Electrochemical fuel cell generator having an internal and leak tight hydrocarbon fuel reformer
Abstract
An electrochemical fuel cell generator configuration is made having a generator section which contains a plurality of axially elongated fuel cells, each cell containing a fuel electrode, air electrode, and solid oxide electrolyte between the electrodes, in which axially elongated dividers separate portions of the fuel cells from each other, and where at least one divider also reforms a reformable fuel gas mixture prior to electricity generation reactions, the at least one reformer-divider is hollow having a closed end and an open end entrance for a reformable fuel mixture to pass to the closed end of the divider and then reverse flow and pass back along the hollowed walls to be reformed, and then finally to pass as reformed fuel out of the open end of the divider to contact the fuel cells, and further where the reformer-divider is a composite structure having a gas diffusion barrier of metallic foil surrounding the external walls of the reformer-divider except at the entrance to prevent diffusion of the reformable gas mixture through the divider, and further housed in an outer insulating jacket except at the entrance to prevent short-circuiting of the fuel cells by the gas diffusion barrier.
- Inventors:
-
- Valencia, PA
- Mars, PA
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 871447
- Patent Number(s):
- 5733675
- Assignee:
- Westinghouse Electric Corporation (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01M - PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC21-91MC28055
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- electrochemical; fuel; cell; generator; internal; leak; tight; hydrocarbon; reformer; configuration; section; contains; plurality; axially; elongated; cells; containing; electrode; air; solid; oxide; electrolyte; electrodes; dividers; separate; portions; divider; reforms; reformable; gas; mixture; prior; electricity; generation; reactions; reformer-divider; hollow; closed; entrance; pass; reverse; flow; hollowed; walls; reformed; finally; contact; composite; structure; diffusion; barrier; metallic; foil; surrounding; external; prevent; housed; outer; insulating; jacket; short-circuiting; reformable fuel; reverse flow; electrochemical fuel; metallic foil; fuel cell; reformable gas; gas diffusion; diffusion barrier; hydrocarbon fuel; composite structure; cell generator; air electrode; fuel gas; fuel cells; solid oxide; gas mixture; oxide electrolyte; fuel electrode; cell containing; fuel mixture; axially elongated; leak tight; reformed fuel; fuel reformer; elongated fuel; generator section; insulating jacket; generation reaction; generator configuration; chemical fuel; cell contain; electricity generation; /429/
Citation Formats
Dederer, Jeffrey T, and Hager, Charles A. Electrochemical fuel cell generator having an internal and leak tight hydrocarbon fuel reformer. United States: N. p., 1998.
Web.
Dederer, Jeffrey T, & Hager, Charles A. Electrochemical fuel cell generator having an internal and leak tight hydrocarbon fuel reformer. United States.
Dederer, Jeffrey T, and Hager, Charles A. Thu .
"Electrochemical fuel cell generator having an internal and leak tight hydrocarbon fuel reformer". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/871447.
@article{osti_871447,
title = {Electrochemical fuel cell generator having an internal and leak tight hydrocarbon fuel reformer},
author = {Dederer, Jeffrey T and Hager, Charles A},
abstractNote = {An electrochemical fuel cell generator configuration is made having a generator section which contains a plurality of axially elongated fuel cells, each cell containing a fuel electrode, air electrode, and solid oxide electrolyte between the electrodes, in which axially elongated dividers separate portions of the fuel cells from each other, and where at least one divider also reforms a reformable fuel gas mixture prior to electricity generation reactions, the at least one reformer-divider is hollow having a closed end and an open end entrance for a reformable fuel mixture to pass to the closed end of the divider and then reverse flow and pass back along the hollowed walls to be reformed, and then finally to pass as reformed fuel out of the open end of the divider to contact the fuel cells, and further where the reformer-divider is a composite structure having a gas diffusion barrier of metallic foil surrounding the external walls of the reformer-divider except at the entrance to prevent diffusion of the reformable gas mixture through the divider, and further housed in an outer insulating jacket except at the entrance to prevent short-circuiting of the fuel cells by the gas diffusion barrier.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998}
}