Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus – product – and – Having magnetic field feature
Patent
1993-07-23
1995-03-28
Willis, Jr., Prince
Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and
Having magnetic field feature
429 17, 429 19, 429 20, 429 24, H01M 804
Patent
active
054015898
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to the application of fuel cells to power generation systems.
It is known that fuel cells can produce an electrical output when appropriate substances are supplied. Until recently, fuel cells have lacked the power density to be considered as primary sources of power for industrial applications. However recent developments have led to a new generation of fuel cell designs which possess attributes such as:
The above properties offer a very attractive combination and suggest possible applications in transport, every day and emergency power supply systems, electric power supplies for small pleasure boats, or at remote locations, etc. Fuel cells also offer a viable means of submarine propulsion, particularly when submerged, but also when surfaced, or snorting; in this regard, a fuel cell power generation system could be the primary source of power, e.g. for driving the electric propulsion motor, for the provision of power for hotel and other loads and for battery charging.
Unfortunately, there are drawbacks, such as:
Though the above drawbacks are not insignificant, the benefits far outweigh them. For example, the thermal efficiency of even the most efficient power station is only about 30-35% in terms of electrical output, while for the solid polymer type of fuel cell, it is about 70%. There is thus a need to develop the support systems required to provide a viable, self-contained fuel cell power generation system.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrical power generation system comprising:
a supply of a first substance;
a supply of a second substance;
a fuel cell capable of producing electrical power when fed with reactants.
apparatus to treat said first and second substances in such manners as to provide said reactants;
means to feed said reactants to said fuel cell so that electrical power is produced;
means to dispose of waste products arising from said fuel cell and other parts of the system;
a control means to regulate components of the system and to regulate flow streams of the system; and
heat exchange means to substantially balance the heating and cooling requirements within said system.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of electrical power generation comprising the steps of:
providing first and second substances;
providing a fuel cell capable of producing electrical power when fed with reactants;
treating said first and second substances in such manners as to provide the reactants for the fuel cell;
feeding said reactants to said fuel cell so that electrical power is produced;
disposing of the waste products from the fuel cell and other parts of the power generation system;
regulating the operating parameters of the power generating system as a whole and of the individual components of the system and regulating the flow between the components; and
balancing the heating requirements of one or more parts of the system with the cooling requirements of one or more other parts of the system.
Preferably, the output energy of the fuel cell is conditioned to convert it into a more readily usable form as D.C. or A.C. power, e.g. 240 volts A.C.
By regulating the parameters of each relevant component of the system and by regulating the relevant flow streams of the system it is possible to ensure that the system functions reliably and at maximum efficiency over a wide range of operating conditions.
The matching of the heating and cooling requirements is achieved by the use of heat exchangers and by waste management. It may also include placing sources of heat and processes requiring heat in juxtaposition so that heat may be transferred via a separating wall, via heat pipes or other means of enhanced heat transfer. Sources of waste heat, which cannot be utilised in the system itself, can be used for space heating or perhaps for further electrical power generation, e.g. by discharging pressurised fluids via a turbogenerator, or to boil a working fluid (such as a refrigerant gas) which is discharged v
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Dams Robert A. J.
Palmer Ian
Seymour Clive M.
CJBD Limited
Nuzzolillo M.
Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited
Willis Jr. Prince
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