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Thermally enhanced, compact reformer
Electrical connector planar SOFC stacks
for
Gas Research Institute, Chicago, USA The patent describes an apparatus for collecting electrical current from individual fuel cell stacks in a solid oxide fuel cell. The current collectors are protected from oxidation through advantageous placement in non-oxidising surroundings. The patent also describes fuel cell module configurations employing and taking advantage of this current collecting apparatus. Patent number: US 5856035 Pubiication date: 5 January 1999 Inventors: A.C. Khandkar, S. Elangovan
Apphnt:
Pt-Ru-0s catalysts for direct oxidation fuel cells Illinois Institute of Technology, USA A catalyst composition for use in electrochemical reactor devices is described, comprising platinum, ruthenium and osmium and having a single-phase crystal structure comprising a face-centred cubic unit cell. In atomic percentages, platinum comprises about 65% of the optimum catalyst composition, ruthenium about 25%, and osmium about 10%. Patent number: US 5856036 Publication date: 5 January 1999 Inventors: E.S. Smotkin, K.L. Ley, Cong Pu, Renxuan Liu Appficunt:
Active microchannel heat-exchanger Battelle Memorial Institute, USA The patent describes a heatexchanger with an active heat source and with a microchannel architecture. The heat-exchanger has an exothermic reaction chamber featuring an exothermic reactant flow path and exhaust flow path, at least one inlet and an exhaust outlet. The exhaust chamber has a containment wall defining an exhaust flow path connected to the exhaust outlet, and has an exhaust chamber outlet; the exhaust chamber has microchannels through which the exhaust flows. The heat-exchanger Applicant:
chamber is in thermal contact with I the exhaust chamber, and has a I working fluid flow path; its exterior ! surface is penetrated by a fluid inlet j and outlet. The heat from the ! exothermic reaction chamber passes i through convection by the exo- i thermic reaction exhaust through i the exhaust chamber, and by i conduction through the con- j tainment wall to the fluid in the i heat-exchanger chamber, thereby i raising the temperature of the ! working fluid. The invention is i particularly useful as a liquid fluid j vaporiser and/or a steam generator f for fuel cell power systems. Patent number: WO 99100186 ! Publication date: 7 January 1999 I Inventors: A.L.Y. Tonkovich, G.L. ! Roberts, C.J. Call, R.S. Wegeng, Y. I Wang
Conducting
endplate
Power, USA The patent describes a fuel cell assembly which has a currentconducting endplate with a conductive body formed integrally with insulating material. The conductive body includes an electrical connector. Part of one of its surfaces is exposed, to allow a current between the fuel cell assembly and the electrical connector. Part of one of its other surfaces includes an insulating material. Support passages extending through the conductive body can receive the assembly’s structural members. The insulating material electrically isolates the conductive body from the structural members. Service passages extend through the conductive body, to service one or more ‘fluids for the fuel cell assembly, while the insulating material electrically and chemically isolates these fluids from the conductive body. Patent number: WO 99100862 Publication date: 7 January 1999 Inventor: MM. Walsh Applicant:
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spersed with catalyst plates, and with internal or external manifolds for reactants. The catalyst plate is in close thermal contact with the conducting plates, so that its temperature closely tracks the temperature of the thermally conducting plate, which can be designed to attain a near-isothermal state inplane to the plate. One or more catalysts may be used, distributed along the Bow direction in-plane to the rhermally conducting plate, in a variety of described options. The reformer may be operated as a steam reformer or as a partial oxidation reformer. When operated as a steam reformer, thermal energy for the (endothermic) steam reforming reaction is provided externally by radiation and/or conduction to the thermally conducting plates. When operated as a partial oxidation retbrmer, a fraction of the natural gas is : oxidised assisted by the presence of _ combustion and reforming catalysts. j Both methods of operation produce i cabon monoxide, hydrogen, steam i and carbon dioxide. Because of the f intimate thermal contact between i the catalyst and conducting plates, cannot i excessive temperatures i develop within the stack assembly. i Details of the plate design may be ’ varied to accommodate a variety of manifolding arrangements which provide inlets and exit ports for introducing, pre-heating and passing the reactants to the exhaust. Patent number: US 5858314 Publication date: 12 January 1999 Inventors: M.S. Hsu, E.D. Hoag
Integrated fluid management platelet technology H Power Corp, USA Fuel cell stacks are described which comprise stacked separator/ membrane electrode assembly cells in which the separators comprise a series of stacked thin sheet platelets with individually configured serpentine microchannel reactant gas humidification, active area and cooling fields. The individual platelets are stacked with coordinate features precisely aligned in contact with adjacent platelets, and bonded to form a monolithic Applicant:
Thermally enhanced, compact reformer Applicant: Ztek Corporation, USA A natural gas reformer is described which comprises a stack of thermally conducting plates inter-
separator. Post-bonding processing includes passivation, such as nitriding. The preferred platelet material is 4-25 mil (0.1-0.64 mm) thick titanium in which the features, serpentine channels, tabs, lands, vias, manifolds and holes, are formed by chemical or laser etching, cutting, pressing or embossing; combinations of depth and rhroughetching are preferred. The platelet manufacturing process is continuous ‘and fast. By employing CAD-based platelet design and photolithography, rapid changes in feature design are possible, to accommodate a wide range of thermal management and humidification techniques. The patent reports that lOO-cell H,O,lair PEM fuel cell stacks of this IFMT (integrated fluid management technology) platelet design can have outputs on the order of 0.75 kW/kg, some 3-6 times greater than current graphite plate PEM stacks. Patent number: US 5858567 Publication date: 12 January 1999 Inventors: R.G. Spear Jr, H.H. Mueggenberg, R. Hodge
_ i i j
Fuel Cells Bulletin No. 6
for
Gas Research Institute, Chicago, USA The patent describes an apparatus for collecting electrical current from individual fuel cell stacks in a solid oxide fuel cell. The current collectors are protected from oxidation through advantageous placement in non-oxidising surroundings. The patent also describes fuel cell module configurations employing and taking advantage of this current collecting apparatus. Patent number: US 5856035 Pubiication date: 5 January 1999 Inventors: A.C. Khandkar, S. Elangovan
Apphnt:
Pt-Ru-0s catalysts for direct oxidation fuel cells Illinois Institute of Technology, USA A catalyst composition for use in electrochemical reactor devices is described, comprising platinum, ruthenium and osmium and having a single-phase crystal structure comprising a face-centred cubic unit cell. In atomic percentages, platinum comprises about 65% of the optimum catalyst composition, ruthenium about 25%, and osmium about 10%. Patent number: US 5856036 Publication date: 5 January 1999 Inventors: E.S. Smotkin, K.L. Ley, Cong Pu, Renxuan Liu Appficunt:
Active microchannel heat-exchanger Battelle Memorial Institute, USA The patent describes a heatexchanger with an active heat source and with a microchannel architecture. The heat-exchanger has an exothermic reaction chamber featuring an exothermic reactant flow path and exhaust flow path, at least one inlet and an exhaust outlet. The exhaust chamber has a containment wall defining an exhaust flow path connected to the exhaust outlet, and has an exhaust chamber outlet; the exhaust chamber has microchannels through which the exhaust flows. The heat-exchanger Applicant:
chamber is in thermal contact with I the exhaust chamber, and has a I working fluid flow path; its exterior ! surface is penetrated by a fluid inlet j and outlet. The heat from the ! exothermic reaction chamber passes i through convection by the exo- i thermic reaction exhaust through i the exhaust chamber, and by i conduction through the con- j tainment wall to the fluid in the i heat-exchanger chamber, thereby i raising the temperature of the ! working fluid. The invention is i particularly useful as a liquid fluid j vaporiser and/or a steam generator f for fuel cell power systems. Patent number: WO 99100186 ! Publication date: 7 January 1999 I Inventors: A.L.Y. Tonkovich, G.L. ! Roberts, C.J. Call, R.S. Wegeng, Y. I Wang
Conducting
endplate
Power, USA The patent describes a fuel cell assembly which has a currentconducting endplate with a conductive body formed integrally with insulating material. The conductive body includes an electrical connector. Part of one of its surfaces is exposed, to allow a current between the fuel cell assembly and the electrical connector. Part of one of its other surfaces includes an insulating material. Support passages extending through the conductive body can receive the assembly’s structural members. The insulating material electrically isolates the conductive body from the structural members. Service passages extend through the conductive body, to service one or more ‘fluids for the fuel cell assembly, while the insulating material electrically and chemically isolates these fluids from the conductive body. Patent number: WO 99100862 Publication date: 7 January 1999 Inventor: MM. Walsh Applicant:
Plug
spersed with catalyst plates, and with internal or external manifolds for reactants. The catalyst plate is in close thermal contact with the conducting plates, so that its temperature closely tracks the temperature of the thermally conducting plate, which can be designed to attain a near-isothermal state inplane to the plate. One or more catalysts may be used, distributed along the Bow direction in-plane to the rhermally conducting plate, in a variety of described options. The reformer may be operated as a steam reformer or as a partial oxidation reformer. When operated as a steam reformer, thermal energy for the (endothermic) steam reforming reaction is provided externally by radiation and/or conduction to the thermally conducting plates. When operated as a partial oxidation retbrmer, a fraction of the natural gas is : oxidised assisted by the presence of _ combustion and reforming catalysts. j Both methods of operation produce i cabon monoxide, hydrogen, steam i and carbon dioxide. Because of the f intimate thermal contact between i the catalyst and conducting plates, cannot i excessive temperatures i develop within the stack assembly. i Details of the plate design may be ’ varied to accommodate a variety of manifolding arrangements which provide inlets and exit ports for introducing, pre-heating and passing the reactants to the exhaust. Patent number: US 5858314 Publication date: 12 January 1999 Inventors: M.S. Hsu, E.D. Hoag
Integrated fluid management platelet technology H Power Corp, USA Fuel cell stacks are described which comprise stacked separator/ membrane electrode assembly cells in which the separators comprise a series of stacked thin sheet platelets with individually configured serpentine microchannel reactant gas humidification, active area and cooling fields. The individual platelets are stacked with coordinate features precisely aligned in contact with adjacent platelets, and bonded to form a monolithic Applicant:
Thermally enhanced, compact reformer Applicant: Ztek Corporation, USA A natural gas reformer is described which comprises a stack of thermally conducting plates inter-
separator. Post-bonding processing includes passivation, such as nitriding. The preferred platelet material is 4-25 mil (0.1-0.64 mm) thick titanium in which the features, serpentine channels, tabs, lands, vias, manifolds and holes, are formed by chemical or laser etching, cutting, pressing or embossing; combinations of depth and rhroughetching are preferred. The platelet manufacturing process is continuous ‘and fast. By employing CAD-based platelet design and photolithography, rapid changes in feature design are possible, to accommodate a wide range of thermal management and humidification techniques. The patent reports that lOO-cell H,O,lair PEM fuel cell stacks of this IFMT (integrated fluid management technology) platelet design can have outputs on the order of 0.75 kW/kg, some 3-6 times greater than current graphite plate PEM stacks. Patent number: US 5858567 Publication date: 12 January 1999 Inventors: R.G. Spear Jr, H.H. Mueggenberg, R. Hodge
_ i i j
Fuel Cells Bulletin No. 6