Intelligent Energy Inc.

Other

Peter David Hood

Paul Leonard Adcock

Jonathan Cole

Simon Edward Foster

Scott Baird

Ashley James Kells

Henri Winand

Nathaniel Thomas Palmer

Iain M Fraser

Daniel Ninan

Sophie Charlotte Harris

Phillip Wardle

Anthony Newbold

Anand Chellappa

Philip John Mitchell

Christopher James Kirk

Nathan Grange

Paul Alan Benson

Christopher James Gurney

Jeremy Stephen Matcham

Tobias Reisch

Kevin M Kupcho

Christopher Conlon

Antony Richard Wilson

Benjamin N Peace

Tom Hood

Benjamin Norman Peace

Muralidharan Arikara

Aspects of duct systems for use with fuel cells and methods of using the same are disclosed. According to an aspect of the disclosure, a duct system () for cooling fuel cells () via a coolant fluid includes a housing (); a cooling chamber (); an inlet port () configured to receive the coolant into the system; an exhaust port () configured to expel the coolant from the system; and a means for moving the coolant into, through, and out of the system.

Coaxial fuel cell cathode flow path ducting

A method of operating a fuel cell system () comprising a fuel cell stack () and a closed loop water cooling circuit for direct injection of cooling water into the stack (), the method comprising: measuring an operational parameter of the fuel cell system () over a time period; adding an amount of water to the closed loop cooling circuit from the total amount of water generated during operation of the fuel cell stack () over the time period; and removing the amount of water from the closed loop cooling circuit generated during operation of the fuel cell stack () over the time period is automatically determined by the fuel cell system () as a function of the operational parameter.

Fuel cell cooling

A fluid flow plate for an electrochemical fuel cell assembly comprises a first plurality of fluid flow channels extending across an area of the flow plate to define a flow field of the fluid flow plate. An array of first fluid transfer points is disposed along an edge of the flow field for communicating fluid into or out of the fluid flow channels. A gallery has a first peripheral edge portion bounded by the array of first fluid transfer points and at least two second peripheral edge portions each bounded by an array of second fluid transfer points disposed along fluid access edges of the fluid flow plate. The at least two second peripheral edge portions are disposed at oblique angles to the first peripheral edge portion such that the total length of the any of second fluid transfer points is at least as long as, and preferably longer than, the length of the array of first fluid transfer points. Disposing the at least two second peripheral edge portions at oblique angles to the first peripheral edge portion enables the lengths of the second peripheral edge portions of each gallery to be increased compared to the length of the first fluid transfer points (i.e. width of the active flow field area) which optimizes fluid distribution into the channels of the flow plate.

Fluid flow plate for a fuel cell

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

The invention relates to bipolar plates for electrochemical fuel cell assemblies, and in particular to configurations of bipolar plates allowing for multiple fluid flow channels for the passage of anode, cathode and coolant fluids. Embodiments disclosed include a bipolar plate () for an electrochemical fuel cell assembly, comprising: a first plurality of fluid flow channels () extending across a first face of the bipolar plate between first inlet and outlet ports () at opposing ends of the bipolar plate; a second plurality of fluid flow channels () extending across a second opposing face of the bipolar plate between second inlet and outlet ports () at opposing ends of the bipolar plate; and a third plurality of fluid flow channels () extending between third inlet and outlet ports () at opposing ends of the bipolar plate, the third plurality of fluid flow channels provided between first and second corrugated plates () forming the first and second opposing faces of the bipolar plate, wherein the first, second and third fluid flow channels are coplanar.

A fluid flow plate having first and second fluid flow channels on a fluid flow plate with an active area of fluid flow fields having one or more arrays of fluid transfer points () disposed along an edge of the flow field for communicating fluid into or out of flow channels. A first and second distribution gallery () with peripheral edge portions bounded by the arrays including at least one pair of inlets in external edges of the fluid flow plate and wherein the first fluid distribution gallery is shaped such that the combined lengths of the first-gallery second peripheral edge portions are longer than the first-gallery first peripheral edge portion, and wherein the internal edges of the flow plate comprise edges of a hole, aperture, or port passing through the flow plate, and the external edges of the flow plate comprise an outer peripheral edge of the plate. The edges each may comprise a castellated structure ().

A fluid flow plate for an electrochemical fuel cell assembly comprises a first plurality of fluid flow channels extending across an area of the flow plate to define a flow field of the fluid flow plate. An array of first fluid transfer points is disposed along an edge of the flow field for communicating fluid into or out of the fluid flow channels. A gallery has a first peripheral edge portion bounded by the array of first fluid transfer points and at least two second peripheral edge portions each bounded by an array of second fluid transfer points disposed along fluid access edges of the fluid flow plate. The at least two second peripheral edge portions are disposed at oblique angles to the first peripheral edge portion such that the total length of the any of second fluid transfer points is at least as long as, and preferably longer than, the length of the array of first fluid transfer points. Disposing the at least two second peripheral edge portions at oblique angles to the first peripheral edge portion enables the lengths of the second peripheral edge portions of each gallery to be increased compared to the length of the first fluid transfer points (i.e. width of the active flow field area) which optimises fluid distribution into the channels of the flow plate.

An electrical connection system for cell voltage monitoring in a fuel cell stack. A fuel cell stack assembly comprises a plurality of fuel cells disposed in a stacked configuration, each cell substantially parallel to an x-y plane and including an electrical tab extending laterally from an edge of a plate in the cell in the x-direction to form an array of tabs extending along a side face of the fuel cell stack in a z-direction orthogonal to the x-y plane. A connector device comprises a planar member having a plurality of spaced-apart slits formed in an edge of the planar member, each slit having an electrically conductive material on an inside face of the slit. The slits are spaced along the edge of the planar member and configured to receive the tabs by sliding engagement in the y-direction. Alternatively, each tab may be crimped to create a distortion in the tab out of the x-y plane of the plate and a connector device comprises a planar member having a plurality of generally parallel slits formed in the body of the planar member, each slit having an electrically conductive material on an inside face of the slit, the slits being spaced within the planar member and configured to receive the tabs by sliding engagement in the x-direction so that each tab engages with at least a portion of the electrically conductive material on the inside face of a respective slit.

Connector device including planar member with slits to receive electrical tabs of fuel cell stack

A fluid flow plate for an electrochemical assembly has a plurality of first fluid flow channels extending across an active area of the flow plate to define a first fluid flow field of the fluid flow plate and a plurality of second fluid flow channels extending across the active area of the flow plate to define a second fluid flow field of the fluid flow plate. An array of first fluid transfer points is disposed along an edge of the first fluid flow field for communicating fluid into or out of the first fluid flow channels. An array of second fluid transfer points is disposed along an edge of the second fluid flow field for communicating fluid into or out of the second fluid flow channels. A first fluid gallery a first peripheral edge portion bounded by the array of first fluid transfer points and has a second peripheral edge portion forming a first fluid communication edge of the fluid flow plate. A second fluid gallery has a first peripheral edge portion bounded by the array of second fluid transfer points and has a second peripheral edge portion forming a second fluid communication edge of the fluid flow plate. The first fluid gallery and the second fluid gallery are shaped such that the combined lengths of the second peripheral edge portions are longer than the first peripheral edge portion of the second fluid gallery or the first fluid gallery. Increasing the lengths of the second peripheral edge portions of each gallery to the maximum possible length compared to the length of fluid transfer points (i.e. width of the active flow field area) optimizes fluid distribution into the channels of the flow plate.

A bipolar fluid flow plate for an electrochemical assembly comprises a plurality of first fluid flow channels extending across a face of the flow plate to define a first fluid flow field of the fluid flow plate and a plurality of second fluid flow channels extending across a face of the flow plate to define a second fluid flow field of the fluid flow plate. The pluralities of first fluid flow channels and second fluid flow channels both occupying a common channel plane. An array of first fluid transfer points is disposed along an edge of the first fluid flow field for communicating fluid into or out of the first fluid flow channels. An array of second fluid transfer points is disposed along an edge of the second fluid flow field for communicating fluid into or out of the second fluid flow channels. A first fluid gallery has a first peripheral edge portion bounded by the array of first fluid transfer points and has a second peripheral edge portion forming a first fluid communication edge of the fluid flow plate. A second fluid gallery has a first peripheral edge portion bounded by the array of second fluid transfer points and has a second peripheral edge portion forming a second fluid communication edge of the fluid flow plate. The first fluid gallery occupies a first gallery plane and the second fluid gallery occupies a second gallery plane different from the first gallery plane. Both the first gallery plane and the second gallery plane are disposed within the channel plane. This structure enables the feeding of multiple different fluids into coplanar channels across the full width of a flow field.

A fluid flow plate for an electrochemical fuel cell assembly comprises a first plurality of fluid flow channels extending across an area of the flow plate to define a flow field of the fluid flow plate. An array of first fluid transfer points is disposed along an edge of the flow field for communicating fluid into to or out of the fluid flow channels. A gallery has a first peripheral edge portion bounded by the array of first fluid transfer points and at least two second peripheral edge portions each bounded by an array of second fluid transfer points disposed along fluid access edges of the fluid flow plate. The at least two second peripheral edge portions are disposed at oblique angles to the first peripheral edge portion such that the total length of the array of second fluid transfer points is at least as long as, and preferably longer than, the length of the array of first fluid transfer points. Disposing the at least two second peripheral edge portions at oblique angles to the first peripheral edge portion enables the lengths of the second peripheral edge portions of each gallery to be increased compared to the length of the first fluid transfer points (i.e. width of the active flow field area) which optimizes fluid distribution into the channels of the flow plate.

A fuel cell stack assembly comprises a stack of fuel cells, each fuel cell having a cooling air conduit with an input/output ventilation aperture disposed on a ventilation face of the stack. The ventilation apertures form an array over said ventilation face of the stack. A first fan is configured to direct air flow through a first portion of the ventilation face and a second fan is configured to direct air flow through a second portion of the ventilation face. A reconfigurable plenum is in fluid communication with the first fan and the second fan and has a first configuration in which air is directed, by the first and second fans, through the first and second portions of the ventilation face in the same direction, and a second configuration in which air is directed, by at least one of the fans, respectively through the first and second portions of the ventilation face in opposing directions. When operating in the second configuration, the directions of air flow through the first and second portions of the ventilation face are periodically reversed.

Growing community of inventors

Loughborough, United Kingdom

Peter David Hood