Mid-sectional fuel distributor for fuel cells
US7855004B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 13, 2005 |
| Grant date | Dec 21, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 21, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/50
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In one embodiment the present comprises an air inlet 2, a series of fuel cells 6, a new fuel inlet 14, a fuel distributor 16, a recirculation plenum 19, and an exhaust 12. Fresh fuel from the fuel distributor 16 enters the fuel cell stack in a middle-third section of the fuel cell stack, and the fresh fuel is divided into an exhaust fuel 12 flow and a recirculation fuel flow 18. The exhaust fuel flow passes along a first portion of the series of fuel cells to the exhaust, and the recirculation fuel flow passes along a second portion of the series of fuel cells to the recirculation plenum and mixes with new fuel from the new fuel inlet in the fuel distributor. The recirculation plenum is located at an opposite end of the fuel cell stack from the exhaust, and the fuel-cell stack is of a seal-less design.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.