Power source with wireless capability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10181609-B2
Application number	US-201715406984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2017
Priority date	Jan 16, 2017
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

A power source includes a container, a hydrogen fuel disposed within the container, a fuel cell wrapped around the hydrogen fuel within the container, electronics supported within the container and coupled to receive current from the fuel cell, a sensor coupled to the electronics to provide data representative of a sensed condition, and a charge storage device within the container and coupled to provide current to the electronics.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power source comprising:
a container;
a hydrogen fuel disposed within the container;
a fuel cell wrapped around the hydrogen fuel within the container;
electronics supported within the container and coupled to receive current from the fuel cell;
a sensor coupled to the electronics to provide data representative of a sensed condition; and
a charge storage device within the container and coupled to provide current to the electronics.

2. The power source of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen fuel comprises a chemical hydride and a metal hydride and wherein the charge storage device is configured to provide current when current demand of the electronics exceeds that providable by the fuel cell.

3. The power source of claim 2 wherein the metal hydride absorbs hydrogen responsive to excess production of hydrogen by the chemical hydride, and provides hydrogen responsive to the current demand of the electronics exceeding that providable by the fuel cell responsive to hydrogen from the chemical hydride.

4. The power source of claim 3 wherein the chemical hydride is shaped in a cylinder, and the metal hydride is disposed within the cylinder.

5. The power source of claim 4 wherein the container is in the shape of a AA battery form factor.

6. The power source of claim 5 and further comprising a cathode and anode coupled to the fuel cell.

7. The power source of claim 1 wherein the electronics comprises a transmitter with antenna.

8. The power source of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a voltage sensor coupled to measure a voltage produced by the fuel cell.

9. The power source of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises an environmental condition sensor.

10. The power source of claim 9 wherein the environmental condition includes at least one of temperature, relative humidity, position, velocity, pressure, vibration, and altitude of a device in which the power source is embedded.

11. A power source comprising:
a container having a cathode and an anode;
a hydrogen fuel disposed within the container;
a fuel cell wrapped around the hydrogen fuel within the container wherein the fuel cell is coupled to the cathode and anode;
a controller supported within the container and coupled to receive current from the fuel cell;
a sensor coupled to electronics to provide data representative of a sensed condition;
a wireless transmitter coupled to the controller to transmit the data; and
a charge storage device within the container and coupled to provide current to the controller and transmitter.

12. The power source of claim 11 wherein the hydrogen fuel comprises a chemical hydride and a metal hydride, and wherein the metal hydride absorbs hydrogen responsive to excess production of hydrogen by the chemical hydride, and provides hydrogen responsive to the current demand of the electronics exceeding that providable by the fuel cell responsive to hydrogen from the chemical hydride, and wherein the charge storage device is configured to provide current when current demand of the electronics exceeds that providable by the fuel cell.

13. The power source of claim 12 wherein the container is in the shape of a AA battery.

14. The power source of claim 12 wherein the sensor comprises a voltage sensor coupled to measure a voltage produced by the fuel cell and an environmental condition sensor.

15. The power source of claim 14 wherein the environmental condition includes at least one of temperature, relative humidity, position, velocity, pressure, vibration, and altitude of a device in which the power source is embedded.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Eickhoff Steven J
• Price John
• Larson Christian
• Klein Jeffrey Michael
• Cornett Alan

Classifications

• H01M8/04552

  of the individual fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M2220/30

  Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop · CPC title

• H01M8/065

  by dissolution of metals or alloys; by dehydriding metallic substances · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M16/003

  of fuel cells with other electrochemical devices, e.g. capacitors, electrolysers · CPC title