Intelligent Energy Inc.

Regenesys Technologies Limited

Regenesys Technology Limited

Loughborough University of Technology

Philip John Mitchell

Paul Leonard Adcock

Patrick John Morrissey

Stewart Ernest Male

Peter David Hood

Anand Chellappa

Jonathan Cole

Simon Edward Foster

Henri Winand

Norman John Ward

Ian Whyte

Dominic Anthony Szanto

Timothy James Calver

The within disclosure provides devices, methods and systems for use in authenticating hydrogen fuel tanks or cartridges utilizing unique identifier elements, physical conformations and combinations of same. A user may place a hydrogen cartridge with a hollow body and a shaped body and/or dispensing end in a carriage having a fluid communication means and said fluid communication means matching said shaped body and/or dispensing end, whereby a tank mating to the carriage is limited to matching shaped cartridge and carriage.

Authentication of replaceable fuel cartridge

Verifying authenticity of a hydrogen fuel canister by utilizing at least one unique identifier element (UIE) associated with a fuel canister; inputting the UIE into a communication device; querying a database with said communication device to determine a value for the UIE; placing a hole matrix on a canister into a matrix interface reader; measuring a value associated with the position of one or more movable fixtures in the matrix interface reader; comparing the value obtain via the matrix interface reader with the value associated with the UIE and, using the comparison to authenticate or not authenticate if the hydrogen in said canister may be used, is disclosed.

Key verification of replaceable fuel cartridges

A bipolar fluid flow flied plate for a fuel cell delivers fuel to a porous anode electrode and oxidant to an adjacent porous cathode electrode. The flow field plate comprises an electrically conductive, non-porous sheet into which fluid flow conduits are formed. A first fluid flow channel is patterned into a first face of the sheet and a second fluid flow channel patterned into the opposite face of the sheet. The pattern of the first channel comprises an interdigitated comb that co-operates with a pattern of the second channel comprising a continous serpentine path, so that no portion of the first channel directly overlies the pattern of the second channel over a substantial active area of the sheet. This allows the channels to be formed with combined depths that exceed the total plate thickness, thereby increasing fluid flow volumes.

Fuel cell fluid flow field plates

A fuel cell having an anode, a cathode and an ion exchange membrane is supplied by hydrogen fuel through an anode fuel delivery conduit. A recirculation loop is provided to recycle gases in the fuel delivery conduit to a mixing point where a controlled flow rate of fuel is supplied and mixed therewith. Any oxidant species remaining in the fuel delivery conduit are thereby combusted in a controlled manner to avoid damage to the fuel cell membrane-electrode assembly. Small quantities of oxidant may be deliberately introduced into the fuel delivery conduit to generate water vapor and heat to pre-condition the fuel delivered to the anode. Such preconditioning assists in hydration control of the membrane, and temperature control of the membrane-electrode assembly for optimum fuel cell performance.

Fuel cell oxygen removal and pre-conditioning system

A fuel cell assembly supplies water and water vapour by-product to a cooling water circuit delivered to a thermal storage tank from which it can be recycled to the fuel cell stack as direct input to the membrane electrode assemblies, for use as fuel/oxidant preheat and/or direct water injection to the membrane electrode assembly. The purity of water delivered to the membrane is thereby assured. The thermal storage tank allows for a decoupling of the thermal and electrical loads on the fuel cell stack in a combined heat and electrical power delivery unit. Under low external electrical loads, the fuel cell stack and its cooling circuit may be used at high capacity to provide hot water.

Thermal energy management in electrochemical fuel cells

In the regenerative fuel cell, a positive chamber is separated from a negative chamber by a cation exchange membrane. The positive chamber comprises a positive electrode and a bromine-containing electrolyte. The negative chamber comprises a negative electrode and a sulfide-containing electrolyte. When the cell is in operation, the electrolytes are replenished using electrolyte from an electrolyte store (). In the method, the distribution of water between the two electrolytes is controlled by discharging the electrolyte(s), such that when the electrolytes are separated by a water permeable membrane (), water will flow from the sulfide-containing electrolyte to the bromine-containing electrolyte by osmosis. The electrolytes are circulated through a container () which is divided by a water permeable membrane (), under conditions wherein no current flows in the container between the two electrolytes.

Process for operating a regenerative fuel cell

A process for rebalancing the electrolyte system in a regenerative fuel cell using a sulfide/polysulfide reaction in one half of the cell and a bromine/bromide reaction in the other half of the cell comprises passing the electrolyte containing sulfide/polysulfide or bromine/bromide through the +chamber of an auxiliary cell and passing an electrolyte containing water and being free from polysulfide or bromine through the &#x2212;chamber of the auxiliary cell the auxiliary cell operating so as to oxidize sulfide ions to sulfur or bromide ions to bromine in the +chamber and to reduce water to hydrogen and hydroxide ions in the &#x2212;chamber.

Electrolyte rebalancing system

A carbon based electrode for the electrochemical reduction of sulfur or oxygen, which comprises an electrode core and, in electrical contact therewith, a structure comprising a porous particulate activated carbon bonded with a polymeric binder material, characterised in that the structure is at least 1 mm thick, in that the particulate activated carbon is prepared from a lignocellulosic material and has the following properties: i) a particle size in the range of from 200 to 850 &mgr;m; ii) a pore volume of from 0.45 to 1.0 cm per gram; iii) a surface area in the range of from 800 to 1500 m /g; and in that the binder is used in an amount not exceeding 25% by weight based upon the mixture of activated carbon and binder material.

Carbon based electrodes

A method for the removal of sulfate ions from an electrolyte of an electrochemical reduction-oxidation system wherein said electrolyte comprises a halogen and in which the sulfate ions an a contaminant or interferant, which method comprises the steps of: (i) increasing the halide concentration in the electrolyte by electrochemical reduction of the halogen, (ii) crystallizing a sulfate salt out of the electrolyte, and (iii) separation of the electrolyte from the crystallized sulfate salt. An electrochemical process for energy storage and/or power delivery comprising the step of removal of sulfate ions from the electrolyte according to the above cited method is also disclosed.

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Leicestershire, United Kingdom

Philip John Mitchell