Manifold for fuel cell system
First Claim
1. A method of converting a single flow of a multiphase fluid into a plurality of separate channeled flows having substantially identical inlet pressures, comprising:
- impacting the single flow against a surface generally perpendicular to the flow to form a stagnation point where said flow impacts said surface, whereby the flow is deflected along the surface, said deflected flow radiating substantially symmetrically outward from the stagnation point; and
directing at least a portion of the deflected flow through at least one intermediate channel generally perpendicular to the single flow along a predetermined distance from the stagnation point to a plurality of channels to form the plurality of separate channeled flows, wherein the predetermined distance is selected to provide substantially identical inlet pressures for each of the channels.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for converting single multiphase fluid flow into plural multiphase fluid flows having substantially uniform composition and flow properties. A manifold comprises an enclosure having an inlet and an inner surface perpendicular to the inlet such that the incident angle of input flow impacts the surface to form a stagnation point whereby an intermediate flow is deflected along the surface substantially symmetrically outward from the stagnation point and channeled to a plurality of parallel fluid outlets connected to the enclosure. The distance between the stagnation point and the plurality of outlets is selected to maintain substantially equivalent fluid pressures and uniform flow rates at the outlets. A preferred embodiment of the manifold channels the intermediate flow between two walls forming a triangular shaped nozzle directing the flow from the stagnation point to the base of the triangle for communication of electrolyte to a metal-based fuel cell through the plurality of outlets.
122 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of converting a single flow of a multiphase fluid into a plurality of separate channeled flows having substantially identical inlet pressures, comprising:
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impacting the single flow against a surface generally perpendicular to the flow to form a stagnation point where said flow impacts said surface, whereby the flow is deflected along the surface, said deflected flow radiating substantially symmetrically outward from the stagnation point; and
directing at least a portion of the deflected flow through at least one intermediate channel generally perpendicular to the single flow along a predetermined distance from the stagnation point to a plurality of channels to form the plurality of separate channeled flows, wherein the predetermined distance is selected to provide substantially identical inlet pressures for each of the channels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of converting a single flow of a multiphase fluid having a concentration into a plurality of separate channeled flows having substantially identical inlet pressures and substantially identical concentrations, comprising:
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impacting the single flow against a surface at an angle of incidence between the single flow and the surface of between 80 and 90 degrees to form a stagnation point where said flow impacts said surface, whereby the flow is deflected along the surface, said deflected flow radiating substantially symmetrically outward from the stagnation point; and
directing at least a portion of the deflected flow through at least one intermediate channel generally perpendicular to the single flow along a predetermined distance from the stagnation point to a plurality of channels to form the plurality of separate channeled flows, wherein the predetermined distance is selected to maintain a maximum inlet pressure variation between any two of the channels at two per cent and the concentration of the fluid in each of the channels is substantially identical.
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12. An apparatus comprising means for converting a single flow of a multiphase fluid into a plurality of separate channeled flows of the multiphase fluid such that at least one of the following conditions applies:
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(i) each of the separate channeled flows has substantially the same pressure at the inlet of its channel;
(ii) each of the separate channeled flows is formed from at least a portion of a flow deflected in a direction substantially perpendicular to the incident direction of the single flow;
(iii) each of the separate channeled flows is formed from at least a portion of a plurality of flows formed by impacting the single flow onto a surface of the apparatus to form a stagnation point. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21)
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18. A manifold for converting a single flow of a multiphase fluid into a plurality of separate channeled flows, comprising:
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an enclosure having an inner surface;
a plurality of fluid outlets connected to the enclosure; and
a fluid inlet for directing the flow inside the enclosure, such that the flow impacts a portion of the inner surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface, whereby a stagnation point forms at the impacted surface from which radiate outward along the surface a plurality of intermediate flows, at least one of said intermediate flows directed to the fluid outlets to form the separate channeled flows, wherein the average distance between the stagnation point and the fluid outlets is predetermined such that the separate channeled flows have substantially equal composition and velocity. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification