High efficiency humidity management system for fuel cells and higher-temperature electrochemical systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12027734-B2
Application number	US-202217682168-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2022
Priority date	Aug 30, 2018
Publication date	Jul 2, 2024
Grant date	Jul 2, 2024

Abstract

A humidity transfer assembly includes a pressure vessel and a humidity transfer device disposed in the pressure vessel. The humidity transfer device includes an enclosure, a first inlet line fluidly coupled to the enclosure and configured to supply anode exhaust thereto, a first outlet line fluidly coupled to the enclosure and configured to output anode exhaust therefrom, and a second inlet line fluidly coupled to the enclosure and configured to supply feed gas thereto. The humidity transfer device is configured to transfer steam from anode exhaust to feed gas and to output feed gas into the pressure vessel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system comprising:
a pressure vessel;
a shift reactor;
an electrochemical hydrogen separator having an anode and a cathode; and
a humidity transfer device disposed in the pressure vessel and configured to:
receive shifted exhaust from the shift reactor and output dehumidified exhaust to the anode of the electrochemical hydrogen separator,
receive feed gas from a fuel supply,
transfer steam from the shifted exhaust to the feed gas to produce partially-humidified feed gas, and
provide the partially-humidified feed gas to the pressure vessel so as to pressurize the pressure vessel.

2. The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein the cathode of the electrochemical hydrogen separator is configured to output purified hydrogen.

3. The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein the anode of the electrochemical hydrogen separator is configured to output anode exhaust to the shift reactor.

4. The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein the shifted exhaust is shifted anode exhaust from a fuel cell.

5. The fuel cell system of claim 1 , further comprising a polymer-electrolyte membrane disposed in the humidity transfer device, the polymer-electrolyte membrane separating the shifted exhaust and the dehumidified exhaust and passing steam therebetween.

6. The fuel cell system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a feed gas conduit extending from the humidity transfer device and defining a conduit outlet disposed below a water level of water in the pressure vessel.

7. The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein the shifted exhaust comprises water.

8. The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein the humidity transfer device is configured as a shell-and-tube.

9. The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein the humidity transfer device is configured as a planar stack.

10. The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein the shift reactor comprises a shell and a water-gas shift catalyst disposed in the shell.

11. The fuel cell system of claim 10 , further comprising at least one passage formed between the water-gas shift catalyst and the shell.

12. A method comprising:
providing a pressure vessel, a shift reactor, and an electrochemical hydrogen separator having an anode and a cathode;
disposing a humidity transfer device in the pressure vessel;
receiving, by the humidity transfer device, shifted exhaust from the shift reactor;
receiving, by the humidity transfer device, feed gas from a fuel supply;
outputting, by the humidity transfer device, dehumidified exhaust to the anode of the electrochemical hydrogen separator;
transferring steam, by the humidity transfer device, from the shifted exhaust to the feed gas to produce partially-humidified feed gas; and
providing, by the humidity transfer device, the partially humidified feed gas to the pressure vessel so as to pressurize the pressure vessel.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
outputting, by the cathode of the electrochemical hydrogen separator, purified hydrogen.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
outputting, by the anode of the electrochemical hydrogen separator, anode exhaust to the shift reactor.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the shifted exhaust is shifted anode exhaust from a fuel cell.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
disposing a polymer-electrolyte membrane in the humidity transfer device, the polymer-electrolyte membrane separating the shifted exhaust and the dehumidified exhaust and passing steam therebetween.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
disposing a feed gas conduit extending from the humidity transfer device and defining a conduit outlet disposed below a water level of water in the pressure vessel.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the shift reactor comprises a shell and a water-gas shift catalyst disposed in the shell.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein at least one passage is formed between the water-gas shift catalyst and the shell.

Assignees

• Fuelcell Energy Inc

Inventors

• Patel Pinakin
• Malwitz Jonathan
• Lipp Ludwig
• Roy Jesse

Classifications

• H01M8/04149

  by diffusion, e.g. making use of membranes · CPC title

• H01M8/04843

  of fuel cell exhausts · CPC title

• H01M8/0656

  by electrochemical means (H01M8/065 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/04141

  by water containing exhaust gases · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title