US Patent No: 7,666,539
Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000
Heat efficient portable fuel cell systems
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Feb 23, 2010
Issued date -
Dec 20, 2005
filing date -
11/314,810
serial no -
In Force
status
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Abstract
The invention relates to fuel cell systems with improved thermal efficiency. The systems include a fuel cell that generates electrical energy using hydrogen and a fuel processor that produces hydrogen from a fuel. Some heat efficient systems described herein include a thermal catalyst that generates heat when the catalyst interacts with a heating medium. The heat is used to heat the fuel cell. The thermal catalyst may be disposed in proximity to the fuel cell, or remote from the fuel cell and a heat transfer pipe conducts heat from the catalyst to the fuel cell. Another thermally efficient embodiment uses a recuperator to transfer heat generated in the fuel cell system to incoming fuel. A fuel cell package may also include a multi-layer insulation arrangement to decrease heat loss from the fuel cell and fuel processor, which both typically operate at elevated temperatures.
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First Claim
Related Publications
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International Classification(s)
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Cited Art
| Patent Info | (Count) | # Cites | Year |
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| 6,235,983 Hybrid power assembly | 16 | 1999 | |
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| 2002/0071,972 Fuel cell battery with heating and an improved cold-start performance, and method for cold-starting of a fuel cell battery | 8 | 2001 | |
Patent Citation Ranking
Maintenance Fees
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