Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Apparatus – Electrolytic
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-05
2003-05-27
King, Roy (Department: 1742)
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Apparatus
Electrolytic
C204S242000, C204S252000, C429S010000, C429S010000, C429S006000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06569298
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention generally relates to an integrated apparatus for the production of gaseous fuel, purified water and electrical power. More particularly, the present invention relates to an integrated apparatus having a water deionization system operatively coupled to an electrolytic hydrogen generator and a fuel cell power plant.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Fossil fuel combustion has been identified as a significant contributor to numerous adverse environmental effects. For example, poor local air quality, regional acidification of rainfall that extends into lakes and rivers, and a global increase in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHG), have all been associated with the combustion of fossil fuels. In particular, increased concentrations of GHG's are a significant concern since the increased concentrations may cause a change in global temperature, thereby potentially contributing to global climatic disruption. Further, GHG's may remain in the earth's atmosphere for up to several hundred years.
One problem associated with the use of fossil fuel is that the consumption of fossil fuel correlates closely with economic and population growth. Therefore, as economies and populations continue to increase worldwide, substantial increases in the concentration of GHG's in the atmosphere is expected. A further problem associated with the use of fossil fuels is related to the inequitable geographical distribution of global petroleum resources. In particular, many industrialized economies are deficient in domestic supplies of petroleum, which forces these economies to import steadily increasing quantities of crude oil in order to meet the domestic demand for petroleum derived fuels.
Fossil fuels are used for a variety of purposes, but the most significant quantities of fossil fuels are dedicated to low-temperature space heating, electricity generation and transportation. Of these, transportation is the largest consumer of fossil fuels. In 1996, for example, transportation accounted for almost two-thirds of the 120 billion gallons of gasoline and 27 billion gallons of diesel fuel consumed in the United States. (US Dept. of Energy, Energy Information Administration,
Annual Energy Review
1996, DOE/EIA-0384(96), Washington, D.C. (1997)). Consequently, the transportation sector's large consumption of fossil fuels coupled with a growing concern over the environmental and geopolitical consequences surrounding the use of fossil fuels are major driving forces stimulating the development of new transportation technologies. While certain technologies aim to coexist with current transportation technologies, others seek to replace them entirely.
One of these new transportation technologies is the hybrid diesel/electric and the gasoline/electric automobile. Hybrid vehicles combine a small diesel or gas engine with an electrical generator that provides electricity to a bank of storage batteries. The storage batteries, in turn, provide power to an electric motor that drives the wheels of the vehicle. Current hybrid vehicles are capable of achieving 60 to 80 miles per gallon of fuel, thereby reducing combustion emissions by using less fuel than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles.
Another new transportation technology is directed to improvements in fossil fuels. For example, the automotive and oil industries are jointly developing a “clean diesel” fuel technology that combines improved fuels with improved catalytic converters to cooperatively yield a reduction in nitrous oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide and particulate matter emissions. As a result, emissions from the diesel engine have been reduced by as much as 90%.
Still another new transportation technology is the battery powered electric vehicle (BPEV). Although BPEV's were introduced in the early 1900s, they have historically had a negligible presence in the consumer marketplace. Recently, however, some automobile manufacturers have introduced electric vehicles, such as the General Motors EV
1
™, the Ford RANGER™ EV pickup and the Chrysler EPIC™ EV minivan. Despite substantial advances in low weight materials, however, BPEV's still suffer from weight limitations and poor performance. In particular, the low volumetric and gravimetric energy densities found in storage batteries remains a substantial barrier impeding the widespread use of BPEV's. These low energy densities translate into short operational ranges between recharging. Currently, a typical range for a BPEV is between 75 and 130 miles. Further, BPEV's are limited principally to light-duty applications, and require battery replacement every few years, which necessitates the institution of recycling or disposal programs to dispose of the depleted batteries.
The application of fuel cell technology to the BPEV may make the BPEV practical by eliminating the drawbacks associated with the use of storage batteries. Unlike a storage battery, a fuel cell does not internally store energy, and does not consume materials that are stored within the battery to generate electricity. Instead, the fuel cell converts an externally supplied fuel and oxidizer to electricity and reaction products. For example, in an electrochemical fuel cell employing hydrogen as the fuel and oxygen as the oxidizer, the reaction products are water and heat.
A total of six different fuel cell technologies have been identified as being suited for power generation in stationary and mobile applications. The details and operational characteristics of each of these technologies have been extensively reviewed. (A. J. Appleby and F. R. Foulkes,
Fuel Cell Handbook,
Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Fla., USA (1993)). Of these, the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) has been identified as the most suitable technology for vehicular applications.
Referring now to
FIG. 1
, a cross sectional, schematic view of a PEMFC
10
according to the prior art is shown. The PEMFC cell
10
includes a centrally positioned membrane electrode assembly (MEA)
101
, which is comprised of an anode electrode layer
103
, a cathode electrode layer
104
, an electrocatalyst layer
107
disposed on the anode electrode layer
103
, an electrocatalyst layer
108
disposed on the cathode electrode layer
104
. The electrocatalyst layers
107
and
108
promote the desired electrochemical reaction. The polymer membrane electrode
102
is comprised of a material that readily permits the transport of ions and solvent between the anode electrode layer and the cathode electrode layer during operation of the fuel cell, but is relatively impermeable to gases. A suitable material for the polymer membrane electrode is the perfluorinated polymer NAFION, manufactured by E. I. Dupont de Nemours & Co. of Wilmington, Del. During operation of the PEMFC cell
10
, hydrogen flowing through fuel channels
109
formed in an anode flow field plate
110
move through the anode electrode layer
103
and is oxidized at the anode electrocatalyst layer
107
to yield electrons to the anode electrode layer
103
and hydrogen ions, which migrate through the MEA
101
.
Still referring to
FIG. 1
, the electrochemical reaction for hydrogen dissociation occurring at the layer
107
is given by equation 1:
2H
2
(
g
)→4H
+
+4
e
−
(1)
At the same time, oxygen flowing through oxidizer channels
111
formed in a cathode flow field plate
112
move through the cathode electrode layer
104
to combine with the hydrogen ions that have migrated through the MEA
101
and electrons from the cathode electrode layer
104
to form water. This electrochemical reaction is given by equation 2:
O
2
(
g
)+4H
+
+4
e
−
→2H
2
O(
l
) (2)
The overall electrochemical reaction for the PEMFC
10
therefore given by equation 3:
2H
2
(
g
)+O
2
(
g
)→2H
2
O(
l
) (3)
An electron current
113
travels from the anode flow field plate
110
through an external electrical load
114
to the cathode flow field plate
112
to p
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
King Roy
Nicolas Wesley A.
Walter Roberto Merida-Donis
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