High temperature fuel cells with heating of the reaction gas
US6136462A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 20, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 24, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 20, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/50
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The invention relates to a fuel cell system with high-temperature fuel cells, in which some of the heat of the gases flowing out of the anode and cathode is used to that end. The gases that the flow into the anode and cathode are brought to a temperature that is required for operation of the fuel cells and is still tolerable for the cells, having an anode and/or cathode loop. It is provided that for the anode and/or cathode loop, at least that time-referred quantity of reaction gases that is required for attaining the electrical output of the fuel cells is furnished. From the gas flowing out of the anode and/or cathode, an equivalent quantity of gas is removed from the gas loop, and the gas quantity introduced into the loop is dimensioned such that by mixing this gas quantity with the gas returned to the loop from the anode and/or cathode, the temperature of the gas flowing into the anode and/or cathode attains a predetermined operating temperature that is optimal for the service life of the cells and for efficiency.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.