Watt Fuel Cell Corp.

Watt Agent, LLC

Paul DeWald

Caine M Finnerty

Mathew Isenberg

Robert Grogan

William Seil

Matthew Isenberg

The outlet of a blower extends through a hole in a circuit board to which the blower is attached. Electronics on the board control operation of the blower. The blower can be configured as two blowers in series, to provide more precise control of airflow. An air filter, such as an N95 filter is releasably attached to the blower intake on a front side of the circuit board. The front side of the board can be attached to a support panel, with a gap therebetween, and the air filter facing and in fluid communication with the gap. An air filter gasket is positioned around the edges of the front side of the circuit board, such that air sucked through the air filter over the intake of the blower, first passes through the air filter gasket between the circuit board and the support panel. The air filter gasket can be coarser than the air filter. The blower is well suited for use in a fuel cell apparatus, for supplying an electronically controlled airflow to the fuel cell.

Blower and air filter assembly

Various designs and configurations of and methods of operating fuel cell units, fuel cell systems and combined heat and power systems are provided that permit efficient thermal management of such units and systems to improve their operation.

Thermal management of fuel cell units and systems

An air intake assembly for a centrifugal blower having a casing having an axial inlet and a radial outlet, an impeller disposed within the casing for drawing a gaseous medium at a first pressure into the axial inlet and expelling gaseous medium at a second higher pressure through the radial outlet, and a motor for driving the impeller, including an air intake assembly casing having an air inlet and an air outlet, the air outlet connectable to the axial inlet of the blower casing of the centrifugal blower, and a check valve mounted within the air intake assembly casing positioned to permit air flow from the air inlet through the air intake assembly casing to the air outlet and prevent air flow from the air outlet through the air intake assembly casing to the air inlet.

Air intake assembly for centrifugal blower system and fuel cell incorporating same

A multi-tubular chemical reactor includes an igniter for the initiation of gas phase exothermic reaction within the gas phase reaction zones of the tubular reactor units. In accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided a multi-tubular chemical reactor comprising a plurality of spaced-apart reactor units, each reactor unit comprising an elongate tube having a wall with internal and external surfaces, an inlet at one end and an outlet at the opposing end, the wall enclosing a gaseous flow passageway at least a portion of which defines a gas phase reaction zone, the multi-tubular chemical reactor can include at least one igniter for initiation of at least one gas phase exothermic reaction within a gas phase reaction zone of a reactor unit.

Multi-tubular chemical reactor with igniter for initiation of gas phase exothermic reactions

A fuel cell system, with an air flow system includes a first thermal zone, a second thermal zone, an air blower provided between the first and second thermal zones. The first thermal zone is connected to an inlet port of the fuel cell system. The second thermal zone is connected to an outlet port of the fuel cell system. The air blower is configured to draw in air from the first thermal zone and provide the air to the second thermal zone.

Container for reformer and fuel cell system

A thermally insulated housing for a heat-producing, heat-radiating device such as an integrated CPOX reformer and SOFC stack includes an assembly of thermal insulation sections that presents an indirect, or tortuous, path that inhibits the flow of IR vectors to the walls of the housing.

Thermally insulated housing for a heat-producing, heat-radiating device

Integrated liquid fuel catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) reformer and fuel cell systems can include a plurality or an array of spaced-apart CPOX reactor units, each reactor unit including an elongated tube having a gas-permeable wall with internal and external surfaces. The wall encloses an unobstructed gaseous flow passageway. At least a portion of the wall has CPOX catalyst disposed therein and/or comprising its structure. The catalyst-containing wall structure and open gaseous flow passageway enclosed thereby define a gaseous phase CPOX reaction zone, the catalyst-containing wall section being gas-permeable to allow gaseous CPOX reaction mixture to diffuse therein and hydrogen rich product reformate to diffuse therefrom. The liquid fuel CPOX reformer also can include a vaporizer, one or more igniters, and a source of liquid reformable fuel. The hydrogen-rich reformate can be converted to electricity within a fuel cell unit integrated with the CPOX reactor unit.

Liquid fuel CPOX reformer and fuel cell systems, and methods of producing electricity

The present teachings provide multi-reformable fuel delivery systems and methods that can deliver, without the use of a liquid pump, any hydrocarbon fuel, i.e., a liquid or gaseous reformable fuel, for example, to at least one of a reformer, a vaporizer, a fuel cell stack, an afterburner and other assemblies and components of a fuel cell unit or system, More specifically, gas pressure can be used to control and deliver gaseous reformable fuels and/or liquid reformable fuels in the delivery systems and methods of the present teachings. The delivery systems and methods also can apply to the delivery of a liquid reactant such as water and gaseous reactants such as an oxygen-containing gas (e.g., air) and steam.

Multi-reformable fuel delivery systems and methods for fuel cells

A multi-tubular chemical reactor includes an igniter for the initiation of gas phase exothermic reaction within the gas phase reaction zones of the tubular reactor units.

Integrated liquid fuel catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) reformer and fuel cell systems can include a plurality or an array of spaced-apart CPOX reactor units, each reactor unit including an elongate tube having a gas-permeable wall with internal and external surfaces, the wall enclosing an open gaseous flow passageway with at least a portion of the wall having CPOX catalyst disposed therein and/or comprising its structure. The catalyst-containing wall structure and open gaseous flow passageway enclosed thereby define a gaseous phase CPOX reaction zone, the catalyst-containing wall section being gas-permeable to allow gaseous CPOX reaction mixture to diffuse therein and hydrogen rich product reformate to diffuse therefrom. The liquid fuel CPOX reformer also can include a vaporizer, one or more igniters, and a source of liquid reformable fuel. The hydrogen-rich reformate can be converted to electricity within a fuel cell unit integrated with the liquid fuel CPOX reactor unit.

A reformer includes at least one reformer reactor unit () having a space-confining wall with external () and internal surfaces (), at least a section of the wall and space confined thereby defining a reforming reaction zone (), an inlet end () and associated inlet () for admission of flow of gaseous reforming reactant to the reforming reaction zone (), an outlet end () and associated outlet () for outflow of hydrogen-rich reformate produced in the reforming reaction zone (), at least that section of the wall () corresponding to the reforming reaction zone comprising perovskite as a structural component thereof such wall section being gas-permeable to allow gaseous reforming reactant to diffuse therein and hydrogen-rich reformate to diffuse therefrom.

Reformer with perovskite as structural component thereof

A liquid fuel reformer includes a fuel vaporizer which utilizes heat from an upstream source of heat, specifically, an electric heater, operable in the start-up mode of the reformer, and therefore independent of the reforming reaction zone of the reformer, to vaporize fuel in a downstream vaporization zone.

Liquid fuel reformer including a vaporizer and method of reforming liquid reformable fuel

The present teachings provide apparatus and methods for mixing a reformable fuel and/or steam with an oxygen-containing gas and/or steam to provide a gaseous reforming reaction mixture suitable for reforming with a reformer and/or a fuel cell stack of a fuel cell unit and/or fuel cell system.

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Scottdale, PA, United States of America

Paul DeWald