Electro Power Systems S.p.a.

Luca Mercante

Giuseppe Gianolio

Pierpaolo Cherchi

Luisa Anna Borello

Ilaria Rosso

Denis Bona

Andrea Musso

Dario Ceffa

A fuel cell electric generator designed for back-up in the absence of network electricity supply. The generator comprises a fuel cell stack, means for supplying the stack with a first and a second reagent flow comprising, in turn, pressure reducing means, and a manifold body to communicate with the stack said first and second reagent flows and at least a flow of coolant fluid via a respective coolant loop. The manifold body comprises inside chambers for the mixing of said reagent flows with corresponding re-circulated product flows and a coolant fluid expansion chamber within which said pressure reducing means of said first and second reagent flows are positioned at least partially drowned by said coolant. Method for the start-up and shutdown of the generator, and a method for detecting the flooding of a fuel cell and a method for detecting the presence of gas leakages in the generator are also disclosed.

Back-up fuel cell electric generator comprising a compact manifold body, and methods of managing the operation thereof

The invention relates to a stack () comprising a plurality of stacked fuel cells (), fixed and fluidically connected to a first head (), which comprises: a feeding inlet () for a fuel flow and a corresponding outlet (); a feeding inlet () for a comburent flow and a corresponding outlet (); a feeding inlet () and a corresponding outlet () for a flow of a cooling heat-transfer fluid thermally coupled with the fuel cells () in order to remove at least part of the reaction heat at the fuel cells () themselves; the first head () comprising a feeding inlet () and a corresponding outlet () for a flow may pass, said volume being thermally coupled with the cooling heat-transfer fluid flow, so that the cooling heat-transfer fluid delivers at least some of the heat removed from the fuel sells () to the working heat-transfer fluid.

Stack of improved fuel cells and electric power generator comprising said stack

A fuel cell electric generator designed for back-up in the absence of network electricity supply. The generator comprises a fuel cell stack, means for supplying the stack with a first and a second reagent flow comprising, in turn, pressure reducing means, and a manifold body to communicate with the stack said first and second reagent flows and at least a flow of coolant fluid via a respective coolant loop. The manifold body comprises inside chambers for the mixing of said reagent flows with corresponding re-circulated product flows and a coolant fluid expansion chamber within which said pressure reducing means of said first and second reagent flows are positioned at least partially drowned by said coolant. Method for the start-up and shut-down of the generator, and a method for detecting the flooding of a fuel cell and a method for detecting the presence of gas leakages in the generator are also disclosed.

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Collegno, Italy

Luca Mercante