Turbocompressor impelling fuel recycle in fuel cell power plant
View Patent ↗A fuel cell power plant ( 7, 7 a ) has a stack ( 8 ) fed hydrogen-rich fuel gas from a source ( 14, 14 a ) with fuel recycle ( 30, 34 ) through a compressor ( 20 ) of a turbocompressor ( 19 ) having a turbine ( 17, 17 a ) driven either by high pressure hydrogen ( 14 ) or air exhaust ( 41 ).
1. A fuel cell power plant, comprising:
a plurality of fuel cells, each cell having an anode, a cathode and a proton exchange membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode;
fuel reactant flow fields on an anode side of said membrane and oxidant reactant flow fields on a cathode side of said membrane, each of said flow fields having an inlet and an outlet;
a source of hydrogen-rich fuel gas, said hydrogen-rich fuel gas being applied to said fuel reactant flow fields;
a source providing oxidant reactant gas to said oxidant flow fields;
an impeller connected to at least some of said fuel flow field outlets for pumping partially depleted fuel to at least some of said fuel flow field inlets;
said impeller comprising a compressor of a turbocompressor, a turbine of which is driven by said hydrogen-rich fuel gas.
2. A fuel cell power plant according to claim 1 , wherein:
said impeller is connected between all of said fuel flow field outlets and all of said fuel flow field inlets.
3. A fuel cell power plant, comprising:
a plurality of fuel cells, each cell having an anode, a cathode and a proton exchange membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode;
fuel reactant flow fields on an anode side of said membrane and oxidant reactant flow fields on a cathode side of said membrane, each of said flow fields having an inlet and an outlet;
a source of hydrogen-rich fuel gas, said hydrogen-rich fuel gas being applied to said fuel reactant flow fields;
a source providing oxidant reactant gas to said oxidant flow fields;
an impeller connected to at least some of said fuel flow field outlets for pumping partially depleted fuel to at least some of said fuel flow field inlets;
said impeller comprising a compressor of a turbocompressor, a turbine of which is driven by oxidant reactant gas flowing from said oxidant flow field outlets.
4. A fuel cell power plant according to claim 3 , wherein: said source providing oxidant reactant gas is an air pump.
5. A fuel cell power plant according to claim 3 wherein:
said source providing oxidant reactant gas is an air blower.
6. A fuel cell power plant according to claim 3 , wherein:
said impeller is connected between all of said fuel flow field outlets and all of said fuel flow field inlets.
7. A fuel cell power plant, comprising:
a plurality of fuel cells, each cell having an anode, a cathode and a proton exchange membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode;
fuel reactant flow fields on an anode side of said membrane and oxidant reactant flow fields on a cathode side of said membrane, each of said flow fields having an inlet and an outlet;
a source of hydrogen-rich fuel gas, said hydrogen-rich fuel gas being applied to said fuel reactant flow fields;
a source providing oxidant reactant gas to said oxidant flow fields;
an impeller connected to at least some of said fuel flow field outlets for pumping partially depleted fuel to at least some of said fuel flow field inlets;
said impeller comprising a compressor of a turbocompressor, a turbine of which is driven directly by said hydrogen-rich fuel gas.