Gas-liquid separator and fuel cell system having the same
US8137850B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 17, 2007 |
| Grant date | Mar 20, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 18, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/50
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Disclosed is a gas-liquid separator capable of allowing carbon dioxide to be exhausted to the atmosphere so as to recover and recycle only unreacted fuel discharged from an electric generator, and a fuel cell system having the same. The fuel cell system includes an electric generator to generate electricity by electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, a fuel feeder to supply hydrogen containing fuel to the electric generator, an oxidant feeder to supply oxygen to the electric generator, and a recovering unit to recover unreacted fuel generated during the electrochemical reaction in the electric generator and supply the unreacted fuel to the fuel feeder. The recovering unit comprises a frame structure, and a gas-liquid separation film partially surrounding the frame structure. The gas-liquid separator forms a flow space inside the frame structure. Accordingly, the unreacted fuel, which is not participated in the oxidation-reduction reaction between the hydrogen containing fuel and the oxidant, is recovered and recycled while excluding carbon dioxide, so that power generation efficiency of the fuel cell system is enhanced.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.