Fuel-cell engine stream conditioning system

Patent · 01 January 2002

OSTI ID:874665

DuBose, Ronald Arthur ^[1]

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1. Marietta, GA

A stream conditioning system for a fuel cell gas management system or fuel cell engine. The stream conditioning system manages species potential in at least one fuel cell reactant stream. A species transfer device is located in the path of at least one reactant stream of a fuel cell's inlet or outlet, which transfer device conditions that stream to improve the efficiency of the fuel cell. The species transfer device incorporates an exchange media and a sorbent. The fuel cell gas management system can include a cathode loop with the stream conditioning system transferring latent and sensible heat from an exhaust stream to the cathode inlet stream of the fuel cell; an anode humidity retention system for maintaining the total enthalpy of the anode stream exiting the fuel cell related to the total enthalpy of the anode inlet stream; and a cooling water management system having segregated deionized water and cooling water loops interconnected by means of a brazed plate heat exchanger.

• Research Organization: PENTASTAR ELECTRONICS CO
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-94CE50390
• Assignee: Emprise Technology Associates Corp. (Marietta, GA)
• Patent Number(s): US 6436562
• OSTI ID: 874665
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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anode
brazed
cathode
cell
cell gas
cells
conditioning
conditions
cooling
deionized
device
efficiency
engine
enthalpy
exchange
exchanger
exhaust
exiting
fuel
fuel cell
fuel-cell
gas
heat
heat exchanger
humidity
improve
incorporates
inlet
interconnected
latent
located
loop
loops
maintaining
management
manages
means
media
outlet
path
plate
potential
reactant
reactant stream
related
retention
segregated
sensible
sorbent
species
stream
total
transfer
transferring
water