Hydrogen
“A fuel cell is a device for converting the chemical energy of a fuel directly into electrical energy in a continuous process. Although, in principle the nature of the reactants is not limited, the fuel cell reaction almost always involves the combination of hydrogen in some form with oxygen. Consequently, hydrogen generation and storage is a requirement for the pervasive introduction of fuel cells into the marketplace. To date, many options have been utilized for the hydrogen source of an H.sub.2/O.sub.2 fuel cell. Among the more common hydrogen storage materials are LiAlH.sub.4 and LiBH.sub.4. The reaction of lithium amide with water is also used for low temperature generation of hydrogen. Typical practical storage densities are on the order of 10% by mass of material, not considering system issues such as valving. Other types of hydrogen storage materials include methane, which can store up to 25% hydrogen by mass but being a gas requires storage means that can drive up system mass and volume. Methanol is an attractive choice based on cost and availability; however, hydrogen comprises only 12% by mass and, additionally, a high temperature reformer is required to access the hydrogen, driving up system volume and mass. Moreover, the reforming process produces CO and CO.sub.2 that can poison the catalysts on the proton exchange membrane. Alanates can be attractive sources as well but require water to activate, are hazardous and, in some cases, form oxides upon reaction with water that inhibit further reaction from occurring.”
(Dentinger and Crowell, US Patent 7,816,044; 10/19/2010)
Applications
Electrical Applications
Fuel Cells
Recent US Patents
11/2/2010
7,824,813
Fuel reforming system having movable heat source and fuel cell system comprising the same
Kim et al of Samsung SDI Co., South Korea hav developed a fuel reformer adapted to produce a reformed gas having hydrogen as a main component from a fuel containing hydrogen; a carbon monoxide (CO) remover adapted to remove carbon monoxide from the reformed gas; a heat source adapted to supply heat energy to the reformer and the CO remover; and a moving unit adapted to move the heat source between the fuel reformer and the CO remover. (RDC 3/2/2011)
7,824,812
Fuel cell system
Ueda and Takada of Panasonic Corporation, Japan, have designed a gas-liquid separator for catalytically purifying the effluent from the anode and the effluent from the cathode to collect liquid. The gas-liquid separator is connected to an anode-side discharge path for the effluent and a cathode-side discharge path for the effluent, which are in fluid communication with a fuel outlet of the anode-side flow channel and an oxidant outlet of the cathode-side flow channel, respectively. (RDC 3/2/2011)
7,824,811
Fuel cell discharge-gas processing device
Numata et al of Honda Motot, Japan developed a fuel cell discharge-gas processing device that dilutes anode off-gas discharged from a fuel cell anode by mixing the anode off-gas with a diluent gas so as to produce a diluted gas and then discharges mixture of the anode off-gas and the diluent gas, includes: a dilution container; an anode off-gas introduction path; a diluent gas path through; a diluent gas emission hole; a mixed gas discharge hole; at least one partition panel; and a communication gas path, wherein the anode off-gas emission hole is provided so as to emit anode off-gas toward the partition panel. (RDC 3/2/2011)
10/19/2010
7,816,044
Fuel cell using a hydrogen generation system
Dentinger and Crowell of Sandia, California have developed a system is described for storing and generating hydrogen in a fuel cell using beta particles from 63Ni to degrade an organic polymer material to release substantially pure hydrogen from linear polyethylene. (RDC 1/24/2011)