Fuel cell systems with controlled anode exhaust
US6572993B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 20, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jun 3, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 30, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/50
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An electrical storage device is coupled in parallel to a fuel cell contained within a fuel cell power generation system. The electrical storage device is either a battery pack, a plurality of capacitors, or a plurality of supercapacitors and is capable of electrochemically oxidizing a quantity of reformer gas contained within an anode chamber of the fuel cell during transient load conditions by charging from a preset state of charge towards full capacity. The energy storage device thereby prevents large quantities of unoxidized reformer gas from entering a chamber of a combuster during transient load conditions, unoxidized reformer gas that generates a tremendous amount of heat when burned that can corrode or damage the combuster. The energy storage device discharges the excess charge when the fuel cell power generation system returns to normal load conditions or during transient load conditions when the amount of reformer gas entering the anode chamber has been reduced so that the amount of unoxidized reformer gas entering the combuster is maintained at a nearly constant level.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.