Utc Fuel Cells, LLC

Richard J Assarabowski

Albert P Grasso

William T Unkert

John L Preston

Derek W Hildreth

Sean P Breen

Leonard A Bach

Steven A Lozyniak

Joseph B Wysocki

Francis Kocum

Masaki M Yokose

Benoit Charles Olsommer

A separator scrubber () and isolation loop () decontaminates a fuel reactant stream of a fuel cell (). Water passes over surfaces of an ammonia dissolving means () within the scrubber () while the fuel reactant stream simultaneously passes over the surfaces to remove contaminants from the fuel reactant into the water. An accumulator () collects the separated contaminants and water, and an isolation loop pump () directs flow of the separated contaminant stream through the isolation loop (). A heat exchanger () and an ion exchange bed () modify the heat of, and remove contaminants from, the separated contaminant stream, and the isolation loop () directs the decontaminated stream back onto the packed bed ()-. Separating contaminants from the fuel reactant stream and then isolating and concentrating the separated contaminants within the ion exchange bed () minimizes cost and maintenance requirements.

Contaminant separator and isolation loop for a fuel reactant stream for a fuel cell

A burner assembly includes a catalyzed burner for combusting an anode exhaust stream from a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell power plant. The catalysts coated onto the burner can be platinum, rhodium, or mixtures thereof. The burner includes open cells which are formed by a lattice, which cells communicate with each other throughout the entire catalyzed burner. Heat produced by combustion of hydrogen in the anode exhaust stream is used to produce steam for use in a steam reformer in the PEM fuel cell assembly. The catalyzed burner has a high surface area wherein about 70&#x2013;90% of the volume of the burner is preferably open cells, and the burner has a low pressure drop of about two to three inches water from the anode exhaust stream inlet to the anode exhaust stream outlet. The burner assembly operates at essentially ambient pressure and at a temperature of up to about 1,700&#xb0; F. (927&#xb0; C.). The burner assembly can combust anode exhaust during normal operation of the fuel cell assembly. The burner assembly also includes an adjunct burner which can combust gasoline or anode bypass gas (the latter of which is a reformed fuel gas which is tapped off of the fuel cell stack fuel inlet line) during startup of the fuel cell power plant. Once start up of the fuel cell power plant is achieved, the burner assembly will need only combustion of the anode exhaust by the catalytic burner to produce steam for the reformer.

Steam generator for a PEM fuel cell power plant

A keep warm system for a fuel cell, power plant ( ), typically of the PEM type, prevents freeze-sensitive portions of the power plant, such as the cell stack assembly (CSA) ( ) and the water management system ( ), from freezing under extreme cold external temperatures, during extended storage (CSA shut-down) periods. Pre-stored and pressurized fuel, typically hydrogen ( ), normally used to fuel the anode ( ) of the CSA, is used as fuel for a catalytic oxidation reaction at a catalytic burner ( ) to produce heated gas that convectively passes in heat exchange relation with the freeze sensitive portions ( ) of the power plant ( ). The convective flow of the heated gases induces the air flow to the burner ( ), obviating the need for parasitic electrical loads. Thermal insulating means ( ) substantially enclose the freeze-sensitive CSA ( ) and/or the water management system ( ), and the convective flow of the heated gas from the catalytic burner ( ), to improve system thermal efficiency.

Method and apparatus for preventing water in fuel cell power plants from freezing during storage

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Vernon, CT, United States of America

Richard J Assarabowski