Low pressure hydrogen fueled vehicle and method of operating same

• US 20070196702A1
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Inventors: Sridhar, K.R., McElroy, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,878,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/411
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/72 Constructional details of fuel cells specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/34 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0205 containing a reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0283 containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0405 Purification by membrane separation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/043 Regenerative adsorption process in two or more beds, one for adsorption, the other for regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0475 the impurity being carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/067 the reforming process taking place in the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1241 Natural gas or methane
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/148 involving a recycle stream to the feed of the process for making hydrogen or synthesis gas
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/34 by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/342 with the aid of electrical means, electromagnetic or mechanical vibrations, or particle radiations
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/48 followed by reaction of water vapour with carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/093 Coal
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0969 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1646 integrated with a fuel cell gasification of solids in fuel cells H01M8/0643
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/46 : Gasification of granular or pulverulent flues in suspension
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/02 : Hydrogen or oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/04 : by electrolysis of water
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/19 : with diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1293 : Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/147 : Fuel cells with molten carbonates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 : Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04022 : Heating by combustion
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04208 : Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04216 : characterised by the choice for a specific material, e.g. carbon, hydride, absorbent
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04753 : of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04761 : of fuel cell exhausts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0491 : of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0494 : of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0612 : from carbon-containing material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0625 : in a modular combined reactor/fuel cell structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0637 : Direct internal reforming at the anode of the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0662 : Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/186 : by electrolytic decomposition of the electrolytic solution or the formed water product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 : Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/129 : Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/00 : Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 : Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A hydrogen fueled vehicle includes a vehicle body, a hydrocarbon fuel tank, and a low pressure hydrogen gas storage vessel.

Claims

1. A solid oxide electrochemical system for generating hydrogen for a hydrogen fueled vehicle, comprising:

a solid oxide fuel cell stack;

a hydrocarbon containing fuel source;

a hydrogen separator which is adapted to separate at least a portion of hydrogen from a fuel side exhaust stream while the fuel cell generates electricity and operates in the fuel cell mode; and

a hydrogen storage/use subsystem operatively connected to the hydrogen separator which is adapted to;

(a) store at least a portion of hydrogen received from the hydrogen separator for future use in a hydrogen powered vehicle;

or

(b) provide at least a portion of hydrogen received from the hydrogen separator to the hydrogen fueled vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control unit which is adapted to control a variable ratio of an amount of electricity generated to an amount of hydrogen separated by the hydrogen separator based on predetermined criteria or based on received data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen storage/use subsystem comprises a hydrogen storage vessel.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the hydrogen storage vessel contains a metal hydride hydrogen storage material.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the solid oxide fuel cell stack is thermally integrated with the hydrogen storage vessel such that in operation, waste heat from the stack is used to desorb hydrogen from the metal hydride hydrogen storage material.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen storage/use subsystem comprises a hydrogen pump which provides hydrogen from the separator to the hydrogen fueled vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the solid oxide fuel cell stack is located in a building or adjacent to a building in a stationary location; and

the separated hydrogen for use in a hydrogen powered vehicle comprises low pressure gaseous hydrogen.

8. A method, comprising:

providing a hydrocarbon containing fuel and an oxidizer into a high temperature fuel cell stack;

generating a fuel side exhaust stream from the fuel cell stack while the fuel and the oxidizer are provided into the fuel cell stack operating in an electricity generating fuel cell mode;

separating at least a portion of hydrogen from the fuel side exhaust stream during the fuel cell mode; and

providing at least a portion of the separated hydrogen to a first hydrogen storage vessel and then to a hydrogen fueled vehicle or directly to the hydrogen fueled vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the fuel cell stack is located in a stationary location and generates electricity for the stationary location when it is operating in the fuel cell mode;

the hydrogen is provided as a low pressure gaseous hydrogen; and

the hydrogen is stored at a pressure below 5000 psi in a second hydrogen storage vessel located in the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising adsorbing hydrogen to an adsorbent material in a second hydrogen storage vessel located in the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a hydrocarbon fuel or a mixture of hydrogen and air to a catalytic converter located in the second hydrogen storage vessel to generate heat to desorb the adsorbed hydrogen from the adsorbent material.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of providing at least a portion of the separated hydrogen to a first hydrogen storage vessel comprises:

adsorbing the separated hydrogen to an adsorbent material located in a hydrogen storage vessel in a stationary location;

using waste heat from the fuel cell stack to desorb the adsorbed hydrogen from the adsorbent material; and

providing the desorbed hydrogen from the hydrogen storage vessel to the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising operating the vehicle using the stored hydrogen as a fuel and then operating the vehicle using a stored hydrocarbon fuel or a mixture of the stored hydrocarbon fuel and the stored hydrogen as a fuel.

14. A hydrogen fueled vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle body;

a hydrocarbon fuel tank;

a low pressure hydrogen gas storage vessel.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the vehicle contains a combustion engine configured to operate on hydrogen and on a hydrocarbon fuel.

16. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the vehicle contains a combustion engine configured to operate on the hydrocarbon fuel and a low temperature fuel cell stack adapted to operate on a hydrogen fuel.

17. A hydrogen storage vessel, comprising:

a hydrogen storage vessel body;

a metal hydride adsorbent material located inside hydrogen storage vessel body; and

a catalytic converter located inside the hydrogen storage vessel body.

18. The vessel of claim 17, wherein the vessel is located in a hydrogen fueled vehicle.

19. A method of operating a vehicle, comprising:

operating the vehicle using a stored hydrogen as a fuel; and

operating the vehicle using a mixture of a stored hydrocarbon fuel and the stored hydrogen as a fuel.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining at least one of an amount of remaining stored hydrogen fuel and a location of the vehicle; and

switching from operating the vehicle using the stored hydrogen to operating the vehicle using the mixture of the stored hydrocarbon fuel and the stored hydrogen based on the step of detecting.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the hydrocarbon fuel comprises ethanol, gasoline or a mixture of ethanol and gasoline.

22. A high temperature fuel cell system for generating hydrogen for a hydrogen fueled vehicle, comprising:

a first means for generating a fuel side exhaust stream from a hydrocarbon containing fuel inlet stream and an oxidizer inlet stream by oxygen ion conduction;

a second means for separating at least a portion of the hydrogen from the fuel side exhaust stream during generation of electricity by the first means; and

a third means for storing at least a portion of the separated hydrogen and then providing the stored hydrogen to a hydrogen fueled vehicle or for providing at least a portion of the separated hydrogen to the hydrogen fueled vehicle.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein:

a third means is a means for storing at least a portion of the separated hydrogen and then providing the stored hydrogen to the hydrogen fueled vehicle;

the first means is located in a building or adjacent to a building in a stationary location; and

the first means is means for providing heat to the third means to desorb hydrogen from a metal hydride hydrogen storage material located in the third means