System for generating electricity from a chemical hydride
First Claim
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1. A system to manage the generation and use of electric power from a chemical hydride, the system comprising:
- a fuel cartridge configured to produce hydrogen by reacting a liquid reactant with a chemical hydride, the production of hydrogen having a hydrogen production delay;
a fuel cell stack configured to generate electric power using an oxygen source and the produced hydrogen;
an electric power storage device coupled with the fuel cell stack, the electric power storage device configured to store and supply electric power;
a hydrogen pressure sensor that measures a hydrogen gas pressure at an output of the fuel cartridge;
one or more liquid sources configured to inject the liquid reactant into the fuel cartridge at a liquid injection rate that is adjustable; and
a controller configured to manage the liquid injection rate for the one or more liquid sources in response to the hydrogen gas pressure, the controller further configured to balance a supply of electric power delivered to an electric load between the electric power generated by the fuel cell stack and the electric power stored by the electric power storage device in response to the hydrogen production delay, such that the supply of electric power satisfies the electric load.
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Abstract
A system is disclosed to generate electric power from a chemical hydride. A fuel cartridge produces hydrogen by reacting a liquid with a chemical hydride. A fuel cell stack generates electric power using an oxygen source and the produced hydrogen. An electric power storage device is coupled with the fuel cell stack. The electric power storage device stores and supplies electric power. One or more liquid sources inject the liquid into the fuel cartridge at a variable rate. A controller calculates a liquid injection rate for the one or more liquid sources based on power demands of an electric load.
367 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A system to manage the generation and use of electric power from a chemical hydride, the system comprising:
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a fuel cartridge configured to produce hydrogen by reacting a liquid reactant with a chemical hydride, the production of hydrogen having a hydrogen production delay; a fuel cell stack configured to generate electric power using an oxygen source and the produced hydrogen; an electric power storage device coupled with the fuel cell stack, the electric power storage device configured to store and supply electric power; a hydrogen pressure sensor that measures a hydrogen gas pressure at an output of the fuel cartridge; one or more liquid sources configured to inject the liquid reactant into the fuel cartridge at a liquid injection rate that is adjustable; and a controller configured to manage the liquid injection rate for the one or more liquid sources in response to the hydrogen gas pressure, the controller further configured to balance a supply of electric power delivered to an electric load between the electric power generated by the fuel cell stack and the electric power stored by the electric power storage device in response to the hydrogen production delay, such that the supply of electric power satisfies the electric load. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A system to generate electric power from a chemical hydride, the system comprising:
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a removable fuel cartridge configured to produce hydrogen by reacting water with a chemical hydride within the removable fuel cartridge, the removable fuel cartridge comprising a hydrogen outlet port that releases the produced hydrogen; a fuel cell stack configured to generate electric power using air and the produced hydrogen, the fuel cell stack in fluid communication with the hydrogen outlet port such that the fuel cell stack receives the produced hydrogen that the hydrogen outlet port releases; an electric power storage device coupled with the fuel cell stack, the electric power storage device configured to store and supply electric power; one or more water pumps configured to inject water from a water supply into the fuel cartridge at a water injection rate that is adjustable, the water injection rate determining an amount of water that the one or more water pumps inject into the fuel cartridge over time; and a controller configured to manage the water injection rate for each of the one or more water pumps based on a hydrogen pressure of the produced hydrogen. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification