A power source includes a container, a fuel cell stack disposed within the container, the fuel cell stack having an anode side and a cathode side, a hydrogen producing fuel disposed within the container and positioned to provide hydrogen to anode side of the fuel cell stack, and a pump disposed within the hydrogen producing fuel to circulate water vapor through the hydrogen producing fuel. A capacitor may be coupled to receive electricity generated by the fuel cell stack.

An electrochemical energy storage cell includes a first electrically insulating substrate and a first electrical conductor layer extending on an area of the first electrically insulating substrate, a second electrically insulating substrate and a second electrical conductor layer extending on an area of the second electrically insulating substrate, a first electrode layer composed of positive electrode material, a second electrode layer composed of negative electrode material, a first separator layer, a stacked arrangement of the layers: the first electrically insulating substrate—the first electrical conductor layer—the first electrode layer—the first separator layer—the second electrode layer—the second electrical conductor layer—the second electrically insulating substrate, a first electrolyte enabling an ion flow between the electrode layers, an electrode region with the stacked arrangement of the electrode layers and a supercapacitor region, a second separator layer, a second electrolyte enabling an ion flow between the supercapacitor layers.

An electrolyzer system and a fuel cell system that include hydrogen blowers configured to compress hydrogen streams generated by the systems. The electrolyzer system includes a steam generator configured to generate steam, a stack of solid oxide electrolyzer cells configured to generate a hydrogen stream using the steam received from the steam generator, a hydrogen blower configured to pressurize the hydrogen stream generated by the stack, and a hydrogen processor configured to compress the pressurized hydrogen stream.

An ink formulation and electrode that enhances hydrogen production, oxygen production, carbon dioxide reduction and other electrocatalytic reactions. Embodiments include an ink formulation with polymer binders having different catalytical precursors and a 3D electrode produced by additive manufacturing from the inventor's ink formulation. Various embodiments of the inventor's apparatus, systems, and methods provide inks that that are 3D-printed into patterns that optimize surface area and flow. The catalytic materials are imbedded into the ink matrix which is then printed into a 3D structure that has architecture that optimizes surface area and flow properties.

A fuel cell system that includes a fuel cell that generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidant gas, and a control portion that determines whether there is leakage of the fuel gas. The control portion has start means for starting the fuel cell by raising the voltage of the fuel cell from a starting voltage to an operation voltage that is lower than an open-circuit voltage, and leakage determination means for determining whether there is leakage of the fuel gas before the voltage of the fuel cell reaches the operation voltage when the fuel cell is started.

Embodiments may include a hydrogen-based power storage unit device that provides power for electric vehicles, and other uses, without requiring hydrogen refueling infrastructure. For example, in an embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a power source, a water supply, an electrolyzer connected to the power source adapted to separate water from the water supply into hydrogen and oxygen, a fuel cell adapted to generate electrical power using the separated hydrogen and oxygen, and a power conditioning unit adapted to output a configured electrical power output.

A fuel cell energy circulative utilization system includes an input energy, a first electric cell having an electricity output terminal and an energy output terminal, a second electric cell having an electricity input terminal, an energy input terminal, and an energy output terminal, and an energy circulation control device connected among the first and second electric cells and the input energy. The input energy includes an energy source containing hydrocarbons or hydrogen and connected to an energy input port of the first electric cell in order to make the first electric cell outputs electricity through the electricity output terminal and energy products of thermal energy and water through the energy output terminal. The electricity output terminal and the energy output terminal for thermal energy and water of the first electric cell are respectively connected to the electricity input terminal and the energy input terminal of the second electric cell, in order to make the second electric cell to at least output a hydrogen source through the energy output terminal thereof to the energy circulation control device, so that the energy circulation control device controls circulation of hydrogen for feeding to the energy input terminal of the first electric cell for reuse. The energy circulation control device is also operable to switch operations of the first and second electric cells between working modes of solid oxide electrolysis cell and solid oxide fuel cell.

A light-driven fuel cell includes a cathode, an anode, and a proton-permeable membrane between the anode and the cathode. The anode includes a photocatalyst for anaerobic methane oxidation reaction, and when the anode is supplied with methane and water and is irradiated with light, methanol, protons and electrons are generated by anaerobic methane oxidation reaction from the methane and the water supplied to the anode; the protons pass through the proton-permeable membrane and move to the cathode; and the electrons move to the cathode via an external circuit. The cathode includes a photocatalyst for aerobic methane oxidation reaction, and when the cathode is supplied with methane and oxygen and is irradiated with light, methanol and water are generated by aerobic methane oxidation reaction from the methane and the oxygen supplied to the cathode and the protons and the electrons moved from the anode.

One embodiment is a redox flow battery system that includes an anolyte; a catholyte; an anolyte tank configured for holding at least a portion of the anolyte; a catholyte tank configured for holding at least a portion of the catholyte; a primary redox flow battery arrangement, and a second redox flow battery arrangement. The primary and secondary redox flow battery arrangements share the anolyte and catholyte tanks and each includes a first half-cell including a first electrode in contact with the anolyte, a second half-cell including a second electrode in contact with the catholyte, a separator separating the first half-cell from the second half-cell, an anolyte pump, and a catholyte pump. The peak power delivery capacity of the secondary redox flow battery arrangement is less than the peak power delivery capacity of the primary redox flow battery arrangement.

A power supply apparatus, a power supply system, and a power supply method increase the power generation efficiency of the system overall in a system that includes a plurality of power source units. A power supply apparatus operates distributed power sources in parallel, the distributed power sources including power source units, and supplies output power from the distributed power sources to a load. The power supply apparatus includes a controller that controls each power source unit so that output power from whichever of the power source units has higher power generation efficiency is prioritized to increase.