Process control for integrated hydrogen storage in fuel cell energy storage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10069155-B2
Application number	US-201514834062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2015
Priority date	Aug 24, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A process control system includes a storage chamber, a fuel cell in fluid communication with the storage chamber via a feed line, a suction dampening drum in fluid communication with the fuel cell via a product line, a compressor in fluid communication with the suction dampening drum and the storage chamber, a recycle line disposed between the feed line and the product line, and a pressure controller disposed in the recycle line. When the fuel cell is in an electrolysis mode, the pressure controller may be operated to maintain a minimum pressure level inside the drum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process control system comprising:
at least one storage chamber holding compressed hydrogen gas;
a fuel cell in selective fluid communication with the at least one storage chamber via a feed line, wherein the fuel cell is configured to generate hydrogen gas in an electrolysis mode during which fluid communication with the at least one storage chamber is prevented;
a suction dampening drum in fluid communication with the fuel cell via a product line configured to receive the hydrogen gas from the fuel cell;
a compressor configured to receive hydrogen gas from the suction dampening drum and deliver compressed hydrogen gas to the at least one storage chamber;
a recycle line extending from the feed line to the product line independent of the fuel cell; and
a pressure controller disposed in the recycle line and configured to selectively communicate compressed hydrogen gas from the at least one storage chamber to the suction dampening drum through the recycle line.

2. The process control system of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure valve disposed in the recycle line.

3. The process control system of claim 2 , wherein the pressure valve is positioned upstream of the pressure controller.

4. The process control system of claim 1 , further comprising a condenser disposed between the compressor and the at least one storage chamber.

5. The process control system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure controller is configured to detect a sensed drum pressure inside the suction dampening drum.

6. The process control system of claim 5 , wherein the pressure controller is configured to compare the sensed drum pressure with a predetermined minimum drum pressure level, and wherein the pressure controller is configured to automatically open when the sensed drum pressure is less than the predetermined minimum drum pressure level.

7. The process control system of claim 6 , wherein the predetermined minimum drum pressure level is at least two inches water column.

8. The process control system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell further has a power mode in which the fuel cell consumes hydrogen to produce electricity.

9. The process control system of claim 8 , wherein the pressure controller is closed during the power mode and opens variably during the electrolysis mode.

10. A process control system comprising:
a storage chamber holding hydrogen;
a fuel cell in fluid communication with the storage chamber via a feed line, the fuel cell having a power mode and an electrolysis mode;
a suction dampening drum in fluid communication with the fuel cell via a product line;
a compressor in fluid communication with the suction dampening drum via a suction line and the storage chamber via a high pressure line;
a recycle line extending from the feed line to the product line independent of the fuel cell; and
a pressure controller disposed in the recycle line and configured to determine a sensed drum pressure inside the suction dampening drum, the pressure controller further being configured to selectively communicate the hydrogen from the storage chamber to the suction dampening drum via the recycle line to maintain the sensed drum pressure at or above a predetermined minimum drum pressure level.

11. The process control system of claim 10 , further comprising a pressure valve disposed in the recycle line.

12. The process control system of claim 11 , wherein the pressure valve is upstream of the pressure controller.

13. The process control system of claim 11 , wherein the pressure valve and the pressure controller are closed during the power mode.

14. The process control system of claim 11 , wherein the pressure controller is electrically actuated and the pressure valve is pneumatically actuated.

15. The process control system of claim 10 , further comprising a condenser disposed between the compressor and the storage chamber.

16. The process control system of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined minimum drum pressure level is at least two inches water column.

17. A method of process control for a fuel cell system having a storage chamber holding hydrogen, a fuel cell, and a suction dampening drum, the method comprising:
monitoring a sensed drum pressure inside the suction dampening drum; and
communicating the hydrogen from the storage chamber to the suction dampening drum through a recycle line independent of the fuel cell when the sensed drum pressure is below a predetermined minimum drum pressure level.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein a pressure controller is disposed in the recycle line, and wherein communicating the hydrogen comprises opening the pressure controller.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the predetermined minimum drum pressure level is at least two inches water column.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising isolating the fuel cell from the storage chamber prior to communicating the hydrogen to the suction dampening drum.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Mermelstein Joshua M

Classifications

• H01M8/04402

  of anode exhausts · CPC title

• H01M8/04097

  with recycling of the reactants (H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04761

  of fuel cell exhausts · CPC title

• H01M8/186

  by electrolytic decomposition of the electrolytic solution or the formed water product · CPC title