Fluidized bed contaminant separator and water-control loop for a fuel reactant stream of a fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9553323-B2
Application number	US-200913263148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2009
Priority date	Apr 27, 2009
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

A fluidized contaminant separator and water-control loop ( 10 ) decontaminates a fuel reactant stream of a fuel cell ( 12 ). Water passes over surfaces of an ammonia dissolving media ( 61 ) within a fluidized bed ( 62 ) while the fuel reactant stream simultaneously passes over the surfaces to dissolve contaminants from the fuel reactant stream into a separated contaminant and water stream. A fuel-control heat exchanger ( 57 ) upstream from the scrubber ( 58 ) removes heat from the fuel stream. A water-control loop ( 78 ) directs flow of the separated contaminants and water stream from an accumulator ( 68 ) through an ion exchange bed ( 88 ) which removes contaminants from the stream. Decontaminated water is directed back into the scrubber ( 58 ) to flow through the fluidized bed ( 62 ). Separating contaminants from the fuel reactant stream and then isolating and concentrating the separated contaminants within the ion exchange material ( 88 ) minimizes costs and maintenance requirements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluidized bed contaminant separator and water-control loop for a fuel reactant stream of a fuel cell comprising:
a separator scrubber secured in fluid communication with a fuel reactant inlet line of the fuel cell, the separator scrubber including an ammonia dissolving media disposed within a fluidized bed within a scrubber container of the separator scrubber for dissolving ammonia and removing particulates from the fuel reactant stream into a separated containment stream within the separator scrubber; a water discharge secured adjacent the ammonia dissolving media and configured to discharge water to flow through the ammonia dissolving media; a fuel reactant discharge secured adjacent the ammonia dissolving media and configured to discharge the fuel reactant stream to flow through the ammonia dissolving media; an accumulator secured in fluid communication with the ammonia dissolving media and configured to receive and accumulate a separated contaminant and water stream; and a scrubber fuel outlet secured within the scrubber container and configured to direct flow of the fuel reactant from the ammonia dissolving media and from the separator scrubber back into the fuel reactant inlet line;
a fuel-control heat exchanger secured in heat exchange relationship with the fuel reactant stream upstream of the fuel reactant stream entering the separator scrubber for adding thermal energy to or removing thermal energy from the fuel reactant stream; and,
a water-control loop secured in fluid communication with the separator scrubber, the water-control loop including a loop conduit configured to direct the separated contaminant and water stream out of the accumulator from the water outlet; a water-control loop pump secured in fluid communication with the loop conduit for pumping the separated contaminant and water stream through the loop conduit; an ion exchange bed secured in fluid communication with the loop conduit for directing flow of the separated contaminant and water stream through the ion exchange bed and for removing separated contaminants from the water in the stream within the bed; and a loop conduit return line secured in fluid communication between an outlet of the ion exchange bed and water inlet of the separator scrubber for returning decontaminated water from the water-control loop back into the separator scrubber.

2. The fluidized bed contaminant separator and water-control loop for a fuel reactant stream of claim 1 , wherein the ion exchange bed includes a cation-only exchange resin.

3. The fluidized bed contaminant separator and water-control loop for a fuel reactant stream of claim 1 , further comprising a fuel-control heat exchanger loop for directing flow of a water-based coolant through the fuel-control heat exchanger, the fuel-control heat exchanger loop comprising:
a fuel-control heat exchanger feed line secured in fluid communication between a coolant loop and the fuel-control heat exchanger, the coolant loop including a coolant loop pump for pumping a water-based coolant supplied by a coolant supply through a coolant loop conduit from a coolant plate secured adjacent the fuel cell, through a coolant heat exchanger for removing heat from the coolant, and back to the coolant plate, the fuel-control heat exchanger feed line being secured to the coolant loop conduit upstream from the coolant plate and,
a fuel-control heat exchanger return line secured in fluid communication between the fuel-control heat exchanger and the coolant loop downstream from the coolant plate between the coolant plate and the coolant heat exchanger.

4. The fluidized bed contaminant separator and water-control loop for a fuel reactant stream of claim 1 , further comprising a water discharge valve secured in fluid communication with the water-control loop and configured to selectively direct excess water out of the water-control loop.

5. The fluidized bed contaminant separator and water-control loop for a fuel reactant stream of claim 1 , wherein the ammonia dissolving media comprises a fluidizable high surface area medium dispersed within the fluidized bed.

6. The fluidized bed contaminant separator and water-control loop for a fuel reactant stream of claim 1 , further comprising a controller secured in communication with the fuel reactant stream within the fuel inlet line and configured to:
sense information from the fuel reactant stream;
sense water level information from the accumulator; and
control one or more of the fuel-control heat exchanger and a water discharge valve secured in fluid communication with the water-control loop, in response to the sensed information.

7. The fluidized bed contaminant separator and water-control loop for a fuel reactant stream of claim 1 , further comprising a scrubber outlet gas re-heater loop, the scrubber outlet gas re-heater loop comprising:
a gas re-heater loop conduit secured in fluid communication with a coolant loop, the coolant loop including a coolant loop pump configured to pump a coolant through a coolant loop conduit from a coolant plate secured adjacent the fuel cell, through a coolant heat exchanger configured to remove heat from the coolant, and back to the coolant plate, the gas re-heater loop conduit being configured to direct flow of the coolant from the coolant loop upstream from the coolant heat exchanger and back into the coolant loop; and
a scrubber outlet gas heat exchanger secured in fluid communication with the gas re-heater loop conduit and configured to direct flow of the coolant in heat exchange relationship with fuel passing within the fuel reactant inlet line between the separator scrubber and the fuel cell to heat the fuel.

8. The fluidized bed contaminant separator and water-control loop for a fuel reactant stream of claim 7 , wherein the scrubber outlet gas re-heater loop further comprises a shift converter heat exchanger secured in fluid communication with the gas re-heater loop conduit downstream from the scrubber outlet gas heat exchanger, the shift converter heat exchanger being configured to pass the coolant within the gas re-heater loop conduit in heat exchange relationship with a low temperature shift converter secured in fluid communication with the fuel reactant inlet line, to remove heat from the low temperature shift converter.

9. The fluidized bed contaminant separator and water-control loop for a fuel reactant stream of claim 1 , wherein the fuel-control heat exchanger is secured in heat exchange relationship with the fuel reactant stream upstream of both the separator scrubber and the water-control loop.

10. A fluidized bed contaminant separator and water-control loop for a fuel reactant stream of a fuel cell, comprising:
a separator scrubber secured in fluid communication with a fuel reactant inlet line of the fuel cell, the separator scrubber including an ammonia dissolving media disposed within a fluidized bed within a scrubber container of the separator scrubber for dissolving ammonia and removing particulates from the fuel reactant stream into a separated containment stream within the separator scrubber; a water discharge secured adjacent the ammonia dissolving media and configured to discharge water to flow through the ammonia dissolving media; a fuel reactant discharge secured adjacent the ammonia dissolving media and configured to discharge the fuel reactant stream to flow through the ammonia dissolving media; an accumulator secured in fluid communication with the ammonia dissolving media and configured to receive and accumulate a separated contaminant and water stream; and a scrubber fuel outlet secured within the scrubber container and configured to direct flow of the fuel reactant from the ammonia dissolving media and fro

Assignees

• Isom Joshua D
• Vandine Leslie L
• Hildreth Derek W
• Preston John L
• Hanrahan Paul R
• Reni Lynn
• Doosan Fuel Cell America Inc

Inventors

• Isom Joshua D
• Vandine Leslie L
• Hildreth Derek W
• Preston John L
• Hanrahan Paul R
• Reni Lynn

Classifications

• B01D53/1412

  Controlling the absorption process · CPC title

• B01D53/1425

  Regeneration of liquid absorbents · CPC title

• C01B2203/0205

  containing a reforming step · CPC title

• C01B2203/066

  with fuel cells · CPC title

• B01D53/18

  Absorbing units; Liquid distributors therefor (B01D3/16, B01D3/26, B01D3/30 take precedence; packing elements B01J19/30, B01J19/32) · CPC title