Fuel cell power supply with oxidant and fuel gas switching

Patent · Tue Apr 14 00:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6459136

Mc Elroy, J F; Chludzinski, P J; Dantonwitz, P

This patent describes a continuously operable fuel cell power system operating with reformate hydrogen as the fuel gas and air as an oxidant gas during normal power intervals and including oxidant and fuel gas switching for operating with pure hydrogen and pure oxygen during peak power intervals. The system comprises: (a) a fuel cell stack, (b) means for providing reformate hydrogen as a fuel gas to the stack including means for converting a hydrocarbon to produce hydrogen fuel gas, (c) means for supplying air as an oxidant gas for the fuel cell stack, (d) means for switching the fuel and oxidant gases supplied to the fuel stack from reformate hydrogen and air to pure oxygen as an oxidant and pure hydrogen and air to pure oxygen as an oxidant and pure hydrogen as a fuel gas whenever the power demands from the stack exceeds a predetermined level including: 1. an electrolysis stack for electrolyzing water to produce pure hydrogen and pure oxygen, 2. means to supply an electrolysis current to the electrolysis stack from a portion of the fuel cell stack when the power demand from the stack is below the predetermined level, and 3. means to store the oxygen and hydrogen from the electrolyzer.

• Assignee: United Technologies Corp., Hartford, CT
• Patent Number(s): US 4657829
• OSTI ID: 6459136
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
300503* -- Fuel Cells-- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries
AIR
AIR FLOW
CURRENTS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTROLYSIS
ELEMENTS
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
FUEL CELLS
FUEL GAS
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
FUELS
GAS FLOW
GAS FUELS
GASES
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS
HYDROGEN STORAGE
LYSIS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDIZERS
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER DEMAND
POWER GENERATION
STACKS
STORAGE
WATER