Apparatus for solid-oxide fuel cell shutdown
First Claim
1. An emergency shutdown apparatus for a solid-oxide fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack, the apparatus comprising:
- a reservoir containing a reducing fluid;
a valve enabling or preventing flow of said reducing fluid from said reservoir to said fuel cell stack;
a timing circuit operating and controlling said valve; and
a power source powering said timing circuit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An emergency shutdown apparatus for a solid-oxide fuel cell system, including a fuel cell stack, comprises a reservoir containing a reducing fluid, a valve enabling or preventing flow of the reducing fluid from the reservoir to the fuel cell stack, a timing circuit operating and controlling the valve, and a battery powering the timing circuit. The apparatus for an emergency system shutdown is able to operate independently of the main power plant and does not require any active control from the solid-oxide fuel cell system. The disclosed apparatus is entirely a stand-alone component that may be added to any conventional solid-oxide fuel cell system. The apparatus in accordance with the invention can be recharged, allowing the same hardware to be used over and over, however, a disposable unit could be used if found to be desirable.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An emergency shutdown apparatus for a solid-oxide fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack, the apparatus comprising:
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a reservoir containing a reducing fluid; a valve enabling or preventing flow of said reducing fluid from said reservoir to said fuel cell stack; a timing circuit operating and controlling said valve; and a power source powering said timing circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A solid-oxide fuel cell power plant, comprising:
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a solid-oxide fuel cell system including at least one solid-oxide fuel cell stack having a plurality of anodes; and an emergency shutdown apparatus providing a flow of a reducing fluid to said anodes when activated; wherein said emergency shutdown apparatus is activated concurrently with an emergency shutdown of said fuel cell system. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for preventing oxidation of anodes contained in a fuel cell stack during an emergency shutdown of a solid-oxide fuel cell system, comprising the steps of:
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activating a timing circuit that controls a valve concurrently to said emergency shutdown; and pulsing said valve with said timing circuit to enable and disable flow of a reducing fluid from a reservoir to said anodes for prescribed periods of time in an alternating fashion. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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Specification