초록 ▼

Methods and apparatus for improving water management in a PEM fuel cell power supply are disclosed. The fuel cell power supply includes a combustion unit that combusts anode exhaust, producing combusted exhaust that includes water. The combusted exhaust is recycled to the anode input and/or the cath

Methods and apparatus for improving water management in a PEM fuel cell power supply are disclosed. The fuel cell power supply includes a combustion unit that combusts anode exhaust, producing combusted exhaust that includes water. The combusted exhaust is recycled to the anode input and/or the cathode input. The recycling system can include additional devices, for example, a CO removal device for removing CO from the combusted exhaust prior to recycling to the anode. A fuel processor can be thermally coupled to the combustion unit that combusts the anode exhaust. One advantage of the invention is that the condenser typically employed for recovering water from combusted exhaust can be eliminated, of reduced capacity or operated less frequently, thereby reducing the cost and/or the complexity of the fuel cell power supply.

대표청구항 ▼

[ Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:] [1.]1. A fuel cell power supply for producing electricity from fuel and oxidizer reactants, comprisinga cell stack assembly including at least one fuel cell having an anode, a cathode, and a sol

[ Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:] [1.]1. A fuel cell power supply for producing electricity from fuel and oxidizer reactants, comprisinga cell stack assembly including at least one fuel cell having an anode, a cathode, and a solid electrolytic medium therebetween, said cell stack assembly adapted for defining a solid anode flow field for receiving a fuel for exposing said anode thereto, for providing an exhaust to said anode flow field, and for defining a cathode flow field for receiving and exposing said cathode to an oxidizer;water removal means for removing water from said cathode flow field; anda combustion unit for receiving exhaust from the anode flow field to produce a combusted exhaust including water, said combustion unit in fluid communication with at least one of said anode flow field and said cathode flow field for providing at least a portion of said combusted exhaust to said at least one of said cathode flow field and said anode flow field.