Vehicle system comprising a fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018226668-A1
Application number	US-201615748231-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 29, 2016
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	Aug 9, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle system comprising a fuel cell, at least one container for the storage of ammonia precursor, and a first and second fuel generator. The first and second fuel generators are configured to convert the ammonia precursor into fuel for use in the fuel cell. The first fuel generator is configured to carry out the ammonia precursor conversion within a lower temperature range than the second fuel generator.

First claim

1 . A vehicle system comprising:
a fuel cell, at least one container for the storage of ammonia precursor, and a first and second fuel generator, wherein the first and second fuel generators are configured to convert the ammonia precursor into fuel for use in the fuel cell, and wherein the first fuel generator is configured to carry out the ammonia precursor conversion within a lower temperature range than the second fuel generator.

2 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the ammonia precursor is urea.

3 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second fuel generators convert the ammonia precursor into the same fuel.

4 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second fuel generators convert the ammonia precursor into different types of fuel.

5 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second fuel generators are configured to convert the ammonia precursor into ammonia.

6 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the first fuel generator comprises a catalyst suitable for decomposing the ammonia precursor into ammonia, wherein the catalyst is a biological catalyst.

7 . The vehicle system of claim 6 , wherein the biological catalyst is a urease.

8 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the second fuel generator comprises a catalyst suitable for decomposing the ammonia precursor into ammonia.

9 . The vehicle system of claim 8 , wherein the catalyst is a vanadium pentoxide.

10 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one hydrogen generator, wherein the hydrogen generator is configured to at least partially decompose ammonia formed from the ammonia precursor into hydrogen.

11 . The vehicle system of claim 10 , wherein it comprises an ammonia-hydrogen effluents buffer tank.

12 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein a single container for the storage of ammonia precursor is connected to both the first fuel generator and the second fuel generator.

13 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell is a solid oxide fuel cell.

14 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first fuel generator and the second fuel generator comprises a heat transfer means configured to transfer heat generated by the fuel cell to the fuel generator.

15 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one buffer tank for storing fuel produced by at least one of the first fuel generator and the second fuel generator.

16 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises an additional fuel cell configured to generate electricity at a lower temperature than the fuel cell, and wherein the additional fuel cell is an anionic fuel cell.

17 . The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the additional fuel cell is an alkaline fuel cell or an alkaline membrane fuel cell.

Assignees

• Plastic Omnium Advanced Innovation & Res

Inventors

• Van Schaftingen Jules-Joseph
• Dougnier Francois
• Monge_Bonini Beatriz
• De Man Pierre

Classifications

• C01B3/047

  Decomposition of ammonia · CPC title

• H01M8/2495

  of fuel cells of different types · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• C01C1/086

  from urea · CPC title

• H01M8/0606 Primary

  with means for production of gaseous reactants · CPC title