Fuel cell and electrical generator system

Claim 1

A SYSTEM FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY PRODUCING ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL AND AN ELECTRICAL POWER OUTPUT COMPRISING: (A) A TANK OF LOW TEMPERATURE, LOW PRESSURE LIQUID FUEL; (B) A HEAT EXCHANGER; (C) A PUMP CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID TANK AND SAID HEAT EXCHANGER WHEREBY SAID LIQUID FUEL MAY BE INTRODUCED INTO SAID HEAT EXCHANGER N A LOW TEMPERATURE, HIGH PRESSURE CONDITION TO PRODUCE A LOW TEMPERATURE HEAT SINK WITHIN SAID HEAT EXCHANGER, SAID FUEL LEAVING SAID HEAT EXCHANGER IN A HIGH TEMPERATURE, HIGH PRESSURE GASEOUS CONDITION; (D) A GASEOUS FUEL EXPANSION MEANS DRIVEN BY SAID GASEOUS FUEL FROM SAID HEAT EXCHANGER; (E) AT LEAST ONE FUEL CELL CONNECTED TO SAID EXPANSION MEANS TO RECEIVE SAID GASEOUS FUEL EXHAUSTED THEREFROM, SAID FUEL CELL BEING CAPABLE OF GENERATING AN ELECTRICAL POWER OUTPUT FROM A CHEMICAL REACTION PRODUCED THEREIN WHENEVER SAID FUEL AND A SECOND INGREDIENT ARE INTRODUCED THEREINTO; (F) FIRST MEANS FOR INTRODUCING SAID SECOND INGREDIENT INTO SAID FUEL CELL SIMULTANEOUSLY AS SAID GASEOUS FUEL IS EXHAUSTED THEREINTO FROM SAID XPANSION MEANS; (G) SECOND MEAND FOR CAUSING SAID GASEOUS FUEL TO MAKE A PLURALITY OF PASSES BETWEEN SAID HEAT EXCHANGER AND SAID EXPANSION MEANS BEFORE BEIN INTRODUCED INTO SAID FUEL CELL WHEREBY SAID GASEOUS FUEL IS EXPANDED IN A PLURALITY OF STAGES WITHIN SAID EXPANSION MEANS; (H) AN ELECTRICAL GENERATOR COUPLED TO SAID EXPANSION MEANS TO CONVERT AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE MECHANICAL POWER PRODUCED BY SAID EXPANSION MEANS INTO AN ELECTRICAL POWER OUTPUT; (I) A TOPPING UNIT CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID HEAT EXCHANGER AND SAID EXPANSION MEANS WHEREBY A PORTION OF THE HEAT PRODUCED BY SAID CHEMICAL REATION WITHIN SAID FUEL CELL MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO SAID GASEOUS FUEL AS TI FLOWS FROM SAID HEAT EXCHANGER TO SAID EXPANSION MEANS TO INCREASE THE POWER OUTPUT OF SAID SYSTEM AT SUCH TIMES AS THE GASEOUS FUEL FLOW THERETHROUGH IS SUFFICIENT TO HANDLE THE COOLING LOAD THEREON BUT THE POWER OUTPUT THEEOF IS OTHERWISE INSUFFICIENT TO SATISFY THE POWER LOAD THEREON; (J) THIRD MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID HEAT PRODUCED BY SAID CHEMICAL REACTION WITHIN SAID FUEL CELL TO SAID GASEOUS FUEL AS SAID GASEOUS FUEL PASSES THROUGH SAID HEAT EXCHANGER AT SUCH TIMES AS THE FLOW OF SAID GASEOUS FUEL THROUGH SAID SYSTEM NECESSARY TO SATISFY THE POWER REQUIREMENTS THEREOF WOULD OTHERWISE CREATE AN OVERCOOLING CONDITION WITHIN SAID HEAT EXCHANGER; (K) FIRST ELECTRICAL MEANS COUPLING SAID ELECTRICAL POWER OUTPUT OF SAID GENERATOR TO SAID ELECTRICAL POWER OUTPUT OF SAID FUEL CELL; AND (L) SECOND ELECTRICAL MEANS COUPLED TO SAID FIRST ELECTRICAL MEANS TO MATCH THE LOAD ON THE FIRST ELECTRICAL MEANS TO THE POWER OUTPUT OF SAID SYSTEM AT SUCH TIMES AS THE GASEOUS FUEL FLOW THROUGH THE SYSTEM NECESSARY TO HANDLE THE COOLING LOAD THEREON RESULTS IN A GREATER SYSTEM POWER OUTPT THAN REQUIRED TO HANDLE THE POWER LOAD ON SAID SYSTEM.