Systems and processes for providing hydrogen to fuel cells
First Claim
1. A process for providing a hydrogen-containing gas stream to at least one fuel cell anode, comprising:
- introducing a hydrogen-containing feed gas stream that includes at least one contaminant into a rotary adsorption module having at least a first adsorbent and at least one second material selected from a second adsorbent, a steam reforming catalyst, or a water gas shift reaction catalyst, wherein the first adsorbent and the second adsorbent are chemically distinct and at least one of the first adsorbent or the second adsorbent preferentially adsorbs the contaminant in the hydrogen-containing feed gas stream to produce a purified hydrogen-containing gas stream; and
introducing the purified hydrogen-containing gas stream to the fuel cell anode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process and system for providing a hydrogen-containing gas stream to a fuel cell anode that includes providing a hydrogen-containing gas stream that includes carbon monoxide, introducing the hydrogen-containing gas stream into a pressure swing adsorption module that includes at least one carbon monoxide-selective adsorbent to produce a purified hydrogen-containing gas stream, and introducing the purified hydrogen-containing gas stream to the fuel cell anode. The pressure swing adsorption module can also include a second adsorbent and/or catalyst. Also disclosed is a fuel cell system coupled to an internal combustion engine and a fuel cell system that utilizes fuel cell waste heat for vaporizing a hydrocarbon/water mixture.
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Citations
78 Claims
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1. A process for providing a hydrogen-containing gas stream to at least one fuel cell anode, comprising:
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introducing a hydrogen-containing feed gas stream that includes at least one contaminant into a rotary adsorption module having at least a first adsorbent and at least one second material selected from a second adsorbent, a steam reforming catalyst, or a water gas shift reaction catalyst, wherein the first adsorbent and the second adsorbent are chemically distinct and at least one of the first adsorbent or the second adsorbent preferentially adsorbs the contaminant in the hydrogen-containing feed gas stream to produce a purified hydrogen-containing gas stream; and introducing the purified hydrogen-containing gas stream to the fuel cell anode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 68, 72, 73)
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13. A process for providing a hydrogen-containing gas stream to at least one fuel cell anode, comprising:
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introducing a hydrogen-containing feed gas stream that includes at least a first contaminant and at least a second contaminant into a pressure swing adsorption module that includes a first separation zone and a second separation zone; preferentially separating at least a portion of the first contaminant from the hydrogen-containing feed gas stream in the first separation zone; preferentially separating at least a portion of the second contaminant from the hydrogen-containing feed gas stream in the second separation zone; and introducing the resulting purified hydrogen-containing gas stream to the fuel cell anode, wherein the first or second contaminant comprises carbon monoxide and the process further comprises reacting the carbon monoxide with water vapor in the first or second separation zones. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A process for separating carbon monoxide from a hydrogen-containing gas stream that is provided to at least one fuel cell anode, comprising:
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introducing a hydrogen-containing feed gas stream that includes carbon monoxide into at least one rotary pressure swing adsorption module, wherein the rotary pressure swing adsorption module includes at least one adsorbent selected from Na-LSX, Ca-LSX, Li-LSX, Li-exchanged chabazite, Ca-exchanged chabazite, Sr-exchanged chabazite, a Cu(I)-containing material, a Ag(I)-containing material, or a mixture thereof; separating at least a portion of the carbon monoxide from the hydrogen-containing feed gas stream; and introducing the resulting purified hydrogen-containing gas stream into the fuel cell anode. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A process for providing a hydrogen-containing gas stream to at least one fuel cell anode, comprising:
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introducing a hydrogen-containing gas stream that includes carbon monoxide into a rotary pressure swing adsorption module that includes at least one carbon monoxide-selective adsorbent to produce a purified hydrogen-containing gas stream; and introducing the purified hydrogen-containing gas stream to the fuel cell anode. - View Dependent Claims (22, 69)
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23. An electrical current generating system comprising:
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a hydrogen-containing gas source; at least one rotary adsorption module that can at least partially purify the hydrogen-containing gas, wherein the adsorption module includes at least a first adsorbent and at least one second material selected from a second adsorbent, a steam reforming catalyst, or a water gas shift reaction catalyst, the first adsorbent and the second adsorbent being chemically distinct; and at least one fuel cell defining an anode inlet that can receive the purified hydrogen-containing gas stream from the adsorption module. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 70, 74, 75)
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39. An electrical current generating system comprising:
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a hydrogen-containing gas source; at least one rotary pressure swing adsorption module fluidly coupled to the hydrogen-containing gas source, the rotary pressure swing adsorption module including at least one carbon monoxide-selective adsorbent; and at least one fuel cell anode fluidly coupled to the pressure swing adsorption module. - View Dependent Claims (40, 71, 76)
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41. A system for supplying hydrogen gas to a fuel cell anode, comprising:
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a hydrogen gas generating system that includes an outlet for discharging a hydrogen-containing gas that includes at least a first contaminant and a second contaminant; a rotary pressure swing adsorption module that includes a first contaminant separation zone that fluidly communicates with the outlet of the hydrogen gas generating system, and at least one second contaminant separation zone that fluidly communicates with the first contaminant separation zone and includes an outlet for discharging a purified hydrogen gas, wherein the first contaminant separation zone and the second contaminant separation zone are disposed within the rotary pressure swing adsorption module and the first contaminant separation zone comprises a first adsorbent and the second contaminant separation zone comprises a second adsorbent; and at least one fuel cell anode that fluidly communicates with the outlet for the second contaminant separation zone. - View Dependent Claims (42)
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43. A system for supplying hydrogen gas to a fuel cell anode, comprising:
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a hydrogen-containing gas source; at least one rotary pressure swing adsorption module that can at least partially purify the hydrogen-containing gas, wherein the rotary pressure swing adsorption module includes at least one adsorbent selected from Na-LSX, Ca-LSX, Li-LSX, Li-exchanged chabazite, Ca-exchanged chabazite, Sr-exchanged chabazite, a Cu(I)-containing material, a Ag(I)-containing material, or a mixture thereof; and at least one fuel cell having an anode inlet that can receive the purified hydrogen-containing gas stream from the rotary pressure swing adsorption module. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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45. An electrical current generating system comprising:
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at least one first pressure swing adsorption module having an outlet for discharging an oxygen-enriched gas stream; an autothermal reforming or partial oxidation reactor that can combust fuel and the oxygen-enriched gas stream to produce a hydrogen-containing gas; at least one second pressure swing adsorption module that can at least partially purify the hydrogen-containing gas; and at least one fuel cell having an anode inlet that can receive the purified hydrogen-containing gas from the second pressure swing adsorption module.
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46. A process for providing a hydrogen-containing gas stream and an oxygen-enriched gas stream to a fuel cell, comprising:
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providing at least one first pressure swing adsorption module that produces an oxygen-enriched gas stream, the first pressure swing adsorption module including at least a first compressor or first vacuum pump; providing at least one second pressure swing adsorption module that produces a purified hydrogen gas stream and a separation exhaust gas stream, the second pressure swing adsorption module including at least a second compressor or second vacuum pump; introducing the oxygen-enriched gas stream and the purified hydrogen gas stream into a fuel cell; and introducing the separation exhaust gas stream as a fuel into a combustion engine for driving at least the first compressor, first vacuum pump, second compressor, second vacuum pump, or an electric generator. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A process for providing a hydrogen-containing gas stream to a fuel cell, comprising;
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mixing liquid water and a hydrocarbon fuel stream resulting in a coolant mixture; introducing a coolant mixture into a coolant passage defined in a fuel cell wherein the fuel cell also defines an anode inlet for receiving a hydrogen-containing gas stream; vaporizing the coolant mixture to form a steam/fuel vapor mixture; subjecting the steam/fuel vapor mixture to reaction conditions sufficient for generating a hydrogen-containing gas stream; purifying the hydrogen-containing gas stream via pressure swing adsorption; and
thenintroducing the hydrogen-containing gas stream into the fuel cell anode inlet. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. An electrical current generating system, comprising:
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at least one rotary pressure swing adsorption module that includes a first outlet for discharging a purified hydrogen gas and a second outlet for discharging a separation exhaust gas; at least one fuel cell defining an anode inlet that fluidly communicates with the first outlet of the pressure swing adsorption module; and a combustion engine defining a fuel inlet that fluidly communicates with the second outlet of the pressure swing adsorption module. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. An electrical current generating system, comprising:
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a fuel cell defining an anode inlet for receiving a hydrogen-containing gas stream, and a coolant passage having a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet; a water source fluidly communicating with the coolant inlet; a hydrocarbon fuel source fluidly communicating with the coolant inlet; a hydrogen gas generating module that includes an outlet for discharging a hydrogen-containing gas stream and a fuel inlet that fluidly communicates with the coolant outlet; and a first conduit fluidly communicating between the hydrogen gas generating module outlet and the fuel cell anode inlet, and with a first pressure swing adsorption module for purifying the hydrogen-containing gas stream that is positioned between the hydrogen gas generating module outlet and the fuel cell anode inlet. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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77. A system for supplying hydrogen gas to a fuel cell anode, comprising:
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a hydrogen gas generating system that can produce a hydrogen-containing gas that includes at least a first contaminant and a second contaminant; a first contaminant separation zone configured to receive the hydrogen-containing gas and produce a partially purified hydrogen-containing gas; at least one second contaminant separation zone configured to receive the partially purified hydrogen-containing gas and produce a substantially purified hydrogen-containing gas; and at least one fuel anode configured to receive the substantially purified hydrogen-containing gas, wherein at least one of the first contaminant separation zone or the second contaminant separation zone is disposed within a rotary pressure swing adsorption module.
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78. An electrical current generating system comprising:
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a hydrogen-containing gas source; at least one adsorption module that can at least partially purify the hydrogen-containing gas, wherein the adsorption module includes at least a first adsorbent and at least one second material selected from a second adsorbent, a steam reforming catalyst, or a water gas shift reaction catalyst, the first adsorbent and the second adsorbent being chemically distinct; and at least one fuel cell defining an anode inlet that can receive the purified hydrogen-containing gas stream from the adsorption module, wherein at least the first adsorbent or the second adsorbent is a material that includes a Cu(I)-containing material, a Ag(I)-containing material, or a mixture thereof.
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Specification