Patent · US Expired

Portable fuel cell device including a water trap

US5723229A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
5References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 8, 1996
Grant dateMar 3, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 8, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E60/50
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A portable fuel cell device (10) includes a fuel reservoir (26) and an oxidant chamber (34). Gaseous fuel from the fuel reservoir (26) is mixed with an oxidant from the oxidant chamber (34) by an aspirator (42) to form a fuel-oxidant mixture. The fuel-oxidant mixture is passed through a fuel-oxidant line (44) into a fuel cell (13). The fuel cell (13) contains a reaction chamber (20) that generates electricity by reacting the fuel-oxidant mixture. Waste gaseous products, such as water and carbon dioxide, are sent through an exhaust line (24) to a water trap (46). The water trap (46) contains a water absorbing medium (52) for absorbing the water vapor from the exhaust gas, thereby forming a dry exhaust gas. The dry exhaust gas is released through the exhaust vent (48) into the ambient atmosphere.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.