Plug Power Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Power Plug, Inc.

James Howard Kralick

James F McElroy

Xianrui Huang

Johannes Adrianus Overweg

Da Yu Wang

Derk Reefman

Michael M Walsh

Philip Alexander Jonas

Gerardus Bernardus Jozef Mulder

Matthew Voss

Jeffrey Edward Leach

Uriel M Oko

Joshua Kent Hilderbrand

Daniel F Woolley

Frank Battista

Dennis Ambrose Becker

Sandra H Peschke, Legal Representative

An apparatus includes at least a first electrically conductive coil having at least first and second coil sections which are separated and spaced apart from each other, and a support structure disposed to support the first and second coil sections. The support structure, and an associated method of supporting the electrically conductive coil, maintain relative axial positions of the first and second coil sections to be fixed when the first electrically conductive coil is energized and de-energized, and allow each of the first and second coil sections to expand radially when energized.

Superconducting coil support device and method and apparatus including superconducting coil support device

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes an MRI magnet () including a bore () and having a magnetic field and a gradient coil () disposed within the bore and having an isocenter (). A first location within the MRI magnet is determined with respect to a first predetermined reference surface of the MRI magnet, the first location representing a center () of the magnetic field. A second location within the gradient coil is determined with respect to a second predetermined reference surface of the gradient coil, the second location representing the isocenter. When the gradient coil is installed within the bore, the second predetermined reference surface abuts the first predetermined reference surface. The first predetermined reference surface is adjusted to an adjusted position, the adjusted position being determined as a function of the first location and the second location and corresponding to a position of the first predetermined reference surface at which the first location coincides with the second location when the gradient coil is installed within the bore.

System and method for locating a gradient coil

In a fuel cell system, a reformer supplies reformate to a fuel cell stack. A portion of the reformate flow is diverted for analysis by a hydrocarbon analysis system. Residual hydrocarbons in the reformate may damage the anodes of the fuel cell stack. Although incompletely-reformed reformate may include a variety of hydrocarbon compounds, the invention simply measures methane as an indicator of the overall performance level of the reformer. A currently preferred embodiment includes a catalytic combustion methane sensor. Combustion air and reformate are delivered in a fixed ratio to the sensor via positive displacement pumps. The system can provide alarm means or optionally a shut-off means to protect a fuel cell stack from elevated levels of hydrocarbons in the reformate stream.

Hydrocarbon reformer performance sensing system

A fuel cell air supply system disposed in an enclosure. A blower discharge plenum for supplying air individually to various fuel cell functions via individual control valves is provided with an additional controllable purge valve connected to an exhaust port through a wall of the enclosure. At any desired time, the purge valve may be opened and the system process valves closed to draw fresh air into the enclosure and thereby purge stale gases within the enclosure to the exterior of the system. This function is especially useful just prior to start-up of the fuel cells of the system, and may also be used periodically after shut-down to maintain a desirably low temperature in the enclosure during cooling off of the fuel cell assembly.

Purge system for a fuel cell enclosure

In a retractable air supply connection system for air supply lines extending between a blower supply plenum and hot zone components of a solid-oxide fuel cell assembly, each such hot zone component is provided with a socket for receiving a retractable connector. Each connector has first and second concentric expandable bellows connected between the plenum and a nipple element having a central passage and nipple for mating with the socket. The inner bellows is coaxial with the socket element and is connected to an individual supply port in the plenum for the particular hot zone component. The outer bellows is connected to the main blower output. A return spring between the hot zone component and the nipple element urges the nipple element from the socket to disconnect the supply line from the hot zone by collapsing the outer bellows to break the conductive heat path when the blower is inoperative.

Retractable air supply connector system for a fuel cell assembly

A fuel cell stack includes a stack of flow plates, a first gasket that is compatible with a coolant and a second gasket that is incompatible with the coolant. The stack of flow plates includes openings to form a coolant passageway that communicates the coolant and a reactant manifold passageway. The second gasket forms a seal around the reactant manifold passageway between an adjacent pair of the plates. The first gasket forms a seal around the coolant manifold passageway between the adjacent pair of plates. At least one region of a particular plate may be associated with a reactant flow, and this plate may include internal passageways that extend between manifold passageways to communicate a coolant. A seal that is substantially permanent isolates the internal passageways from the region(s) of the fuel cell plate that may be associated with reactant flow(s).

Sealing method and apparatus for a fuel cell stack

A fuel cell coolant tank system includes a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cells, a coolant manifold, and a coolant outlet manifold. A coolant expansion tank above the fuel cell stack has an input connected to the coolant inlet manifold of the fuel cell stack and an output connected to the coolant outlet manifold of the fuel cell stack.

Fuel cell coolant tank system

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, a manifold and a hinge. The manifold forms a sealed interface to communicate reactants with the stack, and the hinge forms a pivotable connection between the stack and the manifold. The fuel cell system also includes at least one gas/water separator that is disposed in the manifold to collect water from one of the flows.

Manifold system for a fuel cell stack

A system includes a stack of fuel cell flow plates and a condenser. The stack of fuel cell flow plates include openings to form an inlet manifold passageway and an outlet manifold passageway to communicate a coolant through the stack. The flow plates are capable of transferring thermal energy to the coolant to cause the coolant to change from a liquid state into a gas state. The condenser changes the coolant from the gas state to the liquid state. At least one conduit of the system is connected to communicate the coolant between the condenser and the inlet and outlet manifold passageways.

Cooling method and apparatus for use with a fuel cell stack

A system for humidifying reactant gas for a fuel cell includes a supply line for supplying reactant gas to a fuel cell, a mist humidifier for producing liquid droplets in the reactant gas, and an evaporator for evaporating the liquid droplets. The evaporator may use a portion of the heat generated by operation of the fuel cell for evaporating the liquid droplets.

Mist evaporation system for fuel cell hydration

The invention relates to an enthalpy recovery fuel cell system. Water leaving the fuel cell in the cathode gas output stream is transferred to the cathode gas input stream. The dew point of the input stream of the cathode gas is about the same as the temperature of the leading edge of the active area of the solid electrolyte, such as a proton exchange membrane. The temperature differential across the fuel cell is about the same as the difference in the dew points of the cathode gas entering the fuel cell and the cathode gas exiting the fuel cell.

Enthalpy recovery fuel cell system

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack and a pump system. The pump system circulates a coolant through the fuel cell stack. The coolant is substantially electrically non-conductive and has a freezing point substantially below the freezing point of water.

Cooling a fuel cell stack

The invention relates to a fuel cell system having membranes that are used to humidify reactant gases. The membranes effectively prevent contamination of the reactant gases during humidification. The membranes can be used to purify the reactant gases during humidification.

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Albany, NY, United States of America

James Howard Kralick