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:
Jul. 16, 2002
Filed:
May. 17, 2000
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
The present invention provides a fuel cell cogeneration system which can stably supply hot water at high temperature shortly after the system starts to operate. The cogeneration system comprises a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell system for generating electric power and heat by reacting fuel gas with an oxidant gas, a cooling water circulating path for circulating cooling water for recovering heat generated by the fuel cell system, a storage tank for reserving hot water to be supplied to an external hot-water supply load, a heat exchanger for transferring heat recovered by the cooling water to water in the storage tank, and a heating path connected to the storage tank in order to pass water in the storage tank through the heat exchanger, the heating path having the heat exchanger, wherein a water inlet of the heating path and a water filling port for supplying water to the storage tank from the outside of the system are formed both at a lower part of the storage tank, and wherein a water outlet of the heating path and a hot-water supply port for supplying hot water in the storage tank to the external hot-water supply load are provided both at an upper part of the storage tank.