Method and apparatus for disposing of water and/or inert gas from a fuel cell block
USRE36148E · kind E · reissue
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 1, 1996 |
| Grant date | Mar 16, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 1, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC —)General
Abstract
A method for cathode-side water and inert gas disposal and/or anode-side inert gas disposal from a fuel cell block having a number of fuel cells, includes increasingly concentrating a water and an inert gas component in a cathode-side gas mixture and an inert gas component in an anode-side gas mixture, in flow direction of the gas mixtures. The water and inert gas components are at least partially discharged from the fuel cell block. In an apparatus for performing the method, the fuel cells are subdivided into cell groups through which a flow of gas mixtures can be conducted in parallel. The cell groups include a cell group disposed last as seen in gas mixture flow direction. Lines connect the cell groups for conducting at least a fraction of the gas mixtures successively through the cell groups, and for discharging another fraction of the gas mixtures, being dependent on an electric current, from the fuel cell block after flowing through the last cell group.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.