Intelligent Energy Inc.

Nathaniel Thomas Palmer

Pratap Rama

Sophie Charlotte Harris

Peter David Hood

Paul Leonard Adcock

Jonathan Cole

Iain M Fraser

Daniel Ninan

Shahin Moghimi

Phillip Wardle

Simon Edward Foster

Vince Gardner

Prajwal Nirwan

David James Grimwade

Alex Mark Thirkell

Simon Foster

A method for operating a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell assembly of a plurality of fuel cells configured to generate electrical power from a fuel flow and an oxidant flow to the plurality of fuel cells, the fuel cell assembly arranged in combination with a coolant storage module configured to supply the fuel cell assembly with a flow of coolant, the method performed when the temperature of the coolant in the coolant storage module is below a coolant temperature threshold and comprises; a first phase performed prior to activation of a coolant pump configured to deliver coolant from the coolant storage module to the fuel cell assembly and a second phase performed after activation of the coolant pump.

Method for operating a fuel cell and controller therefore

A coolant storage tank () for storing coolant in a fuel cell system (), the coolant storage tank comprising a plurality of individually controllable heater elements (). A coolant storage tank comprising a first heater element () located at a base of the coolant storage tank and a second heater element () is also disclosed. A coolant storage tank comprising a first coolant storage compartment () in fluid communication with a second coolant storage compartment (), the first coolant storage compartment including at least a first heater element () and wherein the second coolant storage compartment is unheated is also disclosed. A method of melting frozen coolant in a coolant storage tank is also disclosed.

Coolant storage tank

Disclosed is a cooling module for use in a fuel cell system, the module includes a tank configured to receive a coolant therein, a coolant, a pump in fluid communication with the coolant in the tank and the fuel cell system, the pump being configured to transport the coolant to the fuel cell system, a heating element within the coolant in the tank, the heating element configured to heat the coolant, and at least one sensor in signal communication with a controller and in fluid communication with the tank. The sensor is configured to detect a change corresponding to the presence or absence of sufficient liquid coolant to initiate said pump, and the controller processes sensor data and is configured to actuate the pump.

Cooling module for a fuel cell system and method of detecting flowable coolant in a fuel cell system

A coolant injection controller for a fuel cell system, the coolant injection controller configured to actively control the flow of a coolant to a fuel cell assembly for cooling and/or hydrating the fuel cell assembly in response to a measure of fuel cell assembly performance, wherein the coolant injection controller is configured to provide for a first mode of operation if the measure of fuel cell assembly performance is below a predetermined threshold and a second mode of operation if the measure of fuel cell assembly performance is above the predetermined threshold, the first and second modes having different coolant injection profiles and wherein, in the first mode of operation, the coolant injection profile provides for control of the flow of coolant by alternating between at least two different injection flow rates.

Coolant injection controller

A method of operating a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell assembly configured to generate electrical power from a fuel flow and an oxidant flow, the method comprising a first phase and a subsequent second phase, the first phase comprising; operating the fuel cell assembly with a first stoichiometric ratio of oxidant flow to fuel flow to generate electrical power; providing said generated electrical power to a heater element for heating a coolant for supply to said fuel cell assembly; the second phase comprising; delivering coolant heated in the first phase to the fuel cell assembly; operating the fuel cell assembly with a second stoichiometric ratio of oxidant flow to fuel flow to generate electrical power, the second stoichiometric ratio lower than the first ratio.

Fuel cell and coolant storage

Growing community of inventors

Loughborough, United Kingdom

Nathaniel Thomas Palmer