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:
Aug. 28, 2001
Filed:
Jul. 29, 1999
Tan-Ping Chen, Walnut Creek, CA (US);
Nexant, Inc., San Francisco, CA (US);
Abstract
A fuel cell stack (,) includes at least first and second cells (,) and a separator assembly (,). Each cell includes an anode (,), a cathode (,) and electrolyte (,) between them. The separator assembly includes a fluid separator (,) having a fuel side, an oxidant side, an anode spacer element (,) between the fuel side and the anode of the first cell and a cathode spacer element (,) between the oxidant side and the cathode of the second cell. The separator assembly further includes a cathode exhaust passageway(,), having an exhaust inlet (,) at the central region (,) of the cathode spacer element, and an anode feed passageway (,), including a continuous loop anode feed tube, located spaced apart from the cell peripheral edge, with radially inwardly and outwardly directed fuel outlets (,). An air deflector (,) helps prevent radially inwardly moving air from contacting the anode while permitting the air access to the peripheral edge (,) of the cathode spacer element. An anode recycle passageway (,) has a recycle inlet (,) fluidly coupled to spent fuel, including residual fuel and cell reaction product water, at the center of the anode, and a recycle outlet (,), within the anode feed passageway, so that the cell reaction product water can be used as a steam source for internal reforming.