Electrolyzer cell stack system
First Claim
1. A balance-of-plant system, suited for regulating the operating temperature of an electrolyzer cell stack having at least one electrolyzer cell, comprising:
- a controller having a computer program readable code means for changing the operating temperature of the electrolyzer cell stack as a result of a current draw measurement, the computer program readable code means including;
instructions for monitoring the operating temperature;
instructions for monitoring the current draw associated with the electrolyzer cell stack; and
instructions for changing the operating temperature of the electrolyzer cell stack as a result of the current draw measurement.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
As an electrochemical cell stack gets older the internal resistances within the stack rise overtime as the materials that the stack is made of degrade. Consequently, an old and “worn” electrochemical cell stack draws less current at the same stack voltage and operating temperature as a new stack. When the current draw falls the electrochemical reaction rates also fall, as less energy is available to drive the electrochemical reactions. However, if the operating temperature of an older stack is controllable raised the current draw by an electrolyzer cell stack also rises, which in turn causes the reaction rates to rise again. Accordingly, in some embodiments, a balance-of-plant system is operable to regulate the current draw of an electrolyzer cell stack by first manipulating the operating temperature of the same electrolyzer cell stack.
55 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A balance-of-plant system, suited for regulating the operating temperature of an electrolyzer cell stack having at least one electrolyzer cell, comprising:
-
a controller having a computer program readable code means for changing the operating temperature of the electrolyzer cell stack as a result of a current draw measurement, the computer program readable code means including; instructions for monitoring the operating temperature; instructions for monitoring the current draw associated with the electrolyzer cell stack; and instructions for changing the operating temperature of the electrolyzer cell stack as a result of the current draw measurement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. An electrolyzer cell stack module comprising a controller for changing the operating temperature of the electrolyzer cell stack as the stack ages to compensate for degradation of the components of the electrolyzer cell stack, wherein as the current draw decreases for a fixed voltage, the operating temperature increases, and the controller has instructions for:
-
determining by how much a current draw has decreased below a first level as a result of component degradation; calculating a temperature increase that will increase the current draw back to the first level; and signaling balance-of-plant elements to increase the temperature as calculated.
-
-
16. A method of regulating the operating temperature of an electrolyzer cell stack having at least one electrolyzer cell, comprising:
-
monitoring the operating temperature; monitoring the current draw associated with the electrolyzer cell stack; and
,changing the operating temperature of the electrolyzer cell stack as a result of current draw measurements. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification