Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Michael A Stratton

Daniel B O'Connell

James V McManis

Jonas Bereisa

Lee Curtis Whitehead

Gerd Arnold

William S Wheat

Barbara S Moore

Norm Dill

Steve McIlwaine

An electrochemical propulsion system in a vehicle comprises a hydrogen generator for converting fuel into hydrogen-containing gas and a fuel cell stack using the hydrogen-containing gas to produce electricity to power a drive motor for the vehicle. The fuel cell stack is oriented parallel to the vehicle longitudinal direction. The hydrogen generator is arranged longitudinally forward of the fuel cell stack and to the lateral side of the fuel cell stack. The fuel cell stack and the hydrogen generator are located within a front vehicle compartment of the vehicle in a closely adjacent manner. The hydrogen generator comprises a combustor for producing heat, a reformer closely adjacent to the combustor for converting fuel into hydrogen-containing gas using heat from the combustor, and a reactor to reduce carbon monoxide content from the hydrogen-containing gas wherein the reactor is adjacent to and downstream of the reformer. The drive motor is operatively connected to a wheel axle for driving vehicle wheels.

Electrochemical propulsion system

A method and apparatus for refueling a vehicle powered by an electrochemical engine comprises a fuel fill pocket accessible to the exterior of the vehicle and having an interior end with an opening to a hydrogen refueling line. The hydrogen refueling line extends between the fuel fill pocket and a storage tank in the engine. A fuel fill door conceals the fuel fill pocket when closed and operates to open for access to the fuel fill pocket. A nozzle is operably connected to a refueling station and is slideably receivable within the fuel fill pocket. The nozzle has a hydrogen input line. The refueling apparatus has a flow communication means to ensure the hydrogen input line is in flow communication with the hydrogen refueling line for delivering hydrogen. Mating communication ports in the nozzle and the fuel fill pocket operate to send and receive electronic signals therebetween and to a controller for controlling the operation of refueling. The controller ensures that the nozzle is properly inserted before initiating refueling and verifies that line pressures are below a minimum set level before the nozzle may be removed from the fuel fill pocket.

Method and apparatus for refueling an electrochemical engine

An electrochemical engine for a vehicle comprises a storage tank containing hydrogen-retention material which reversibly takes-up and stores hydrogen at a hydrogen-storage temperature and releases it upon heating to a release temperature. A fuel cell stack using the released hydrogen produces electricity and heat by-product. A primary coolant flow circuit extends from a radiator, through the fuel cell stack and the storage tank, and back to the radiator, and has a coolant-distribution valve intermediate the fuel cell stack and the storage tank. A bypass coolant flow line extends from the coolant-distribution valve to the radiator. During operation, the heat by-product of the fuel cell stack is transferred via the primary coolant flow circuit to the storage tank for heating the hydrogen-retention material to release hydrogen for fueling the fuel cell stack. The electrochemical engine further comprises a heat generator within a superheater coolant flow loop having a bypass valve intermediate the storage tank and the radiator operable to keep coolant within the superheater coolant flow loop and a secondary pump to circulate the coolant. Coolant in the superheater coolant flow loop is heated by the heat generator and circulated through the storage tank to further release hydrogen gas from the hydrogen-retention material.

Electrochemical engine

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Rochester, NY, United States of America

Michael A Stratton