Inert gas generation from fuel cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9941526-B2
Application number	US-201514832308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2015
Priority date	Aug 21, 2015
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A dual purpose fuel cell configuration generates electricity and oxygen-depleted inert gases. The inert gaseous outflows are then applied to fuel tanks comprising electric compartments, fuel tanks, battery compartments, storage cavities, and refrigeration containers. Due to the low oxygen concentration in the generated gas, applications for these inerted gases range from fire prevention, fire suppression, and fumigation, to preservation of perishables, refrigeration, food and beverage preparation, and oxidation prevention.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A fuel cell configuration 200 comprising:
a dual purpose fuel cell 110 configured to generate electricity 120 and inert gas 150 ;
a water tank 135 configured to receive a water outflow 130 produced by the fuel cell 110 ;
a fuel tank 180 configured to receive the generated inert gas 150 ;
a hydrogen fuel source 160 configured to ionize within the fuel cell and provide electrons to generate electricity; and
a heat exchanger 220 configured to vaporize liquefied natural gas 310 for ionization in the fuel cell.

2. The fuel cell configuration in claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell 110 further comprises:
an oxygen source 170 composed of oxygen and other gases, configured to interact with the hydrogen fuel source 160 , to produce the water outflow 130 and generate the inert gas 150 .

3. The fuel cell configuration in claim 2 , wherein the liquefied natural gas 310 is vaporized by the heat exchanger 220 to optimize ionization in the fuel cell 110 .

4. The fuel cell configuration in claim 3 , wherein the heat exchanger 220 obtains heat from the water outflow 130 of the fuel cell 110 .

5. The fuel cell configuration in claim 3 , wherein the heat exchanger 220 obtains heat from the outflows of inert gas 150 , generated from the fuel cell 110 .

6. The fuel cell configuration in claim 2 , wherein the generated electricity 120 is delivered to an electric power storage unit 125 .

7. The fuel cell configuration in claim 2 , wherein the oxygen source 170 is atmospheric air.

8. The fuel cell configuration in claim 7 , wherein the oxygen source 170 passes through an air compressor 210 to optimize the oxygen source 170 prior to a reaction from the fuel cell.

9. The fuel cell configuration in claim 1 , wherein the fuel tank 180 comprises at least one of the following:
a refrigeration container 181 ;
a cargo container 184 ;
an electric compartment 186 ;
a storage cavity 187 ; and
a battery compartment 188 .

10. The fuel cell configuration in claim 9 , further comprising a refrigeration cooler 550 using electricity 120 generated from the fuel cell 110 to cool the outflow of inert gas 150 .

11. The fuel cell configuration in claim 1 , further comprising a subsystem configured to apply the generated inert gas for at least one of the following:
fire prevention 191 ;
fire suppression 192 ;
fumigation 193 ;
preservation of perishables 194 ;
refrigeration 195 ;
food or beverage preparation 196 ; and
prevention of oxidation reactions 197 .

12. A method to generate inert gas using a fuel cell mechanism 100 , comprising:
operating a fuel cell 110 to generate electricity 120 ;
generating oxygen-free inert gases 150 as fuel cell operation byproducts; and
applying the oxygen-free inert gases 150 to inert a gas tank 180 ; and
wherein the inert gases 150 are cooled by a refrigeration cooler 550 , then applied to create a refrigeration container 181 .

13. The method in claim 12 , wherein the fuel cell generates electricity through a method comprising:
configuring a hydrogen fuel source 160 to ionize within the fuel cell 165 , and generate electricity 120 for an electric storage unit 125 ; and
configuring an oxygen source comprised of oxygen and other gases 170 , to interact with the hydrogen fuel source to produce a water outflow 130 and generate the inert gases 150 .

14. The method in claim 13 , wherein the hydrogen fuel source 160 used by the fuel cell 110 comprises at least one of the following:
liquefied natural gas 310 ;
liquefied or compressed hydrogen 610 ; and
a non-cryogenic hydrocarbon 410 .

15. The method in claim 12 , wherein the inert gases 150 are applied to inert fuel tanks 180 comprised of at least one of the following:
a refrigeration container 181 ;
a fuel tank 182 ;
a cargo container 184 ;
an electrical compartment 186 ;
a storage cavity 187 ; and
a battery compartment 188 .

16. The method in claim 15 , further applying the inert gases 150 to serve as fire prevention 191 and fire suppression 192 .

17. The method in claim 15 , further applying the inert gases 150 to fumigate 193 cargo containers 184 , electrical compartments 186 , or other storage cavities 187 .

18. The method of claim 15 , further applying the inert gases 150 to preserve perishables 194 .

19. The method of claim 15 , further applying the inert gases 150 for food beverage preparation 196 .

20. The method in claim 15 , further applying the inert gases 150 to minimize risks of oxidation in fuel tanks 180 .

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Kawai Ronald Tatsuji

Classifications

• H01M8/04276

  Arrangements for managing the electrolyte stream, e.g. heat exchange · CPC title

• H01M8/04156 Primary

  with product water removal · CPC title

• H01M8/04216

  characterised by the choice for a specific material, e.g. carbon, hydride, absorbent · CPC title

• H01M8/04007

  related to heat exchange · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title