High power fuel cell system
A power generator and method include passing ambient air via an ambient air path past a cathode side of the fuel cell to a water exchanger, picking up water from the cathode side of the fuel cell and exhausting air and nitrogen to ambient, passing hydrogen via a recirculating hydrogen path past an anode side the fuel cell to the water exchanger, where the water exchanger transfers water from the ambient air path comprising a cathode stream to the recirculating hydrogen path comprising an anode stream, and passing the water to a hydrogen generator to add hydrogen to the recirculating hydrogen path and passing the hydrogen via the recirculating hydrogen path past the anode side of the fuel cell.
1. A fuel cell based power generator comprising:
a fuel cell element;
a water exchanger element;
a hydrogen generator element directly connected to the water exchanger element;
an ambient air path configured to receive ambient air and provide the ambient air across a cathode side of the fuel cell element, receive water from the fuel cell element and provide wet air to the water exchanger element;
a recirculating hydrogen air path configured to receive hydrogen from the hydrogen generator element, provide the hydrogen past an anode side the fuel cell element to the water exchanger element and provide wet hydrogen back to the hydrogen generator; and
a recirculating hydrogen air path heat exchanger with fan disposed in the recirculating hydrogen air path after the hydrogen generator element and before the fuel cell element.
2. The fuel cell based power generator of claim 1 and further comprising a rechargeable battery coupled to the fuel cell element to receive electricity from the fuel cell element and provide electricity to a load.
3. The fuel cell based power generator of claim 1 and further comprising:
a fuel cell temperature sensor positioned to sense a temperature of the fuel cell element; and
an ambient air path fan controller to receive temperature information from the fuel cell element temperature sensor and control the ambient air path fan speed to maintain the fuel cell element temperature at a selected temperature.
4. The fuel cell based power generator of claim 3 wherein the fuel cell element selected temperature is 60° C.
5. The fuel cell based power generator f claim 3 wherein the fuel cell element selected temperature is between 60° C. and 80° C.
6. The fuel cell based power generator of claim 1 and further comprising:
a hydrogen generator element temperature sensor positioned to sense a temperature of the hydrogen generator element; and
a recirculating hydrogen air path fan controller to receive temperature information from the hydrogen generator element temperature sensor and control the recirculating hydrogen air path fan speed to maintain the hydrogen generator element temperature at a selected temperature.
7. The fuel cell based power generator of claim 6 wherein the hydrogen generator element selected temperature is 80° C.
8. The fuel cell based power generator of claim 6 wherein the hydrogen generator element selected temperature is between 60° C.-100° C.
9. The fuel cell based power generator of claim 1 and further comprising:
a water exchanger element temperature sensor positioned to sense a temperature of the water exchanger element;
a recirculating hydrogen air path heat exchanger with fan disposed in the hydrogen air path coupled to the water exchanger element;
an ambient air path water heat exchanger element with fan disposed in the ambient air path coupled to the water exchanger element; and
a fan controller to receive temperature information from the water exchanger element temperature sensor and control heat exchanger fan speeds to maintain the water exchanger element temperature at a water exchanger selected temperature.
10. The fuel cell based power generator of claim 9 wherein the water exchanger element selected temperature is 40° C.
11. The fuel cell based power generator f claim 9 wherein the water exchanger element selected temperature is between 40° C. 60° C.
12. The fuel cell based power generator of claim 1 wherein the water exchanger element is coupled to receive warm wet air from the ambient air path, warm dry hydrogen from the recirculating hydrogen air path, exhaust hot dry air to ambient, and provide wet hydrogen to the hydrogen generator element via the recirculating hydrogen air path.