Fuel cell system
First Claim
1. A fuel cell system for providing electrical power to a load comprising a fuel cell system for generating electrical power from a chemical reaction, a reformer for reforming fuel supplied to a fuel cell of said fuel cell system, said reformer discharging a waste product including water vapor in its operation, an electrical storage battery containing an electrolyte including water, said fuel cell system and said electrical storage battery both being in circuit with said load for supplying electrical power for said load, means for condensing said water vapor, and means for supplying the condensed water from the vapor to said storage battery to replace the water in its electrolyte consumed by its operation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A number of embodiments of fuel cells including a storage battery which can intermittently supply electrical power to a load. In such embodiment, water vapor generated from the operation of the fuel cell is condensed, purified and returned to the storage battery to replace the water consumed from the electrolyte from the battery operation. The water vapor is reclaimed by a series of condensers and is returned to a purifier. In some embodiments the reclaimed water vapor is delivered to the battery by an intermittently operated pump while in other embodiments the water vapor is returned by a continuously operated pump through some form of overflow device to ensure against dilution of the electrolyte in the battery.
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Citations
18 Claims
- 1. A fuel cell system for providing electrical power to a load comprising a fuel cell system for generating electrical power from a chemical reaction, a reformer for reforming fuel supplied to a fuel cell of said fuel cell system, said reformer discharging a waste product including water vapor in its operation, an electrical storage battery containing an electrolyte including water, said fuel cell system and said electrical storage battery both being in circuit with said load for supplying electrical power for said load, means for condensing said water vapor, and means for supplying the condensed water from the vapor to said storage battery to replace the water in its electrolyte consumed by its operation.
Specification