Utc Fuel Cells, LLC

Jeremy A Schrooten

Michael L Perry

Patrick L Hagans

Jesse M Marzullo

Wayde R Schmidt

Richard D Breault

H Harvey Michels

Cynthia A Rice

A power plant () includes at least one fuel cell (), a coolant loop () including a freeze tolerant accumulator () for storing and separating a water immiscible fluid and water coolant, a direct contact heat exchanger () for mixing the water immiscible fluid and the water coolant within a mixing region () of the heat exchanger (), a coolant pump () for circulating the coolant through the coolant loop (), a radiator loop () for circulating the water immiscible fluid through the heat exchanger (), a radiator () for removing heat from the coolant, and a direct contact heat exchanger by-pass system (). The plant () utilizes the water immiscible fluid during steady-state operation to cool the fuel cell and during shut down of the plant to displace water from the fuel cell () to the freeze tolerant accumulator ().

Freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant with a direct contact heat exchanger

A freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant () includes at least one fuel cell (), a coolant loop () including a freeze tolerant accumulator () for storing and separating a water immiscible fluid and water coolant, a direct contact heat exchanger () for mixing the water immiscible fluid and the water coolant within a mixing region () of the heat exchanger (), a coolant pump () for circulating the coolant through the coolant loop (), a radiator loop () for circulating the water immiscible fluid through the heat exchanger (), and a radiator () for removing heat from the coolant. The plant () utilizes the water immiscible fluid during steady-state operation to cool the fuel cell and during shut down of the plant to displace water from the fuel cell () to the freeze tolerant accumulator ().

A performance enhancing break-in method for a proton exchange membrane ('PEM') fuel cell () includes cycling potentials of an anode electrode () and a cathode electrode () from a first potential to a second potential and back to the first potential, and repeating the cycling for each electrode () for at least two electrode cycles. The potential cycling may be achieved in a first embodiment by applying a direct current from a programmable direct current power source () to the electrodes. Alternatively the potential cycling may be achieved by varying reactants to which the anode and cathode electrodes () are exposed.

Performance enhancing break-in method for a PEM fuel cell

A freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant () includes at least one fuel cell (), a coolant loop () having a porous water transport plate () secured in a heat and mass exchange relationship with the fuel cell () and a coolant pump () for circulating a coolant through the plate () and for transferring water into or out of the plate () with the coolant. A coolant heat exchanger () removes heat from the coolant, and an accumulator () stores the coolant and fuel cell product water and directs the product water out of the accumulator (). The coolant is a two-component mixed coolant liquid circulating through the coolant loop () consisting of between 80 and 95 volume percent of a low freezing temperature water immiscible fluid component and between 5 and 20 volume percent of a water component.

Growing community of inventors

Hebron, CT, United States of America

Jeremy A Schrooten