Fuel cells evaporative reactant gas cooling and operational freeze prevention

US7579098B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• UTC Power Corporation · US

Inventors

• Carl A. Reiser · Stonington, US
• Jeremy P. Meyers · Town of West Hartford, US
• David Johnson · San Francisco, US
• Craig E. Evans · West Linn, US
• Robert Mason Darling · South Windsor, US
• Tommy Skiba · Town of East Hartford, US
• Ryan J. Balliet · Town of West Hartford, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 19, 2005
• Grant date: Aug 25, 2009
• Expiry date: Dec 1, 2027

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E60/50
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Fuel cells (38) have water passageways (67; 78, 85; 78a, 85a) that provide water through reactant gas flow field plates (74, 81) to cool the fuel cell. The water passageways may be vented to atmosphere (99), by a porous plug (69), or pumped (89, 146) with or without removing any water from the passageways. A condenser (59, 124) receives reactant air exhaust, may have a contiguous reservoir (64, 128), may be vertical, (a vehicle radiator, FIG. 2), may be horizontal, contiguous with the top of the fuel cell stack (37, FIG. 5), or below (124) the fuel cell stack (120). The passageways may be grooves (76, 77; 83, 84) or may comprise a plane of porous hydrophilic material (78a, 85a) contiguous with substantially the entire surface of one or both of the reactant gas flow field plates. Air flow in the condenser may be controlled by shutters (155). The condenser may be a heat exchanger (59a) having freeze-proof liquid flowing through a coil (161) thereof, the amount being controlled by a valve (166). A deionizer (175) may be used.