Fuel system used for cooling purposes

• US 7,240,492 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2004
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Johnson, Larry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hoang
• Application Number:
  US10/896,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20060016189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 606/49, 606/51, 606/71
• US Class Current: 60/649
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 2900/9901 Combustion process using hydrogen, hydrogen peroxide water or brown gas as fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F23K 5/08 Preparation of fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F23K 5/22 Vaporising devices in burners using a direct spraying action of liquid droplets or vaporised liquid into the combustion space F23D11/44
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 19/005 the refrigerant being a liquefied gas

Abstract

A hydrogen fuel system in which the fuel is transformed from liquid to gas is used to administer cooling, e.g., air conditioning. The system incorporates first and second stage heat exchangers. The first stage exchanger is used to benefit from the endothermic reaction created when liquid hydrogen transforms into gas. The cooling provided from this state change is transferred into a second medium which is delivered into a second stage heat transfer device and then used for cooling purposes.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a liquid fuel source;

an enclosure in which said liquid fuel is transformed into gas, thus causing heat absorption into said enclosure;

a fuel delivery system adapted to deliver said gas for consumption in a power generating device said power generating device comprising one of a proton exchange membrane and an internal combustion engine; and

a cooling system which is adapted to use said heat absorption for an independent cooling objective;

said objective being other than for cooling said power generating device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said liquid fuel comprises hydrogen.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising:

an air-conditioning system which uses said cooling system to lower air temperature.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising:

an internal-combustion engine which is cooled by said cooling system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said enclosure is a conduit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said cooling system comprises:

a first heat-transfer device which absorbs heat into said conduit from a heat-transfer medium, said heat-transfer medium being useable for cooling purposes.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said heat-transfer medium is a fluid.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said fluid comprises ethylene glycol.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said fluid comprises water.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein said cooling system comprises:

a second heat-transfer device which accepts said heat-transfer medium from said first heat exchange device and uses said heat-transfer medium for cooling purposes.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein said first heat transfer device is incorporated into said vaporizing system.

12. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a heater for the purpose of avoiding the development of frozen condensate on said enclosure.

13. A method of cooling using a fuel system, comprising:

providing a liquid;

including said liquid in an enclosure;

transforming said liquid into a gaseous fuel in said enclosure, thus causing heat absorption;

directing said gaseous fuel to a backup power generating system, said backup power generating system comprising at least one of an internal combustion engine and a proton exchange membrane for consumption; and

conditioning air using said heat absorption.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

selecting liquid hydrogen as said liquid.

15. The method of claim 13, comprising:

cooling an internal-combustion engine using said heat absorption.

16. The method of claim 13, comprising:

providing a conduit to act as said enclosure.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising:

providing a first heat-transfer system;

including a heat-transfer medium in said first heat transfer system;

absorbing heat into said conduit from said heat-transfer medium, said heat-transfer medium; and

cooling with said heat transfer medium.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising:

providing a second heat-transfer system;

absorbing heat from said second heat-transfer system into said medium; and

cooling using said second heat-transfer system.