IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0274567
(2008-11-20)
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등록번호 |
US-8703358
(2014-04-22)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Meschter, John
- Grygus, Bryan
- Yaddanapudi, Nagaraja K.
- Brown, Keith
- Prueitt, James
- Thatcher, Karen
- Chen, Michael
- Allen, George
- Liu, Wenpeng
- Qi, Zhigang
- Smith, Garrick D. S.
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출원인 / 주소 |
- MTI Microfuel Cells, Inc.
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
25 |
초록
▼
Fuel feed systems capable of providing substantially consistent flow of fuel to a fuel cell and also capable of tolerating varying pressures from a reservoir (also referred to as fuel supply or fuel cell cartridge) and the fuel cell while maintaining substantially consistent control flow to the fuel
Fuel feed systems capable of providing substantially consistent flow of fuel to a fuel cell and also capable of tolerating varying pressures from a reservoir (also referred to as fuel supply or fuel cell cartridge) and the fuel cell while maintaining substantially consistent control flow to the fuel cell are disclosed.
대표청구항
▼
1. A fuel feed system for a fuel cell, the fuel feed system comprising: a pump receiving fuel at an input to said pump; said fuel originating from a reservoir;a flow sensor operatively connected to an output of said pump; said flow sensor receiving fuel from said pump; an output from said flow senso
1. A fuel feed system for a fuel cell, the fuel feed system comprising: a pump receiving fuel at an input to said pump; said fuel originating from a reservoir;a flow sensor operatively connected to an output of said pump; said flow sensor receiving fuel from said pump; an output from said flow sensor being indicative of flow rate in said pump; said output being provided to a controller; a driver for the pump being under control of the controller;a valve operatively connected to said flow sensor; said valve receiving fuel from said flow sensor; said valve comprising a pressure inlet port operatively connected to said input of said pump, said pressure inlet port providing an exerted pressure; said exerted pressure being substantially equivalent to an input pressure of said pump; said valve allowing fluid flow from an output of said pump to the fuel cell when an output pressure of said pump exceeds a predetermined pressure, said predetermined pressure including said exerted pressure;a flow restriction component operatively connected to an output of said pump; anda differential pressure sensor connected across said flow restriction component; an output from said differential pressure sensor being indicative of flow rate in said pump; said output being provided to the controller. 2. The fuel feed system of claim 1 wherein said flow restriction component comprises a capillary conduit. 3. The fuel feed system of claim 1 wherein said flow restriction component is an orifice of predetermined characteristic dimension. 4. The fuel feed system of claim 1 wherein said flow restriction component is a porous disk. 5. The fuel feed system of claim 1 wherein said flow sensor comprises: a heating element arranged on a substrate in thermal contact with the fuel;temperature sensors arranged on said substrate in thermal contact with the fuel; the temperature sensors being arranged before and after, in a flow direction, the heating element; anda processing and control component for processing signals of the temperature sensors;said processing and control component substantially determining a flow velocity and providing an output to the pump driver controller. 6. The fuel feed system of claim 1 wherein said valve further comprises: two ports, a valve inlet port and a valve outlet port;at least one valve seat circumscribing at least one of said two ports;a diaphragm having first and second major surfaces; said first major surface acting as a valve face, wherein said first major surface is configured and arranged to cover said at least one valve seat, said first major surface having an open position for providing fluid communication between said valve inlet port and said valve outlet port and a closed position for preventing fluid communication between said valve inlet port and said valve outlet port;a first-pressure-inlet coupled to said second major surface of said flexible diaphragm, wherein said first-pressure-inlet provides a first pressure to said second major surface;a reference pressure-providing component operatively coupled to said second major surface of said flexible diaphragm;said first and second major surfaces having first and second surface areas, respectively;said fluid communication between said valve inlet port and said valve outlet port occurring when an output force exerted by a valve inlet against the first major surface exceeds an input force exerted by a combination of a reference pressure and the first pressure against the second major surface, said reference pressure being generated by said reference pressure generating component. 7. The fuel feed system of claim 1 wherein said pump comprises an electro-osmotic pump. 8. The fuel feed system of claim 7 wherein said electro-osmotic pump comprises a porous medium, a predetermined characteristic pore size of said porous medium being at most equal to a predetermined bubble characteristic dimension, said predetermined bubble characteristic dimension being between about 01.06 mm and about 2.12 mm. 9. The fuel feed system of claim 7 wherein said flow restriction component comprises a capillary conduit. 10. The fuel feed system of claim 9 wherein a predetermined characteristic dimension of said capillary conduit is at least equal to a predetermined bubble characteristic dimension, said predetermined bubble characteristic dimension being between about 01.06 mm and about 2.12 mm. 11. The fuel feed system of claim 1 further comprising: a connector between said pump and a reservoir, the connector comprising a pump-side-sub-connector and a reservoir-side-sub-connector; said connector substantially preventing flow in/out of said reservoir and flow in/out of said pump when in a disengaged configuration; said connector enabling fluid communication between said reservoir and said pump when in an engaged configuration. 12. The fuel feed system of claim 11 wherein: said pump-side-sub-connector comprises: a pump-side-housing;a pump side fluid transfer component disposed in an interior portion of said pump-side-housing and extending from a pump end of said pump-side-housing to a reservoir end of said pump-side-housing;a first portion of said pump side fluid transfer component having a first end proximate to the pump end of said pump-side-housing; said first portion extending from an exterior of the pump end of said pump-side-housing to an interior of said pump-side-housing;a second portion of said pump side fluid transfer component having a second end proximate to the reservoir end of said pump-side-housing; said second portion of said pump side fluid transfer component being in fluid communication with said first portion of said pump side fluid transfer component; anda pump side seal component; said pump side seal component preventing, in a first configuration of said pump-side-sub-connector, fluid transfer out of the pump; at least one portion of said pump side seal being disposed over a portion of said pump side fluid transfer component; and, an extendable/collapsible component operatively connected to said pump side seal component; said extendable/collapsible component capable of retracting said pump side seal component into a second configuration, said at least a portion of said pump side seal component not being disposed, when in said second configuration, over at least part of said portion of said pump side fluid transfer component; and, said reservoir-side-sub-connector, having an engaged configuration and a disengaged configuration, said reservoir-side-sub-connector comprising: a reservoir-side-housing;a reservoir side fluid transfer component configured to be, when in said engaged configuration, in fluid communication with said pump side fluid transfer component; said reservoir side fluid transfer component being disposed inside said reservoir-side-housing; and said reservoir side fluid transfer component comprising: a first reservoir side fluid transfer component portion extending from a location proximate to a reservoir side of said reservoir-side-housing to another location inside said reservoir-side-housing; anda second portion of said reservoir side fluid transfer component;said second portion being in fluid communication with said first portion at a first end of said reservoir side fluid transfer component; said reservoir side fluid transfer component also having a second end proximate to a pump side of said reservoir-side-housing; anda reservoir side seal, in said disengaged configuration, substantially preventing fluid transfer from said second end of said reservoir side fluid transfer component; said reservoir side seal comprising at least a portion disposed over and operatively connected to another collapsible/extendable component; said at least a portion being retracted and allowing, when in said engaged configuration, fluid communication between said reservoir side fluid transfer component and said pump side fluid transfer component; anda portion of said reservoir-side-housing being sized and dimensioned to be received by the interior of said pump-side-housing; and said reservoir-side-housing having an opening at the pump side end of said reservoir-side-sub-connector; said opening at the pump side end of said reservoir-side-sub-connector leading into an interior of said reservoir-side-sub-connector; said reservoir side seal, in said disengaged configuration, sealing said opening into the interior of said reservoir-side-sub-connector; in said disengaged configuration, flow from said reservoir-side-sub-connector being substantially suppressed; andsaid reservoir-side-housing and said pump-side-housing being dimensioned so that, in said engaged configuration said pump side fluid transfer component and said reservoir side fluid transfer component are in fluid communication. 13. The fuel feed system of claim 12 wherein, in said connector, said pump side fluid transfer component comprises a wick; and wherein said reservoir side fluid transfer component comprises a wick. 14. The fuel feed system of claim 12 wherein, in said connector, said pump side fluid transfer component comprises a capillary conduit; and wherein said reservoir side fluid transfer component comprises a capillary conduit. 15. The fuel feed system of claim 12 wherein, in said connector, said extendable/collapsible component comprises a spring; and wherein said another collapsible/extendable component comprises a spring. 16. The fuel feed system of claim 12 wherein, in said connector, said pump side seal component comprises: a seal housing coaxially disposed about said portion of said pump side fluid transfer component; anda seal disposed within said seal housing and also coaxially disposed about said portion of said pump side fluid transfer component. 17. The fuel feed system of claim 12 wherein said at least one portion of said pump side seal comprises a first and second seal component portion; said first seal component portion being disposed over a portion of said pump side fluid transfer component; and,said second seal component portion disposed over said second end of said pump side fluid transfer component; said second seal component portion being attachable/detachable from said first seal portion;said extendable/collapsible component enabling sealing/unsealing of a seal between said first and said second seal component portion;wherein said reservoir-side-housing has a channel extending from an opening at the pump side end of said reservoir-side-sub-connector to an opening into the interior of said reservoir-side-sub-connector; said channel being dimensioned to receive said second end of said pump side fluid transfer component; said channel being also dimensioned to receive said second seal component portion;wherein said first seal component portion not being disposed, when in said second configuration, over at least a part of said portion of said pump side fluid transfer component; and,wherein said portion of said reservoir-side-housing when received in the interior of said pump-side-housing operatively connects to said first seal component portion; said portion of said reservoir-side-housing, upon connecting to said first seal component portion, separating said first seal component portion from said second seal component portion as said portion of said reservoir-side-housing is inserted into the interior of said pump-side-housing; said second seal component portion, as said portion of said reservoir-side-housing is inserted into the interior of said pump-side-housing, moves along said channel towards the interior of said reservoir-side-housing, and upon reaching said opening into the interior of said reservoir-side-housing, separating said reservoir side seal component from the interior of said reservoir-side-housing;said portion of said reservoir-side-housing, said channel and said pump side fluid transfer component being sized and dimensioned such that said first seal component portion is first separated from said second seal component portion, and subsequently said reservoir side seal component is separated from the interior of said reservoir-side-housing. 18. The fuel feed system of claim 1 further comprising: a fuel cartridge; anda fluid transfer component operatively connected at one end to said fuel cartridge; said fluid transfer component being operatively connected at another end to said input of said pump; said fluid transfer component transferring fuel from said fuel cartridge to said pump. 19. The fuel feed system of claim 18 wherein said pump comprises an electro-osmotic pump. 20. The fuel feed system of claim 19 wherein said electro-osmotic pump comprises a porous medium, a predetermined characteristic pore size of said porous medium being at most equal to a predetermined bubble characteristic dimension, said predetermined bubble characteristic dimension being between about 01.06 mm and about 2.12 mm. 21. The fuel feed system of claim 18 wherein said flow restriction component comprises a capillary conduit. 22. The fuel feed system of claim 21 wherein a predetermined characteristic dimension of said restriction component is at least equal to said predetermined bubble characteristic dimension, said predetermined bubble characteristic dimension being between about 01.06 mm and about 2.12 mm. 23. The fuel feed system of claim 21 wherein said flow restriction component is an orifice of predetermined characteristic dimension. 24. The fuel feed system of claim 21 wherein said flow restriction component is a porous disk. 25. The fuel feed system of claim 2 wherein a predetermined characteristic dimension of said restriction component is at least equal to a predetermined bubble characteristic dimension said predetermined bubble characteristic dimension being between about 01.06 mm and about 2.12 mm.
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