Fuel cartridge with connecting valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9257708-B2
Application number	US-201414471544-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2014
Priority date	Jul 29, 2003
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A shut-off valve or connecting valve capable of connecting a fuel supply to a fuel cell is disclosed. The valve comprises a first valve component and a second valve component. Each valve component has an outer housing and a biased slidable member disposed inside the housing forming an internal seal. During the connection process, the two valve components establish an inter-component seal. Afterward, in one suitable embodiment the slidable member moves inward and opens the internal seal in the valve component to establish a flow path. In another embodiment, the slidable member moves inward and exposes a first filler and the first filler abuts a second filler in the other valve component to establish a flow path. In other embodiments, at least one valve component is sized and dimensioned to limit access to the internal seal.

First claim

We claim:

1. A fuel cartridge comprising a housing containing a fuel for a fuel cell and a valve component disposed within the housing, wherein the valve component comprises an first internal seal and an additive that can mix with a volume of the fuel that is present within the valve component.

2. The fuel cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the valve component further comprises an absorbent material.

3. The fuel cartridge of claim 2 , wherein the absorbent material comprises at least one of cross-linked polyacrylic acid salts, polyvinyl alcohol, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), poly(ethylene oxide), isobutylene-maleic acid copolymers, poly(methacrylic acid) salts, polyacrylaminde, or polyvinylpyrrolidone.

4. The fuel cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the valve component comprises a duckbill valve.

5. The fuel cartridge of claim 4 , wherein the duckbill valve comprises at least one wiper.

6. The fuel cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the internal seal of the valve component can be opened by a hollow tube.

7. The fuel cartridge of claim 6 , wherein the hollow tube is connected to a second valve component having a second internal seal.

8. The fuel cartridge of claim 5 , wherein the duckbill valve comprises one or more chambers formed by the at least one wiper.

Assignees

• Intelligent Energy Ltd

Inventors

• Adams Paul
• Curello Andrew J
• Fairbanks Floyd

Classifications

• F16L37/33

  the lift valves being of the ball type · CPC title

• C01B3/32

  by reaction of gaseous or liquid organic compounds with gasifying agents, e.g. water, carbon dioxide or air · CPC title

• H01M8/1011

  Direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC], e.g. direct methanol fuel cells [DMFC] · CPC title

• F17C11/005

  for hydrogen · CPC title

• H01M8/083

  Alkaline fuel cells · CPC title