Patent classifications
H01M8/04037
INTEGRATED COOLING MODULE OF FUEL CELL STACK AND THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM INCLUDING INTEGRATED COOLING MODULE
An integrated cooling module of a fuel cell stack is attached to a housing of the fuel cell stack, and the integrated cooling module is connected to a plurality of components constituting a thermal management system of a fuel cell. In particular, the integrated cooling module includes: a first injection member defining flow paths guiding coolant into one or more components of the thermal management system of the fuel cell, and at least one second injection member coupled to the first injection member, and the coolants going through the components flow into the fuel cell stack through any one of the flow paths defined by the integrated cooling module.
SOLID OXIDE CELL ASSEMBLY
A solid oxide cell assembly includes a housing that further includes a base plate, a cover and one or more side walls. one or more solid oxide cell stacks are positioned on the base plate. at least one radiant heater element is positioned inside the housing and is configured to emit radiant heat onto the one or more solid oxide cell stacks. the at least one radiant heater element is formed as one of a heating tube and a heating plate and comprises a plurality of separately controllable segments each comprising separate power connections. The solid oxide cell assembly is further formed as a high temperature electrolysis cell assembly.
Regenerative solid oxide stack
An individual solid oxide cell (SOC) constructed of a sandwich configuration including in the following order: an oxygen electrode, a solid oxide electrolyte, a fuel electrode, a fuel manifold, and at least one layer of mesh. In one embodiment, the mesh supports a reforming catalyst resulting in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) having a reformer embedded therein. The reformer-modified SOFC functions internally to steam reform or partially oxidize a gaseous hydrocarbon, e.g. methane, to a gaseous reformate of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, which is converted in the SOC to water, carbon dioxide, or a mixture thereof, and an electrical current. In another embodiment, an electrical insulator is disposed between the fuel manifold and the mesh resulting in a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC), which functions to electrolyze water and/or carbon dioxide.
Heat treatment apparatus and method of membrane electrode assemblies
A heat treatment apparatus of membrane electrode assemblies includes a base, a first member extending from the base in a first direction, and a plurality of second members formed on the base in a radially outward direction of the first member and having inner surfaces facing the first member, where the first member or the second members includes a heat wire member, and membrane electrode assemblies are disposed between the first member and the second members.
End cell heater for fuel cell
Provided is an end cell heater for a fuel cell capable of preventing water existing in reaction cells of a fuel cell stack from being frozen to improve initial start ability and initial driving performance of the fuel cell at the time of cold-starting the fuel cell during winter by disposing heaters on end cells disposed at both ends of the fuel cell stack and capable of securing air-tightness and pressure resistance properties of air passages and fuel passages formed in the end cell.
Fuel cell system
To provide a fuel cell system configured to achieve both rapid cooling of a fuel cell at high temperatures and rapid heating of the fuel cell at the time of system start-up. In the fuel cell system, by controlling a three-way valve, a controller switches to any one of the following circulation systems: radiator circulation in which a refrigerant flows to a radiator through a first flow path, and third flow path circulation in which the refrigerant bypasses the radiator and flows to a second flow path through a third flow path; when the temperature of the refrigerant is equal to or less than a low temperature threshold, the controller switches from the radiator circulation to the third flow path circulation and closes a first valve; and when the temperature of the refrigerant becomes equal to or more than a high temperature threshold, the controller opens the first valve and circulate the refrigerant to flow through the reserve tank.
FUEL CELL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME
A fuel cell includes a cell stack including a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction, end plates respectively disposed at first and second end portions of the cell stack, each of the end plates including a core having first rigidity and a clad covering at least a portion of the core, the clad having second rigidity which is lower than the first rigidity, a heater plate provided with a heating element configured to generate heat in response to a driving power supply, the heater plate being disposed at at least one of positions between the end plates and the first and second end portions of the cell stack, and a connector accommodated in the core of each of the end plates and covered by the clad, the connector interconnecting the driving power supply and the heating element.
A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING ELECTRICITY USING PYROLYSIS OF PLASTICS
A system for generating electricity by pyrolyzing organic materials and feeding the pyrolysis fluid to a battery of fuel-cells. The system includes a pyrolysis reactor receiving organic materials and producing pyrolysis fluid. The fluid pyrolysis is then separated into a plurality of sub-mixtures, each provided via a respective separator output. A plurality of fuel-cell devices for generating electricity using different technologies are each coupled to a respective separator output. A controller controls the pyrolysis reactor, the separator device, and the plurality of fuel-cell devices according to a signal representing a demand for electric power, a signal representing cost of operating at least one of the pyrolysis reactor and the fuel-cell generator, and a signal representing minimum price of electric power.
Thermal Energy Storage System with Deep Discharge
An energy storage system converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat at over 1000° C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium. Heat from the solid medium is delivered continuously on demand. An array of bricks incorporating internal radiation cavities is directly heated by thermal radiation. The cavities facilitate rapid, uniform heating via reradiation. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. Gas flows through structured pathways within the array, delivering heat which may be used for processes including calcination, hydrogen electrolysis, steam generation, and thermal power generation and cogeneration. Groups of thermal storage arrays may be controlled and operated at high temperatures without thermal runaway via deep-discharge sequencing. Forecast-based control enables continuous, year-round heat supply using current and advance information of weather and VRE availability. High-voltage DC power conversion and distribution circuitry improves the efficiency of VRE power transfer into the system.
WATER TANK HEATING METHOD AND UNIT, ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND SOFC SYSTEM
The invention provides a water tank heating method and unit, an electronic device and a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system. Before the SOFC system is started, ice in a water tank has been heated up, so after the SOFC system is started, the heating time of the heated ice, i.e., the thawing time of the water tank, will be shortened. Further, in the ice heating process, a pre-set needed SOFC thawing time determined according to current stack outlet temperature is used as a heating control parameter. As the stack outlet temperature is a key factor influencing the starting time of the SOFC system, the heating control will be more accurate if the pre-set needed SOFC thawing time corresponding to the stack outlet temperature is used as a heating control parameter.