H01M8/04708

SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF OPERATING SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL SYSTEMS

A method of operating a solid oxide fuel cell system may comprise contacting a cathode gas comprising oxygen with a heating element to produce a heated cathode gas, passing the heated cathode gas through a cathode of a solid oxide fuel cell stack to increase the temperature of the solid oxide fuel cell stack to an operation temperature and reduce the oxygen to oxygen anions, and passing an anode gas through an anode of the solid oxide fuel cell stack to initiate the electrochemical oxidation of the oxygen anions within the anode. The passing of the anode gas through the anode of the solid oxide fuel cell stack may be initiated when the solid oxide fuel cell stack is heated to an operational temperature.

METHOD OF DETERMINING DEGRADATION OF FUEL CELL STACK, AND FUEL CELL VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH THE FUEL CELL STACK
20220320553 · 2022-10-06 ·

In a case where each of the temperature, the impedance, and the output current of a fuel cell stack falls within a predetermined range, the output voltage of the fuel cell stack is measured, and the measured output voltage is compared with a reference value to thereby determine the degree of degradation of the fuel cell stack.

RELIGHT OF A PROPULSION SYSTEM WITH A FUEL CELL

A propulsion system including: a fuel cell assembly having a fuel cell defining an outlet positioned to remove output products from the fuel cell and a fuel cell assembly operating condition; a turbomachine comprising a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section arranged in serial flow order, the combustion section configured to receive a flow of aviation fuel from an aircraft fuel supply and further configured to receive the output products from the fuel cell; and a controller comprising memory and one or more processors, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the propulsion system to perform operations including receiving data indicative of a mid-flight flameout within the combustion section; modifying the fuel cell assembly operating condition in response to receiving data indicative of the mid-flight flameout within the combustion section; and initiating a relight of the combustion section.

Cathode subsystem cooling and humidification for a fuel cell system

A system and method for cooling and humidifying a cathode subsystem of a fuel cell for an automobile. The system includes a compressor, an air input line including an intercooler configured to cool air output by the compressor, a fluid output line including a fluid injection system, a cathode stack configured to receive air via the air input line and output a fluid to the fluid output line, and an electronic processor. The electronic processor is configured to control the fluid injection system such that the fluid output from the cathode stack is injected into the air input line.

CRYOGENIC FUEL TANK VENTING SYSTEM AND METHOD
20230182564 · 2023-06-15 ·

A cryogenic fuel tank system includes a fuel tank configured to contain a cryogenic liquid with a headspace above the cryogenic liquid configured to contain cryogenic vapor. A fuel cell converts cryogenic vapor from the headspace to electricity and water vapor. A vent valve directs excess cryogenic vapor from the headspace to the fuel cell when a pressure in the fuel tank exceeds a predetermined pressure level.

METHOD FOR OPERATING A FUEL CELL SYSTEM

A method comprising feeding a fuel and an oxidant to individual cells in a fuel cell stack, each having two electrode layers and an electrolyte layer arranged between the electrode layers. The method further includes compressing the cell stack with a clamping device, and detecting a compression pressure upon the cell stack with at least one pressure sensor. The method also includes determining a moisture content of the two electrolyte layers based on the detected compression pressure.

High temperature steam electrolysis facility (HTSE) with allothermal hydrogen production

A high temperature steam electrolysis or fuel cell electric power generating facility, including at least two electrochemical reactors fluidly connected in series to each other by their cathode compartment(s). At least one heat exchanger is arranged between two reactors in series, a primary circuit of the heat exchanger being connected to an external heat source configured to provide heat to fluid(s) at an outlet of an upstream reactor prior to be introduced at an inlet of a downstream reactor.

FUEL CELL SYSTEM CONTAINING WATER INJECTOR AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME

A method of operating a fuel cell system includes providing an anode exhaust from a fuel cell stack to a water injector, supplying water to the water injector, and injecting the water from the water injector into the anode exhaust to vaporize the water and generate a humidified anode exhaust.

FUEL CELL SYSTEM
20220052359 · 2022-02-17 · ·

A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell configured to be supplied with a fuel and air to generate an electric power; a combustor configured to combust an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell to produce a combustion discharged gas; a fuel heating part configured to heat the fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell by the combustion discharged gas; an air heating part configured to heat the air to be supplied to the fuel cell by the combustion discharged gas; an anode-side distribution passage configured to distribute the combustion discharged gas to the fuel heating part; a cathode-side distribution passage configured to distribute the combustion discharged gas to the air heating part; and a discharged gas distribution ratio adjustment part configured to adjust a discharged gas distribution ratio, the discharged gas distribution ratio being a ratio of an anode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate to a cathode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate, the anode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate being a flow rate of the combustion discharged gas that flows in the anode-side distribution passage, the cathode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate being a flow rate of the combustion discharged gas that flows in the cathode-side distribution passage, wherein the discharged gas distribution ratio adjustment part is configured to reduce the discharged gas distribution ratio according to an increase in a supply air flow rate as a flow rate of the air to be supplied to the fuel cell.

Fuel cell power generation module

A fuel cell power generation module includes a fuel cell stack body combined with a reformer, a burner, and a plate-type evaporator that are sequentially top-down stacked and assembled into a detachable power generation module, a gas-water separator to recycle mixed fuel that is not completely reacted with the fuel cell stack body, and a part of the recycled fuel is introduced into the burner for burning, and the burner thermal thus produced is used for heating the fuel cell stack body and the plate-type evaporator through thermal radiation and heat conduction, meanwhile, hot air produced by the burner can be used for heating air that enters the fuel cell stack body, and the plate-type evaporator converts the water into steam that feeds into the fuel cell stack body with fuel for reaction.