Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus – product – and – Having magnetic field feature
Patent
1998-09-04
2000-12-19
Kalafut, Stephen
Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and
Having magnetic field feature
429 26, 429 30, H01M 804, H01M 810
Patent
active
06162554&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a low-temperature fuel cell system with force-heat coupling, as well as to a method for utilizing the waste heat of a low-temperature fuel cell module.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
German Letters Patent 42 34 151 discloses that the heat from the exhaust gases of high temperature fuel cells exploitable via heat exchangers and via normal flow heaters. German Letters Patent 40 32 993 discloses that the anode exhaust gas of a fuel module, which can, among other things, also be a low-temperature fuel cell module, can be utilized for combustion. It is provided in the embodiment with high-temperature fuel cells contained in this Prior Art that the hot exhaust gases from the high-temperature fuel cells are utilized for pre-heating the as yet unheated fuels that are rich in H.sub.2. Up to now, however, no method and no system for the implementation of a method has been disclosed wherein the enthalpy contained in the exhaust gases of low-temperature fuel cells is exploited for increasing the overall efficiency of an energy supply system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to offer a method as well as a system for the implementation of a method wherein the enthalpy or condensation energy contained in the exhaust gases of a low-temperature fuel cell module contributes to increasing the overall efficiency of the energy conversion system.
The invention is based on the perception that the condensation energy contained in the exhaust gases of a low temperature fuel cell can be considerable, particularly when it is operated at low pressure, and can be utilized in the overall system of an energy supply system. In particular, there is the underlying perception that the combination of two heat exchangers following a low-temperature fuel cell module--first, a heat exchanger that makes the heat stored in the coolant usable and, second, a heat exchanger that makes the enthalpy contained in the exhaust gases usable--increases the thermal output and, thus, the degree of thermal utilization of the low-temperature fuel cell module such that an overall degree of utilization of the hydrogen fuel of greater than 100% can be achieved with reference to H.sub.u of H.sub.2 (net calorific value "H.sub.u ").
The subject matter of the invention is a method for the utilization of the waste heat of a low-temperature fuel cell module, whereby exhaust gas from the low-temperature fuel cell module that is heated and enriched with vaporous reaction product is introduced such into a heat exchanger that at least the vaporous reaction product contained in the exhaust gas condenses out and the energy being thereby released is rendered usable, as well as a low-temperature fuel cell system with force-heat coupling wherein the exhaust gas is connected to a heat exchanger that comprises a condenser.
The heat exchanger which makes the enthalpy of the exhaust gas usable comprises a condenser. The remaining configuration of the heat exchanger, however, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way whatsoever because other energy converters that convert the enthalpy of the exhaust gas into other usable energy can also be inventively utilized here.
For example, all types of fuel cells whose operating temperature lies below that of the MCFC (molten carbonate fuel cell: operating temperature approximately 600.degree. C.) can be utilized as fuel cells of the low-temperature fuel cell system. Let the PAFC (phosphoric acid fuel cell: operating temperature approximately 150.degree.C.-250.degree.C.), DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell: operating temperature approximately 80.degree. C.-150.degree. C.), PEM (membrane fuel cell: operating temperature approximately 50.degree. C.-80.degree. C.), as well as the AFC (alkaline fuel cell: operating temperature 60.degree. C.-90.degree. C.) be thereby cited by way of example.
The use of the polymer membrane (PEM) fuel cell is especially preferred. What is understood by polymer membrane fuel cell is the PEM fuel cell,
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Kircher Roland
Nolscher Christoph
Kalafut Stephen
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
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