Fuel Cell Supply Including Information Storage Device and Control System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016190621-A1
Application number	US-201615016980-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 5, 2016
Priority date	Dec 1, 2003
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a fuel cell system with various features for optimal operations of an electronic device, a battery charger or a fuel refilling device. The fuel cell system includes an information storage device associated with the fuel supply, pump and/or refilling device. The information storage device can be any electronic storage device including, but not limited to, an EEPROM or a PLA. The information storage device can include encrypted information. The information storage device can include software code for confirming the identification of the cartridge before operation of the electronic device and/or refilling device. The information storage device can include instructions for a hot swap operation to shut down properly when the fuel supply is ejected while the electronic device is in operation. The present invention is also directed to system architecture for a fuel cell system that utilizes information storage devices. The system architecture may have flow regulators, which include a regulating valve.

First claim

1 . A fuel cell system to power an electronic device, the system comprising:
a fuel supply, a controller operatively connected to an information storage device and a fuel cell, wherein the information storage device contains information relating to the fuel cell system including a fuel regulator and the fuel cell, and the controller reads and writes to the information storage device, wherein the fuel supply is in fluid communication with the fuel regulator and the fuel regulator is in fluid communication with the fuel cell, such that fuel from the fuel supply is transportable to the fuel cell for conversion to electricity, and, wherein the fuel regulator comprises a regulating valve.

2 . A fuel cell system to power an electronic device, the system comprising:
a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system to provide electricity from a fuel; a fuel supply in fluid communication with the fuel cell system; at least one information storage device; a controller in communication with at least one of the fuel supply, fuel cell system and an electronic device; and, wherein the controller controls one or more functions of one of the fuel cell system and an the electronic device based on the data stored on the information storage device.

3 . The system of claim 2 wherein the controller is the cpu of a computer the electronic device.

4 . The system of claim 1 wherein an information storage device is located on the fuel supply.

5 . The system of claim 4 wherein the fuel supply is one of refillable and replaceable.

6 . The system of claim 1 wherein the controller reads or writes to the information storage device.

7 . The system of claim 6 wherein the information on the information storage device includes but is not limited to one or more of the type of cartridge; date the cartridge was manufactured; lot number for the cartridge; sequential identification number assigned to the cartridge; date the information storage device was manufactured; lot number for the information storage device; sequential identification number assigned to the information storage device; machine identification number for the cartridge and/or storage device; shift during which the cartridge and/or storage device was produced; country where the cartridge and/or storage device was produced; facility code identifying the factory where the cartridge and/or storage device was produced; vibration tolerance for the cartridge and other limits for operating parameter; materials used in manufacturing anti-counterfeit information; fuel information; intellectual property information; safety information; security password; expiration date; shut-down sequence; hot swap procedure; recycling information; reactant information; fuel gage type; fluid sensor information; current fuel level; current ion level in the fuel; number of separations of the cartridge from the fuel cell; number of times that the cartridge was refilled; fuel level on separation of the cartridge from the fuel cell; number of insertions/connections of the cartridge to the fuel cell; fluid level on connection of the cartridge to the fuel cell; maintenance information; marketing information; triggering events; efficiency of the fuel cell; operations information; and operational history of the fuel cell system.

8 . The system of claim 6 , the system further comprising the controller increases or decreases power generated from the fuel cell in response to information read.

9 . The system of claim 6 , the system further comprising the controller increases or decreases power consumption of the electronic device in response to information read.

10 . The system of claim 2 wherein the controller has bidirectional communication with the information storage device.

11 . The system of claim 10 wherein the information on the information storage device includes but is not limited to one or more of the type of cartridge; date the cartridge was manufactured; lot number for the cartridge; sequential identification number assigned to the cartridge; date the information storage device was manufactured; lot number for the information storage device; sequential identification number assigned to the information storage device; machine identification number for the cartridge and/or storage device; shift during which the cartridge and/or storage device was produced; country where the cartridge and/or storage device was produced; facility code identifying the factory where the cartridge and/or storage device was produced; vibration tolerance for the cartridge and other limits for operating parameter; materials used in manufacturing anti-counterfeit information; fuel information; intellectual property information; safety information; security password; expiration date; shut-down sequence; hot swap procedure; recycling information; reactant information; fuel gage type; fluid sensor information; current fuel level; current ion level in the fuel; number of separations of the cartridge from the fuel cell; number of times that the cartridge was refilled; fuel level on separation of the cartridge from the fuel cell; number of insertions/connections of the cartridge to the fuel cell; fluid level on connection of the cartridge to the fuel cell; maintenance information; marketing information; triggering events; efficiency of the fuel cell; operations information; and operational history of the fuel cell system.

12 . The system of claim 1 wherein the fuel cell system is in a housing.

13 . The system of claim 11 , the system further comprising the controller increases or decreases power generated from the fuel cell in response to information read.

14 . The system of claim 11 , the system further comprising the controller increases or decreases power consumption of the electronic device in response to information read.

15 . The system of claim 1 wherein the fuel cell system is within an electronic device.

16 . The system of claim 15 wherein the fuel supply is within the electronic device.

17 . The system of claim 16 wherein the controller is the cpu of the electronic device.

18 . The system of claim 11 wherein the controller assures the fuel supply and the electronic device are compatible.

19 . The system of claim 18 wherein the controller causes an audible or visual alert to be generated if a fuel supply is incompatible with the electronic device.

20 . The system of claim 16 wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of mobile phones, cell phones, calculators, power tools, personal digital assistants, gardening tools, digital cameras, portable music players, global positioning systems, camping equipment.

21 . The system of claim 16 wherein the electronic device is a laptop computer, computer game system, and a personal computer.

22 . A fuel cell system to power an electronic device, the system comprising:
a fuel supply; an electronic device; a fuel cell system separate from the portable computer electronic device comprising; a housing with a power system comprising; a fuel cell stack; a controller; at least one link interface comprising; a power line a bidirectional communication link between the electronic device and the controller which communicates; fuel cell state information from the fuel cell system to the electronic device; and, fuel cell control information from the electronic device to the fuel cell system, wherein electronic device performs at least one operation associated with controlling the fuel cell s

Assignees

• Intelligent Energy Ltd

Inventors

• Adams Paul
• Curello Andrew J
• Fairbanks Floyd

Classifications

• Y02B90/10

  Applications of fuel cells in buildings · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04089

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04992 Primary

  characterised by the implementation of mathematical or computational algorithms, e.g. feedback control loops, fuzzy logic, neural networks or artificial intelligence · CPC title

• H01M2250/30

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