Molten metal anode solid oxide fuel cell for transportation-related auxiliary power units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017334379-A1
Application number	US-201615158637-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 19, 2016
Priority date	May 19, 2016
Publication date	Nov 23, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicular power system, a vehicle and a method of providing auxiliary power to a vehicle using an auxiliary power unit that uses a molten metal anode solid oxide fuel cell rather than an internal combustion engine. The auxiliary power unit includes a container with numerous fuel cells disposed within it such that when the metal anode is heated, the metal converts to a molten state that can be electrochemically cycled between oxidized and reduced states by oxygen and a fuel present in the molten metal, respectively. The auxiliary power unit further includes a furnace that selectively provides heat to the fuel cells in order to place the anode into its molten metal state. Seals may provide fluid isolation between the molten metal within the container and the ambient environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicular power system comprising:
a motive power unit; and an auxiliary power unit comprising:
a container;
a fuel cell disposed within the container, the fuel cell comprising:
a plurality of half-cells each comprising a cathode and a solid electrolyte; and
an anode bath comprising molten metal, wherein at least a portion of the half-cells are partially submerged in the bath, and wherein upon operation of the auxiliary power unit, an oxygen-bearing reactant flows through the half-cells to electrochemically react with at least one of the molten metal and a fuel-bearing reactant within the bath;

a furnace thermally cooperative with the fuel cell such that upon operation of the furnace, the molten metal in the bath is maintained in a substantially molten metal state; and
electrical circuitry cooperative with the fuel cell such that an electric current produced by the fuel cell may be delivered through the electrical circuitry to a vehicular load.

2 . The vehicular power unit of claim 1 , further comprising at least one seal disposed within the auxiliary power unit to ensure substantially complete fluid isolation of the bath within the container.

3 . The vehicular power system of claim 3 , wherein the molten metal is selected from the group consisting of tin, antimony, bismuth, tin and combinations thereof.

4 . The vehicular power system of claim 1 , wherein the furnace is disposed between the container and the fuel cell.

5 . The vehicular power system of claim 4 , further comprising a thermal insulator disposed adjacent a surface of the container to reduce thermal communication between the bath and an ambient environment proximate the auxiliary power unit.

6 . The vehicular power system of claim 1 , wherein the cathode and the electrolyte of each half-cell define an elongate tubular structure with a closure at a distal end thereof that is submerged within the bath and a proximal end thereof defining an aperture that is not submerged within the bath but fluidly cooperative with the oxygen-bearing reactant.

7 . The vehicular power system of claim 6 , wherein the elongate tubular structure defines a flanged surface adjacent the proximal end.

8 . The vehicular power system of claim 7 , further comprising a perforate lid cooperative with the container such that when disposed thereon, each aperture defined in the perforate lid receives a corresponding one of the half-cells by contact with the flanged surface such that the half-cells are releasably accepted therein.

9 . The vehicular power system of claim 1 , wherein the load is selected from the group consisting of a vehicular climate control system and the motive power unit.

10 . The vehicular power system of claim 1 , wherein the bath further comprises a sequestering agent disposed therein.

11 . The vehicular power system of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary power unit further comprises at least one of (a) an electrical generator or alternator and (b) a processor-based controller to regulate the flow of the electric current to the vehicular load through the electrical circuitry.

12 . A vehicle comprising:
a platform comprising a wheeled chassis, a guidance apparatus cooperative with the wheeled chassis and a passenger compartment that is thermally cooperative with a climate control system; a motive power unit secured to the platform; and an auxiliary power unit secured to the platform, the auxiliary power unit comprising:
a container;
a fuel cell disposed within the container, the fuel cell comprising:
a plurality of half-cells each comprising a cathode and a solid electrolyte; and
an anode bath comprising molten metal, wherein at least a portion of the half-cells are partially submerged in the bath, and wherein upon operation of the auxiliary power unit, an oxygen-bearing reactant flows through the half-cells to electrochemically react with at least one of the molten metal and a fuel-bearing reactant within the bath;

a furnace thermally cooperative with the fuel cell such that upon operation of the furnace, the molten metal in the molten metal anode bath is maintained in a substantially molten metal state;
at least one of an electrical generator or alternator;
a processor-based controller; and
electrical circuitry cooperative with (a) the fuel cell, (b) the at least one of an electrical generator or alternator and (c) the controller such that an electric current produced by the fuel cell may be delivered through the electrical circuitry to at least one of the motive power unit and the climate control system.

13 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the vehicular platform is selected from the group consisting of trucks, buses, cars, vans, motorcycles, watercraft, aircraft and spacecraft.

14 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the motive power unit comprises a diesel engine.

15 . The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the diesel engine and the auxiliary power unit are both fluidly cooperative with a common fuel source that is stored on the vehicle.

16 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the auxiliary power unit further comprises at least one seal disposed therein to ensure substantially complete fluid isolation of the molten metal anode within the container.

17 . A method of providing auxiliary power to a vehicle that comprises a motive power unit and an auxiliary power unit, the method comprising:
operating a furnace to provide heat to the auxiliary power unit that comprises a fuel cell disposed within a container that is mounted to the vehicle, wherein the heat ensures that a metal contained within an anode bath of the fuel cell is in a substantially molten state; passing an oxygen-bearing reactant through a plurality of half-cells and into the bath, wherein each half-cell comprises a cathode and a solid electrolyte, and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of half-cells are submerged in the bath; oxidizing at least a portion of the molten metal with the oxygen-bearing reactant; reducing the oxidized molten metal with a fuel-bearing reactant that is present within the bath; and supplying electrical current produced by the fuel cell to at least one of an electrical load and a climate control system situated on the vehicle.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein operation of the auxiliary power unit takes place during periods when the motive power unit is not being operated.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the fuel-bearing reactant used in the auxiliary power unit is the same as that used for the motive power unit.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the half-cells define an elongate tubular structure such that a distal end of each defines a closure that is submerged within the bath and a proximal end thereof defining an aperture that is not submerged within the bath but fluidly cooperative with the oxygen-bearing reactant to facilitate flow thereof within the tubular structure between the proximal and distal ends, the elongate tubular structure defining a flanged surface adjacent the proximal end such that each of the tubular structures fits within and is structurally supported by a perforate lid that is formed as an upper portion of the container.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein each aperture defined in the perforate lid receives a corresponding one of the half-cells by contact with the flanged surface such that the half-cells are releasably accepted therein.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co
• Alfaisal Univ

Inventors

• Faisal Nadimul Haque
• Ahmed Rehan
• Goosen Matheus F
• Katikaneni Sai P
• Souentie Stamatios

Classifications

• B60R16/033 Primary

  characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries (for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36) · CPC title

• H01M8/243

  Grouping of unit cells of tubular or cylindrical configuration · CPC title

• H01M8/0271 Primary

  Sealing or supporting means around electrodes, matrices or membranes · CPC title

• H01M2004/8684

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M8/04067

  Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins · CPC title