowing from the reactant inlet to the reactant outlet to enter the first gas diffusion layer at least twice. | 07-31-2014 |
20140315113 | FLOW BATTERY WITH ENHANCED DURABILITY - A flow battery includes at least one electrochemical cell that has a first electrode, a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode and a separator arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode. A first storage portion and a second storage portion are respectively fluidly connected with the at least one electrochemical cell. A first liquid electrolyte and a second liquid electrolyte are located in the respective first storage portion and second storage portion. The first electrode has an area over which it is catalytically active with regard to the first liquid electrolyte and the second electrode has an area over which it is catalytically active with regard to the second liquid electrolyte such that the area of the first electrode is greater than the area of the second electrode. | 10-23-2014 |
20140375056 | METHOD OF OPERATING A POWER GENERATION SYSTEM - A method of operating a power generation system includes operating a power generation system to generate an electric power output. At least a portion of the electric power output is dissipated in a flow battery by charging the flow battery using the portion of the electric power output and self-discharging the flow battery. | 12-25-2014 |
20150024296 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPERATING A FLOW BATTERY SYSTEM BASED ON ENERGY COSTS - A method and system for storing and/or discharging electrical energy that has a cost, which method includes steps of: (a) providing a flow battery system comprising at least one flow battery cell and a controller; (b) operating the flow battery cell at a power density having a first value; and (c) changing the power density at which the flow battery cell is operated from the first value to a second value as a function of the cost of the electrical energy, wherein the power density is changed using the controller, and wherein the second value is different than the first value. | 01-22-2015 |
20150030946 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FUEL CELL START FROM FREEZING WITHOUT MELTING ICE - Fuel cell systems and related methods involving accumulators with multiple regions of differing water fill rates are provided. At least one accumulator region with a relatively more-rapid fill rate than another accumulator region is drained of water at shutdown under freezing conditions to allow at least that region to be free of water and ice. That region is then available to receive water from and supply water to, a fuel cell nominally upon start-up. The region having the relatively more-rapid fill rate may typically be of relatively lesser volume, and may be positioned either relatively below or relatively above the other region(s). | 01-29-2015 |