公开(公告)号：US20050199192A1

公开(公告)日：2005-09-15

申请号：US10797671

申请日：2004-03-10

申请人： Steven Goebel ,  Gerald Fly ,  Glenn Skala ,  Lee Whitehead

发明人： Steven Goebel ,  Gerald Fly ,  Glenn Skala ,  Lee Whitehead

IPC分类号： B60L11/18 ,  F01P9/00

CPC分类号： B60L11/1892 ,  B60L2240/36 ,  B60L2240/425 ,  Y02T10/642 ,  Y02T90/34

摘要： A thermal management system of an electrochemical engine comprises a radiator provided with a wicking mechanism, a coolant pump fluidly connected to the radiator, a water tank, and a water pump. The water tank is located in the void spaces around fuel storage tanks, and may be filled directly or with reclaimed water from a vapor by-product of the electrochemical engine. The water pump is operable to supply water from the water tank to the wicking mechanism during peak power and/or hot day conditions. Moisture in the vapor by-product may be condensed with the excess cooling capacity of the radiator under less severe cooling conditions. Under freezing conditions, exhaust or coolant from the electrochemical engine may be used to unfreeze water in the tank and wicking mechanism supply lines.

摘要翻译： 电化学发动机的热管理系统包括设置有芯吸机构的散热器，与散热器流体连接的冷却剂泵，水箱和水泵。 水箱位于燃料储罐周围的空隙处，可以直接或从电化学发动机的蒸气副产物中回收再生水。 水泵可操作以在峰值功率和/或热天气条件期间将水从水箱供应到芯吸机构。 蒸汽副产物中的水分可以在不太严格的冷却条件下与散热器的过剩冷却能力冷凝。 在冷冻条件下，可以使用来自电化学发动机的废气或冷却剂来解冻罐和芯吸机构供应管线中的水。

公开(公告)号：US20050037254A1

公开(公告)日：2005-02-17

申请号：US10948613

申请日：2004-09-23

申请人： Glenn Skala ,  Jeffrey Rock

发明人： Glenn Skala ,  Jeffrey Rock

IPC分类号： H01M2/00 ,  H01M2/02 ,  H01M2/14 ,  H01M8/00 ,  H01M8/02 ,  H01M8/04 ,  H01M8/10 ,  H01M8/24 ,  H02J20060101

CPC分类号： H01M8/04089 ,  H01M8/2415 ,  H01M8/2484

摘要： A device and method are provided to allow the flowpaths in a fuel cell stack to be reconfigured dependent on reactant gas throughput in order to maintain appropriate pressure drop, sufficient velocities, and reactant concentrations of each cell of a fuel cell stack.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种装置和方法，以允许燃料电池堆中的流路根据反应气体通过量进行重新配置，以便保持燃料电池堆的每个电池的适当的压降，足够的速度和反应物浓度。

公开(公告)号：US20080182149A1

公开(公告)日：2008-07-31

申请号：US11669929

申请日：2007-01-31

申请人： Yan Zhang ,  Glenn Skala ,  Annette Brenner

发明人： Yan Zhang ,  Glenn Skala ,  Annette Brenner

IPC分类号： H01M8/02 ,  B01F3/04 ,  B01D63/06

CPC分类号： H01M8/04141

摘要： A WVT unit for a fuel cell system that employs a spiral-wound design to reduce its size and increase its performance. The WVT unit includes a center tube having a plurality of openings through which the cathode exhaust gas flows. The WVT unit also includes a cylindrical portion wound around the center tube that includes a plurality of enclosures and a plurality of dry spacer layers separating the enclosures. Each enclosure includes a pair of membranes separated by a wet spacer layer. The dry cathode inlet air flows down the dry spacer layers between the enclosures and the cathode exhaust gas flows into the plurality of enclosures through the openings in the center tube along the wet spacer layers to allow the membranes to absorb humidification that is transferred to the cathode inlet air.

摘要翻译： 一种用于燃料电池系统的WVT单元，其采用螺旋缠绕设计来减小其尺寸并增加其性能。 WVT单元包括具有多个开口的中心管，阴极排气通过该开口流动。 WVT单元还包括缠绕在中心管周围的圆柱形部分，该圆柱形部分包括多个外壳和分隔外壳的多个干间隔物层。 每个外壳包括一对由湿隔离层隔开的隔膜。 干燥阴极入口空气沿着外壳之间的干间隔层向下流动，并且阴极排气沿着湿隔离层通过中心管中的开口流入多个外壳，以允许膜吸收被转移到阴极的加湿 入口空气。

公开(公告)号：US20050158601A1

公开(公告)日：2005-07-21

申请号：US10760961

申请日：2004-01-20

申请人： Glenn Skala

发明人： Glenn Skala

IPC分类号： H01M8/04

CPC分类号： H01M8/04231

摘要： A method of providing fuel cell start-up without battery derived compressor power is provided. The method includes introducing hydrogen to the anode inlet of a fuel cell stack previously purged with air. The introduced hydrogen in the anode channels and the existing air in the cathode channels generate a small amount of voltage to begin to drive the air compressor. As additional air is introduced into the cathode channels by the slowly starting compressor, the fuel cell stack produces more voltage until the system is producing sufficient net power to operate under normal run control conditions.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种提供燃料电池启动而没有电池产生的压缩机功率的方法。 该方法包括将氢气引入预先用空气吹扫的燃料电池堆的阳极入口。 在阳极通道中引入的氢气和阴极通道中的现有空气产生少量电压以开始驱动空气压缩机。 当缓慢起动压缩机将额外的空气引入阴极通道时，燃料电池堆产生更多的电压，直到系统产生足够的净功率以在正常的运行控制条件下运行。

公开(公告)号：US20070104986A1

公开(公告)日：2007-05-10

申请号：US11228914

申请日：2005-09-16

申请人： Thomas Tighe ,  Glenn Skala

发明人： Thomas Tighe ,  Glenn Skala

IPC分类号： H01M8/04

CPC分类号： H01M8/04029

摘要： A technique for determining whether a cooling fluid pump used for pumping a cooling fluid through a fuel cell stack has failed. The technique includes measuring the temperature of the cooling fluid at the output from the stack and/or measuring the cathode exhaust gas temperature as close as possible to the cathode outlet of the stack. The measured temperature is compared to a temperature that would be expected under the current operating conditions of the fuel cell system in a controller. If the difference between the measuring temperature and the expected temperature is large enough, then the controller provides a warning signal of pump failure, and also possibly reduces the stack outlet power.

公开(公告)号：US20060078766A1

公开(公告)日：2006-04-13

申请号：US10961698

申请日：2004-10-08

申请人： Glenn Skala

发明人： Glenn Skala

IPC分类号： H01M8/00 ,  H01M2/02 ,  H01M2/14

CPC分类号： H01M8/04268 ,  H01M8/0247 ,  H01M8/0263 ,  H01M8/04022 ,  H01M8/241 ,  H01M8/2483

摘要： A fuel cell system that provides a flow of anode exhaust gas into the cathode side of the fuel cells without allowing the anode exhaust gas flow and the cathode input flow to mix in a large volume. In one embodiment, strategically positioned perforations in the MEAs allow the anode exhaust gas to cross over to the cathode channels near the cathode input. These perforations could be provided as an array of small holes in an MEA sub-gasket or an MEA carrier frame. In an alternate embodiment, openings are provided through the bipolar plates that allow the anode exhaust to flow into the cathode channels. This configuration would require a special anode half-plate at one end of the stack to provide the opening.

摘要翻译： 一种燃料电池系统，其将阳极废气流提供到燃料电池的阴极侧，而不允许阳极排气流和阴极输入流以大体积混合。 在一个实施例中，MEA中的策略定位的穿孔允许阳极废气跨过阴极输入附近的阴极通道。 这些穿孔可以作为MEA子垫圈或MEA载体框架中的小孔阵列来提供。 在替代实施例中，穿过允许阳极排气流入阴极通道的双极板提供开口。 该配置将需要在堆叠的一端处设置特殊的阳极半板以提供开口。

公开(公告)号：US20050130003A1

公开(公告)日：2005-06-16

申请号：US11048178

申请日：2005-02-01

申请人： James Lee ,  Glenn Skala

发明人： James Lee ,  Glenn Skala

IPC分类号： H01M8/02 ,  F28D7/00 ,  F28F3/12 ,  F28F13/08 ,  H01M2/02 ,  H01M2/14 ,  H01M8/04 ,  H01M8/10 ,  H01M8/24

CPC分类号： H01M8/04029 ,  F28D2021/0043 ,  F28D2021/0064 ,  F28F3/048 ,  F28F3/12 ,  F28F13/08 ,  H01M8/0263 ,  H01M8/0265 ,  H01M8/0267 ,  H01M8/242 ,  H01M2250/20 ,  Y02T90/32

摘要： A fuel cell cooling system is provided with a coolant pump for pumping fluid through coolant flow field passages in a fuel cell stack. A pressure control mechanism is provided for maintaining a pressure level within the fuel cell stack for causing a phase change of the coolant within the stack. Allowing the coolant to change phase to a gas inside the stack reduces the amount of coolant needed to cool the fuel cell stack and thereby reduces the energy needed to pump the coolant through the fuel cell stack.

摘要翻译： 燃料电池冷却系统设置有用于通过燃料电池堆中的冷却剂流场通道泵送流体的冷却剂泵。 提供了一种压力控制机构，用于维持燃料电池堆内的压力水平，以使冷却剂在堆叠内相变。 允许冷却剂将相位改变为堆内的气体减少了冷却燃料电池堆所需的冷却剂的量，从而降低了将冷却剂泵送通过燃料电池堆所需的能量。

公开(公告)号：US20070231641A1

公开(公告)日：2007-10-04

申请号：US11396487

申请日：2006-04-04

申请人： Glenn Skala ,  Robert Foley

发明人： Glenn Skala ,  Robert Foley

IPC分类号： H01M8/04

CPC分类号： H01M8/04544 ,  G01R15/24 ,  G01R31/362 ,  H01M8/0269 ,  H01M8/04552 ,  H01M8/04671 ,  H01M8/241 ,  H01M2008/1095

摘要： A voltage monitoring system for measuring the voltage of the fuel cells in a fuel cell stack that employs optical devices for providing an optical signal of the measured voltages, where one or more of the fuel cells power the optical devices. A surface mount device is electrically coupled to opposing plates in the stack, or opposing plates over a plurality of cells in the stack. The surface mount device includes a bonded contact and a spring contact to provide the electrical connection. A detector is positioned remote from the stack that receives the optical signals and converts them back to electrical signals indicative of the voltage.

摘要翻译： 一种电压监视系统，用于测量燃料电池堆中的燃料电池的电压，该燃料电池堆采用光学装置来提供测量电压的光信号，其中一个或多个燃料电池为光学装置供电。 表面安装器件电耦合到堆叠中的相对板或堆叠中的多个单元上的相对板。 表面安装装置包括接合触点和弹簧触头以提供电连接。 检测器位于远离堆叠的接收光信号并将其转换回指示电压的电信号。

公开(公告)号：US20070196720A1

公开(公告)日：2007-08-23

申请号：US11358356

申请日：2006-02-21

申请人： Glenn Skala

发明人： Glenn Skala

IPC分类号： H01M8/02 ,  H01M2/08

CPC分类号： H01M8/04149 ,  H01M8/0267 ,  H01M8/028 ,  H01M8/2465 ,  H01M2008/1095 ,  H01M2250/20 ,  Y02T90/32

摘要： A device and method to extract water from a moisture-rich fuel cell flowpath to supply other components of a fuel cell system that require water. A water transport unit is integrated into the fuel cell so that the size, weight and complexity of a fuel cell is minimized. In one embodiment, the device includes numerous flowpaths that include an active region and an inactive region. The water transport unit includes a moisture-donating fluid channel and a moisture-accepting fluid channel, where the latter is fluidly connected with a portion of the fuel cell that is in need of humidification. Upon passage of a moisture-donating fluid through the inactive region of the device flowpath, at least some of the water contained therein passes through the water transport unit to a portion of the fuel cell that is in need of humidification.

摘要翻译： 从富含水分的燃料电池流路中提取水以供应需要水的燃料电池系统的其它部件的装置和方法。 燃料电池中集成有一个水输送单元，使得燃料电池的尺寸，重量和复杂性最小化。 在一个实施例中，该装置包括许多流路，其包括有源区和非活动区。 水输送单元包括供水流体通道和湿气接收流体通道，其中后者与需要加湿的一部分燃料电池流体连接。 当通过供水流体通过装置流动路径的非活动区域时，其中容纳的至少一些水通过水输送单元到达需要加湿的一部分燃料电池。

公开(公告)号：US20070065693A1

公开(公告)日：2007-03-22

申请号：US11266606

申请日：2005-11-03

申请人： Thomas Tighe ,  Glenn Skala

发明人： Thomas Tighe ,  Glenn Skala

IPC分类号： H01M8/04

CPC分类号： H01M8/04029

摘要： A technique for determining whether a cooling fluid pump used for pumping a cooling fluid through a fuel cell stack has failed. The technique includes measuring the temperature of the cooling fluid at the output from the stack and/or measuring the cathode exhaust gas temperature as close as possible to the cathode outlet of the stack. The measured temperature is compared to a temperature that would be expected under the current operating conditions of the fuel cell system in a controller. If the difference between the measuring temperature and the expected temperature is large enough, then the controller provides a warning signal of pump failure, and also possibly reduces the stack outlet power.

摘要翻译： 用于确定用于泵送通过燃料电池堆的冷却流体的冷却流体泵是否失败的技术。 该技术包括测量来自堆叠的输出处的冷却流体的温度和/或测量阴极排气温度尽可能接近堆叠的阴极出口。 将测量的温度与在控制器中的燃料电池系统的当前操作条件下预期的温度进行比较。 如果测量温度和预期温度之间的差异足够大，则控制器提供泵故障的警告信号，也可能降低堆叠出口功率。