Fuel cell power supply with oxidant and fuel gas switching

McElroy, James F; Chludzinski, Paul J; Dantowitz, Philip

Title: Fuel cell power supply with oxidant and fuel gas switching

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Abstract

This invention relates to a fuel cell vehicular power plant. Fuel for the fuel stack is supplied by a hydrocarbon (methanol) catalytic cracking reactor and CO shift reactor. A water electrolysis subsystem is associated with the stack. During low power operation part of the fuel cell power is used to electrolyze water with hydrogen and oxygen electrolysis products being stored in pressure vessels. During peak power intervals, viz, during acceleration or start-up, pure oxygen and pure hydrogen from the pressure vessel are supplied as the reaction gases to the cathodes and anodes in place of air and methanol reformate. This allows the fuel cell stack to be sized for normal low power/air operation but with a peak power capacity several times greater than that for normal operation.

Inventors:

McElroy, James F ^[1]; Chludzinski, Paul J ^[2]; Dantowitz, Philip ^[3]

Hamilton, MA
Swampscott, MA
Peabody, MA

Publication Date:: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1987

Research Org.:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

OSTI Identifier:: 866215

Patent Number(s):: US 4657829

Assignee:: United Technologies Corporation (Hartford, CT)

DOE Contract Number:: W-7405-ENG-36

Resource Type:: Patent

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: fuel; cell; power; supply; oxidant; gas; switching; relates; vehicular; plant; stack; supplied; hydrocarbon; methanol; catalytic; cracking; reactor; shift; water; electrolysis; subsystem; associated; operation; electrolyze; hydrogen; oxygen; products; stored; pressure; vessels; peak; intervals; viz; acceleration; start-up; pure; vessel; reaction; gases; cathodes; anodes; air; reformate; allows; sized; normal; capacity; times; catalytic cracking; reaction gases; fuel cell; pure oxygen; reaction gas; cell power; normal operation; fuel gas; cell stack; pressure vessel; power supply; power plant; peak power; power operation; pressure vessels; cracking reactor; gas switch; vehicular power; cell vehicular; /429/

Citation Formats


                    McElroy, James F, Chludzinski, Paul J, and Dantowitz, Philip. Fuel cell power supply with oxidant and fuel gas switching.  United States: N. p., 1987. 
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                    McElroy, James F, Chludzinski, Paul J, & Dantowitz, Philip. Fuel cell power supply with oxidant and fuel gas switching.  United States.

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                    McElroy, James F, Chludzinski, Paul J, and Dantowitz, Philip. 1987.  
        "Fuel cell power supply with oxidant and fuel gas switching".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/866215.

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@article{osti_866215,

  title        = {Fuel cell power supply with oxidant and fuel gas switching},

  author       = {McElroy, James F and Chludzinski, Paul J and Dantowitz, Philip},

  abstractNote = {This invention relates to a fuel cell vehicular power plant. Fuel for the fuel stack is supplied by a hydrocarbon (methanol) catalytic cracking reactor and CO shift reactor. A water electrolysis subsystem is associated with the stack. During low power operation part of the fuel cell power is used to electrolyze water with hydrogen and oxygen electrolysis products being stored in pressure vessels. During peak power intervals, viz, during acceleration or start-up, pure oxygen and pure hydrogen from the pressure vessel are supplied as the reaction gases to the cathodes and anodes in place of air and methanol reformate. This allows the fuel cell stack to be sized for normal low power/air operation but with a peak power capacity several times greater than that for normal operation.},

  doi          = {},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/866215},
  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1987},

  month        = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1987}

}

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