Fuel cell system for producing electrical energy
First Claim
1. A fuel cell system for producing direct-current electrical energy, comprising:
- an enclosure having an oxygen inlet, a hydrogen inlet and a water outlet;
a fuel cell disposed within the enclosure for electrochemically combining oxygen gas introduced through the oxygen inlet with hydrogen gas introduced through the hydrogen inlet to produce direct-current electrical energy and water as a reaction product;
a hydrogen-containing fuel in communication with the water outlet for reacting with water exiting the water outlet to produce hydrogen gas; and
a passage for directing the hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen-containing fuel through the hydrogen inlet into the enclosure to mix with the oxygen gas to produce a hydrogen-lean mixed-gas fuel to sustain operation of the fuel cell.
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Abstract
A fuel cell system has a fuel cell disposed within a fuel cell enclosure for electrochemically combining externally supplied oxygen with hydrogen to produce direct-current electrical energy and water as a reaction product. A hydrogen-containing fuel such as a chemical hydride contained within a fuel container receives the by-product water and reacts therewith to produce hydrogen, which is supplied to the fuel cell to sustain operation thereof without need of adding externally supplied hydrogen. The integration of the supply of hydrogen with the fuel cell results in a weight and volume reduction as well as internal chemical control of the production of hydrogen to sustain the electrical power generation and internal water management whereby liquid water emission is substantially reduced.
46 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A fuel cell system for producing direct-current electrical energy, comprising:
- an enclosure having an oxygen inlet, a hydrogen inlet and a water outlet;
a fuel cell disposed within the enclosure for electrochemically combining oxygen gas introduced through the oxygen inlet with hydrogen gas introduced through the hydrogen inlet to produce direct-current electrical energy and water as a reaction product;
a hydrogen-containing fuel in communication with the water outlet for reacting with water exiting the water outlet to produce hydrogen gas; and
a passage for directing the hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen-containing fuel through the hydrogen inlet into the enclosure to mix with the oxygen gas to produce a hydrogen-lean mixed-gas fuel to sustain operation of the fuel cell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
- an enclosure having an oxygen inlet, a hydrogen inlet and a water outlet;
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27. A fuel cell system for producing direct-current electrical energy, comprising:
- an enclosure having an oxygen inlet;
a fuel cell disposed within the enclosure for electrochemically combining oxygen gas introduced through the oxygen inlet mixed with hydrogen gas to produce direct-current electrical energy and water as a reaction product; and
a fuel container containing a hydrogen-containing fuel that reacts with water to produce hydrogen gas;
wherein the enclosure and the fuel container each have one or more openings, the one or more openings of the enclosure communicating with the one or more openings of the fuel container to pass water from the enclosure to the fuel container and to pass hydrogen gas from the fuel container to the enclosure to sustain operation of the fuel cell. - View Dependent Claims (28)
- an enclosure having an oxygen inlet;
Specification