Hydrogen-generating fuel cell cartridges

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9985306-B2
Application number	US-201514958806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2015
Priority date	Nov 3, 2008
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

The present application is directed to a gas-generating apparatus ( 10 ). Hydrogen is generated within the gas-generating apparatus and is transported to a fuel cell. The generation of hydrogen is regulated automatically by the selective exposure of a catalyst ( 48 ) to the fuel mixture depending on the pressure inside the reaction chamber ( 28 ) of the gas-generating apparatus. Catalyst sealing mechanisms ( 40, 42 ) are provided at least partially within the reaction chamber to regulate the hydrogen pressure and to minimize the fluctuations in pressure of the hydrogen received by the fuel cell.

First claim

We claim:

1. A reaction chamber for producing hydrogen for fuel cells comprising:
a housing containing a fuel mixture formed by dissolving a solid fuel in a liquid fuel to produce hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst;
at least one gas permeable liquid impermeable membrane component to separate hydrogen produced from the fuel and reaction by-products and configured to transport hydrogen to the fuel cell; and
a catalyst sealing member, the catalyst sealing member containing the catalyst and comprising a reference pressure chamber being capable of reversibly expanding and contracting in response to a difference between a reference pressure and an internal pressure of the reaction chamber,
wherein the catalyst sealing member comprises an elastomeric chamber;
wherein the catalyst sealing member is open when the internal pressure is equal to or less than the reference pressure of the reference pressure chamber such that, during use, the catalyst is exposed to the fuel mixture,
wherein the catalyst sealing member is closed isolating the catalyst from the fuel mixture, when the internal pressure is greater than the reference pressure;
wherein the catalyst sealing member retains substantially no residual fuel mixture when the catalyst sealing member is closed; and,
wherein the elastomeric chamber has one or more deformed walls when the catalyst sealing member is closed.

2. The reaction chamber of claim 1 , wherein the reference pressure is atmospheric pressure.

3. The reaction chamber of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst sealing member comprises a cup disposable against a sealing member, wherein the cup is displaced away from the sealing member when the catalyst sealing member is open and the cup is disposed against the sealing member when the catalyst sealing member is closed.

4. The reaction chamber of claim 1 , wherein the reference pressure chamber is fluidically connected to the exterior of the housing.

5. A gas-generating apparatus comprising:
a housing having an outlet port and a pressure relief valve; and
a reaction chamber located within the housing of the gas-generating apparatus, the reaction chamber comprising at least one gas permeable, liquid impermeable membrane providing a gas-conduit between the reaction chamber and the outlet port and pressure relief valve, the reaction chamber characterized as having an internal pressure and which, during use, contains a fuel mixture that produces a gas in the presence of a catalyst;
the reaction chamber containing a catalyst sealing member, the catalyst sealing member containing the catalyst and comprising a reference pressure chamber configured to communicate with a reference gas at a reference pressure, the reference pressure chamber being capable of reversibly expanding and contracting in response to a difference between the reference pressure and the internal pressure of the reaction chamber,
wherein the catalyst sealing member comprises an elastomeric chamber;
wherein the catalyst sealing member is open when the internal pressure of the reaction chamber is equal to or less than the reference pressure;
wherein the catalyst sealing member is closed when the reference pressure is greater than the internal pressure of the reaction chamber;
wherein the catalyst sealing member retains substantially no residual fuel mixture when the catalyst sealing member is closed; and,
wherein the elastomeric chamber has one or more deformed walls when the catalyst sealing member is closed.

6. The gas-generating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein reference pressure chamber has a substantially cylindrical shape.

7. The gas-generating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the reference pressure chamber is fluidically connected to the outside of the housing, such that the reference pressure is atmospheric pressure.

8. The gas-generating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the pressure relief valve is in fluidic communication with a hydrogen consumer.

9. The gas-generating apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the hydrogen consumer comprises a PEM fuel cell configured to convert excess hydrogen gas into water.

10. The gas-generating apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the hydrogen consumer comprises a compound that reacts with free hydrogen to form an inert compound that converts hydrogen to an inert state.

11. The gas-generating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the catalyst sealing member is configured such that a first portion of the catalyst sealing member twists relative to a second portion of the catalyst sealing member when the catalyst sealing member changes from open to closed.

12. The reaction chamber of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst sealing member is configured such that a first portion of the catalyst sealing member twists relative to a second portion of the catalyst sealing member when the catalyst sealing member changes from open to closed.

13. The reaction chamber of claim 1 , wherein the reaction chamber further comprises:
a second catalyst sealing member, the second catalyst sealing member containing the catalyst and comprising a second reference pressure chamber being capable of reversibly expanding and contracting in response to a difference between a second reference pressure and the internal pressure of the reaction chamber,
wherein the second catalyst sealing member comprises a second elastomeric chamber;
wherein the second catalyst sealing member is open when the internal pressure is equal to or less than the second reference pressure of the second reference pressure chamber such that, during use, the catalyst is exposed to the fuel mixture,
wherein the second catalyst sealing member is closed isolating the catalyst from the fuel mixture, when the internal pressure is greater than the second reference pressure;
wherein the second catalyst sealing member retains substantially no residual fuel mixture when the second catalyst sealing member is closed; and,
wherein the second reference pressure is different than the reference pressure.

14. The gas-generating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the gas-generating apparatus further comprises:
a second catalyst sealing member disposed within the reaction chamber, the catalyst sealing member containing the catalyst and comprising a second reference pressure chamber configured to communicate with a reference gas at a second reference pressure, the second reference pressure chamber being capable of reversibly expanding and contracting in response to a difference between the second reference pressure and the internal pressure of the reaction chamber,
wherein the second catalyst sealing member comprises an elastomeric chamber;
wherein the second catalyst sealing member is open when the internal pressure of the reaction chamber is equal to or less than the second reference pressure;
wherein the second catalyst sealing member is closed when the second reference pressure is greater than the internal pressure of the reaction chamber;
wherein the second catalyst sealing member retains substantially no residual fuel mixture when the second catalyst sealing member is closed; and,
wherein the second reference pressure is different than the reference pressure.

Assignees

• Intelligent Energy Ltd

Inventors

• Rosenzweig Alain
• Curello Andrew J
• Spahr Paul
• Curello Michael R

Classifications

• H01M8/0631 Primary

  Reactor construction specially adapted for combination reactor/fuel cell (hydrogen C01B3/00; reactors for physicochemical processes B01J19/00) · CPC title

• C01B2203/1052

  Nickel or cobalt catalysts · CPC title

• H01M8/04216

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

• C01B2203/107

  Platinum catalysts · CPC title

• H01M8/04656

  of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors · CPC title