Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Jean Joseph Botti

Carl Elmer Miller

Malcolm James Grieve

James Zizelman

Joachim Kupe

William J LaBarge

Haskell Simpkins

Kaushik Rajashekara

Subhasish Mukerjee

Mark David Hemingway

John E Kirwan

Joseph V Bonadies

James Patrick Waters

John G Noetzel

John Alan MacBain

Kenneth Price

Thomas W Silvis

Bruno Depreter

William S Warren

Malcom James Grieve

During periods of vehicle inactivity, a vehicle-based APU electric generating system may be coupled into a regional electric grid to send electricity into the grid. A currently-preferred APU is a solid oxide fuel cell system. When a large number of vehicles are thus equipped and connected, substantial electric buffering can be effected to the grid load. A vehicle-based APU can also function as a back-up generator to a docking facility in the event of power failure of the grid. Gaseous hydrocarbon is readily supplied by pipe in many locations as a commercial and residential heating fuel source, and a hydrocarbon reformer on the vehicle can be attached to the fuel source, enabling an APU to operate as a stationary power source indefinitely. An optional storage tank on the vehicle may be refueled with gaseous fuel, for example, while the battery is being electrically recharged by the grid.

Electric vehicle having multiple-use APU system

A NOX abatement system includes a first NOX adsorber capable of being disposed in-line and downstream of and in fluid communication with an engine. The NOX abatement system further includes a selective catalytic reduction catalyst disposed in-line and downstream of, and in direct fluid communication with, the first NOX adsorber. The selective catalytic reduction catalyst is capable of storing ammonia. An off-line reformer is disposed in selective communication with and upstream of the first NOX adsorber and the selective catalytic reduction catalyst. The reformer is capable of producing a reformate that includes primarily hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

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An active system for regenerating a NOx adsorber and a particulate filter, the system includes a fuel source, a reformer for generating hydrogen and carbon monoxide in fluid communication with the fuel source, a first valve, a second valve, and a third valve in fluid communication with the reformer, an oxidation catalyst, a NOx adsorber located downstream from the oxidation catalyst, a particulate filter located downstream from the NOx adsorber; and wherein the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve control fluid flow from the reformer to the oxidation catalyst, the NOx adsorber, and the particulate filter.

A solid-oxide fuel cell system having a relatively large primary fuel cell sub-assembly for steady-state operation and a relatively small secondary fuel cell sub-assembly which is rapidly heatable to a threshold operating temperature to a) produce usable power in a short time period, b) cascade a hot exhaust into the primary fuel cell sub-assembly to assist in preheating thereof, and c) provide steam into the primary fuel cell sub-assembly to prevent coking of the anodes thereof. As the primary sub-assembly reaches its threshold temperature, it too begins to generate electricity and continues to self-heat and to be heated by the secondary sub-assembly. Preferably, the secondary sub-assembly continues to provide electricity in complement with the primary sub-assembly until the primary sub-assembly reaches full power, at which time the secondary sub-assembly may be shut down or switched to standby status for fuel efficiency, as desired.

Cascaded fuel cell stacks for fast start-up and anode coking control

An extended rich mode engine configured and operated extremely rich of stoichiometric to produce a substantially continuous hydrogen rich engine exhaust. Oxygen enrichment devices further optimize production of hydrogen rich engine exhaust. Engines include a free piston gas generator with rich homogenous charge compression, a rich internal combustion engine cylinder system with an oxygen generator, and a rich inlet turbo-generator system with exhaust heat recovery. Oxygen enrichment devices to enhance production of hydrogen rich engine exhaust include pressure swing absorption with oxygen selective materials, and oxygen separators such as a solid oxide fuel cell oxygen separator and a ceramic membrane oxygen separator.

Power generation system and method

A hybrid powertrain system includes a combustion engine, a battery buffer for storing electric energy by converting it onto chemical energy, which can be converted back into electrical energy when need, a fuel cell unit having multiple fuel cells each of which is an electrochemical energy conversion device that converts hydrogen and oxygen into water, producing electricity and heat in the process, a power level control unit for capturing electrical energy from the fuel cell unit for delivering zero power, full power, or any power level in between, and an electric motor having inputs for receiving energy from the combustion engine, the battery buffer and the fuel cell auxiliary power unit, and an output for generating activation power to a transmission providing a driving force to a vehicle.

Method and apparatus for providing hybrid power in vehicle

An exhaust system can comprise a NOx adsorber, a reformer disposed upstream of a NOx adsorber and in fluid communication with a fuel source, a first valve for controlling the introduction of the fluid to an exhaust conduit; and a particulate filter disposed upstream and in fluid communication with the NOx adsorber and downstream an in fluid communication with the reformer such that the first valve controls introduction of fluid to the exhaust conduit upstream of the particulate filter. The reformer can be designed to generate a fluid comprising sufficient thermal energy, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide. Optionally, the particulate filter can be designed to be regenerated by the thermal energy and to adsorb a sufficient amount of the thermal energy to reduce the temperature of a gas stream comprising the fluid from a first temperature of about 600&#xb0; C. to about 1,000&#xb0; C. to a second temperature of less than or equal to about 500&#xb0; C.

Exhaust system and method of thermal management

A method of operating a compression ignition engine comprises introducing enriching component to a combustion chamber of the compression ignition engine, wherein the enriching component comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing; introducing bulk fuel to the combustion chamber; heating a glow plug to cause the enriching component to release thermal energy; and initiating combustion of the bulk fuel with the released thermal energy from the enriching component.

Methods of operating a compression ignition engine and a vehicle system

A power generation system and method providing an engine configured to produce hydrogen rich reformate to feed a solid oxide fuel cell includes an engine having an intake and an exhaust; an air supply in fluid communication with the engine intake; a fuel supply in fluid communication with the engine intake; at least one solid oxide fuel cell having an air intake in fluid communication with an air supply, a fuel intake in fluid communication with the engine exhaust, a solid oxide fuel cell effluent and an air effluent. Engines include a free piston gas generator with rich homogenous charge compression, a rich internal combustion engine cylinder system with an oxygen generator, and a rich inlet turbo-generator system with exhaust heat recovery. Oxygen enrichment devices to enhance production of hydrogen rich engine exhaust include pressure swing absorption with oxygen selective materials, and oxygen separators such as an solid oxide fuel cell oxygen separator and a ceramic membrane oxygen separator.

An active system for regenerating a NO adsorber and a particulate filter, the system comprising a fuel source, a reformer for generating hydrogen and carbon monoxide in fluid communication with the fuel source, a first valve, a second valve, and a third valve in fluid communication with the reformer, an oxidation catalyst, a NO adsorber located downstream from the oxidation catalyst, a particulate filter located downstream from the NO adsorber; and wherein the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve control fluid flow from the reformer to the oxidation catalyst, the NO adsorber, and the particulate filter.

Method and system for regenerating NOx adsorbers and/or particulate filters

An apparatus and method for starting an engine having a starter generator for providing a rotational force to a pulley in order to provide the necessary torque to start an engine. The starter generator also receives a rotational force to the pulley wherein the starter generator generates a current when the pulley receives the rotational force. A valve deactivation system reduces the compression in a cylinder of the engine, thereby reducing the torque required to perform a starting sequence of the engine, either permitting this apparatus to be applied to larger engines, lower ambient temperatures, or some combination thereof.

Apparatus and method for starting an engine

The present system and method relate to power generation utilizing an exhaust side solid oxide fuel cell. Fuel is burned in an engine in the presence of air. The engine exhaust passes through a solid oxide fuel cell where it is consumed in the production of electricity and ionization of oxygen in an air stream also introduced to the solid oxide fuel cell. The solid oxide fuel cell effluent fuel stream and/or air stream can be recycled through the engine, directed through a turbine to recover additional energy therefrom, and/or passed through a catalytic converter. The resulting system exhaust has negligible to zero amounts of nitric oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulates.

Power generation system and method with exhaust side solid oxide fuel cell

A power generation system providing an engine configured to produce hydrogen rich reformate to feed a solid oxide fuel cell includes an engine having an intake and an exhaust; an air supply in fluid communication with the engine intake; a fuel supply in fluid communication with the engine intake; at least one SOFC having an air intake in fluid communication with an air supply, a fuel intake in fluid communication with the of, engine exhaust, a SOFC effluent and an air effluent. Engines include a free piston gas generator with rich homogenous charge compression, a rich internal combustion engine cylinder system with an oxygen generator, and a rich inlet turbo-generator system with exhaust heat recover. Oxygen enrichment devices to enhance production of hydrogen rich engine exhaust include pressure swing absorption with oxygen selective materials, and oxygen separators such as an SOFC oxygen separator and a ceramic membrane oxygen separator.

A compact integrated thermal management and fuel reformation system and method includes a thermally insulated wall forming an envelope having an interior chamber housing, a solid oxide fuel cell stack and a mixed mode heat exchanger. A recuperator having interior walls that are color graded to provide temperature zones effecting a positive temperature gradient in the direction of the solid oxide fuel cell stack is disposed within the chamber and close coupled to the fuel cell stack for absorbing radiation therefrom. The recuperator further heats the partially preheated oxidant gas and partially or fully reforms incoming fuel gas. Manifolds having oxidant and fuel channels for conducting reformed fuel and heated oxidant from the recuperator to fuel cell oxidant and fuel inlets are arranged to maximize fuel flow at the portions of each fuel cell adjacent the recuperator and to maximize oxidant flow near central portions of each fuel cell. A method for providing a tailored anode fuel stream is also provided.

Integrated fuel reformation and thermal management system for solid oxide fuel cell systems

The power generation system and method of the present invention employ a solid oxide fuel cell which reforms fuel to a degree which is controlled by the amount of fuel introduced to the solid oxide fuel cell. The effluent is directed preferably through a heat exchanger and then into an engine. This hybrid system more efficiently produces energy, both mechanical and electrical, over conventional systems.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Jean Joseph Botti