EP0729196A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fuel cell integrated with catalytic reactor producing hydrogen
Assignee: Leonardo SpA
•
Filing: 1995-02-27
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2015-02-27
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus (1) for producing hydrogen, with high thermodynamic efficiency, for supply to a fuel cell (2) comprises a catalytic burner (60) for the combustion of a fuel mixture comprising the exhausted cathodic gases and the exhausted anodic gases of the fuel cell (2), connected to an internal heating circuit (33) of a catalytic reactor (30) wherein the reaction which produces the hydrogen takes place.
Inventors
- 👤 Luciano Caprile
- 👤 Mario Casiglia
- 👤 Claudio Pasquali
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 09:53
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M8/00; H01M8/06; H01M8/0606; H01M8/0612; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/30; Y02E60/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
102 words
Apparatus (1) for producing hydrogen from a supply mixture comprising lower alkanes or lower alcohols in a catalytic reactor (30) for the supply of a fuel cell (2), the catalytic reactor having an internal heating circuit (33), characterized in that it comprises a catalytic burner (60) for burning a fuel mixture comprising the exhausted cathodic gases and the exhausted anodic gases from the fuel cell (2), the catalytic burner (60) having an exhaust section (63) connected to an inlet end (33a) of the internal heating system (33) of the catalytic reactor (30) by means of one or more exhaust pipes (50, 53).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the catalytic burner (60) has at least one supply section (61) connected to an anodic ejection section (21) of the fuel cell (2) by means of at least one anodic ejection pipe (70).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the catalytic burner (60) has at least one supply section (62) connected to a cathodic ejection section (23) of the fuel cell (2) by means of at least one cathodic ejection pipe (71).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
73 words
Apparatus (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a turbo-compressor unit (40) which has a turbine (41) and a compressor (42), the turbine (41) having a supply manifold (51) connected to the exhaust section (63) of the catalytic burner by means of at least one of the exhaust pipes (50), and the output of the compressor (42) being connected to a cathodic injection pipe (46) of the fuel cell (2).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a further exhaust pipe (54) connected to an output end (33b) of the internal heating circuit (33), which comprises a vaporizer (15) for the supply mixture.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the supply mixture comprises methanol and water.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to Claim 6, characterized in that the supply mixture comprises methanol and water in a molar ratio of between 1.2 and 1.5.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus according to Claim 7, characterized in that the molar ratio is 1.3.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus (1) according to Claim 6, characterized in that the pressure inside the catalytic reactor (30) is between 500 kPa and 900 kPa.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus (1) according to Claim 9, characterized in that the pressure inside the catalytic reactor (30) is 700 kPa.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the fuel cell (2) is of the type with a solid polymeric electrolyte.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus (1) according to Claims 6 and 11, characterized in that the pressure inside the fuel cell is between 100 kPa and 300 kPa.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus (1) according to Claims 6 and 11, characterized in that the temperature inside the cell is between 70°C and 90°C.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3469944A
Cited
US3615850A
Cited
JPS61197402A
Cited
EP0206608A2
Cited
JPS6217002A
Cited
JPS6264067A
Cited
US4650727A
Cited
EP0304949A1
Cited
US5344721A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.