The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 13, 1993
Filed:
Dec. 14, 1990
James K Stedman, Glastonbury, CT (US);
John C Trocciola, Glastonbury, CT (US);
International Fuel Cells Corporation, South Windsor, CT (US);
Abstract
An arrangement for replenishing hydrogen consumed in a fuel cell device includes a reaction vessel that contains a quantity of a material that releases hydrogen on contact with water in a highly exothermic reaction. A hydrogen-containing gaseous medium is passed through the material quantity under conditions resulting in removal of heat from the material quantity by convection at a heat removal rate sufficient to maintain a temperature differential between an inlet portion and an outlet portion of the reaction vessel below a predetermined level. This includes recirculating a portion of the gaseous medium from the outlet portion to the inlet portion and cooling at least the recirculated portion. Water vapor is added to the recirculated gaseous medium portion at a rate commensurate with that at which hydrogen is being consumed in the fuel cell device for such added water vapor to exothermically react with the solid material, whereas the remainder of the gaseous medium is supplied from the outlet portion to the fuel cell device.