US3801372A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fuel cell system comprising separate coolant loop and sensing means
Assignee: RTX Corp
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Filing: 1971-08-18
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Granted: 1974-04-02
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Expires: 1991-08-18
Abstract
Abstract A fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack, a pressurized reactant supply, and a circulating coolant, in which the coolant is circulated by a hydrostatic pump is described. The hydrostatic pump is created by introducing a gaseous reactant into one leg of a coolant loop, thereby decreasing the density of the coolant and providing a hydrostatic head to circulate the coolant. The pump has no moving parts, eliminating a source of potential mechanical failure.
Inventors
- 👤 R Shaw
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 17:13
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M8/00; H01M8/04; H01M8/04298; H01M8/04313; H01M8/0444; H01M8/04447; H01M8/04007; H01M8/04029; H01M8/04082; H01M8/04089; H01M8/04694; H01M8/04746; H01M8/04753; H01M8/04768; H01M8/04701; H01M8/04731; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/30; Y02E60/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
182 words
In a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cells having an anode, cathode, and an electrolyte, a reactant supply for feeding a gaseous reactant to said fuel cell stack, and a heat-exchange coolant loop for circulating a coolant separate from the said electrolyte of said plurality of fuel cells constructed and arranged in operative association with said fuel cell stack, the improvement comprising means for injecting said gaseous reactant from said reactant supply into one leg of the coolant loop, thereby decreasing the density of the coolant therein and providing a hydrostatic head for circulating said coolant; reactant-coolant separator means for continuously separating reactant from said coolant, means for continuously feeding separated reactant from said separator to said fuel cell stack and means for continuously feeding said coolant to said fuel cell stack, the means for injecting gaseous reactant into the reactant loop being controlled by a sensor associated with the fuel cell stack for regulating the flow of reactant to the cell stack by current and/or voltage characteristics and thereby regulating the coolant flow.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
182 words
In a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cells having an anode, cathode, and an electrolyte, a reactant supply for feeding a gaseous reactant to said fuel cell stack, and a heat-exchange coolant loop for circulating a coolant separate from the said electrolyte of said plurality of fuel cells constructed and arranged in operative association with said fuel cell stack, the improvement comprising means for injecting said gaseous reactant from said reactant supply into one leg of the coolant loop, thereby decreasing the density of the coolant therein and providing a hydrostatic head for circulating said coolant; reactant-coolant separator means for continuously separating reactant from said coolant, means for continuously feeding separated reactant from said separator to said fuel cell stack and means for continuously feeding said coolant to said fuel cell stack, the means for injecting gaseous reactant into the reactant loop being controlled by a sensor associated with the fuel cell stack for regulating the flow of reactant to the cell stack by current and/or voltage characteristics and thereby regulating the coolant flow.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The fuel cell system of claim 1 further characterized in that the reactant/coolant separator means is a gravity separator.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
156 words
The method of generating electrical energy in a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cells having an anode, cathode, and an electrolyte, a gaseous reactant supply for said fuel cell stack and a coolant loop for circulating a coolant separate from said electrolyte of said plurality of fuel cells for controlling the heat of said fuel cell stack, comprising the steps of injecting gaseous reactant from the reactant supply directly into the coolant flowing in said coolant loop at one leg of said coolant loop thereby decreasing the density of the coolant and creating a hydrostatic head for circulating the coolant; separating said reactant and coolant and feeding said separated reactant directly to the fuel cell stack and circulating said coolant to said fuel cell stack, the injection of the gaseous reactant into the coolant being in direct proportion to the current and/or voltage demands on the fuel cell.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
156 words
The method of generating electrical energy in a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cells having an anode, cathode, and an electrolyte, a gaseous reactant supply for said fuel cell stack and a coolant loop for circulating a coolant separate from said electrolyte of said plurality of fuel cells for controlling the heat of said fuel cell stack, comprising the steps of injecting gaseous reactant from the reactant supply directly into the coolant flowing in said coolant loop at one leg of said coolant loop thereby decreasing the density of the coolant and creating a hydrostatic head for circulating the coolant; separating said reactant and coolant and feeding said separated reactant directly to the fuel cell stack and circulating said coolant to said fuel cell stack, the injection of the gaseous reactant into the coolant being in direct proportion to the current and/or voltage demands on the fuel cell.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the reactant coolant separation is by gravity.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-04-01 | 1977-10-01 | 1978-04-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-04-01 | 1981-10-01 | 1982-04-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-04-01 | 1985-10-01 | 1986-04-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |