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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6277508 | Fuel cell power supply with exhaust recycling for improved water management Methods and apparatus for improving water management in a PEM fuel cell power supply are disclosed. The fuel cell power supply includes a combustion unit that combusts anode exhaust, producing combusted exhaust that includes water. The combusted exhaust i... | 08/21/2001 |
| 6197442 | Method of using a water transport plate A water transport plate is provided with optimized physical characteristics to greatly improve fuel cell operation. In a preferred method of manufacturing, graphite powder, reinforcing fibers, cellulosic fibers, and a thermosetting resin are mixed with a ... | 03/06/2001 |
| 6110613 | Alcohol and water recovery system for a direct aqueous alcohol fuel cell power plant An alcohol and water recovery system for a direct aqueous alcohol fuel cell power plant includes at least one direct aqueous alcohol fuel cell for producing electrical energy, and a direct alcohol and water transfer device for recovering alcohol and water... | 08/29/2000 |
| 6103410 | Start up of frozen fuel cell During start up, a fuel cell is warmed to operating temperature by introducing a dilute hydrogen/air mixture into the normal process oxidant channels of the fuel cell where it reacts with a noble metal or noble metal alloy catalyst to produce heat at subf... | 08/15/2000 |
| 6093500 | Method and apparatus for operating a fuel cell system Method and apparatus for changing the state of operation of a fuel cell, such as starting the fuel cell up or shutting the fuel cell down, are disclosed. An idle load is applied to the fuel cell when the cell temperature is between about normal operating ... | 07/25/2000 |
| 6051192 | Control system and method for controlling a gas generating system A control system and method for controlling a fuel processing system operational to produce a gas for a downstream process from a fuel, wherein the fuel processing system uses a plurality of fuel processing elements, a fuel input and a waste gas input, ea... | 04/18/2000 |
| 6048635 | Polymeric header for fuel cell pressure plate assemblies The end plate assemblies in a fuel cell stack are conductive and made from metal that is susceptible of corroding in the hostile fuel cell environment. Coolant fluid circulates through these plates. Reactants must also be fed through the end plate assembl... | 04/11/2000 |
| 6024848 | Electrochemical cell with a porous support plate An improved electrochemical cell such as a fuel cell is disclosed including a porous support plate for enhancing transport of fluids throughout the cell and for enhancing capacitance and transient response capability of the cell. The electrochemical cell ... | 02/15/2000 |
| 6007931 | Mass and heat recovery system for a fuel cell power plant A mass and heat recovery system for a fuel cell power plant includes at least one fuel cell for producing electrical energy, hydrocarbon fuel processing components for producing a hydrogen rich reducing fluid for the fuel cell, and a direct mass and heat ... | 12/28/1999 |
| 5998058 | Porous support layer for an electrochemical cell An improved porous support layer is disclosed for use in an electrochemical cell such as a fuel cell having a proton exchange membrane ("PEM") as an electrolyte. In a preferred embodiment the porous support layer is positioned near and in fluid communicat... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5989318 | Apparatus for separating water from a two-phase stream The present invention is directed to a water separator for separating a two-phase stream into a liquid water component and a gas component. The water separator includes a housing defining a cavity and includes an input port, a gas output port and a water ... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5961928 | Gas generating system and method A system for generating a desired output gas from an input fuel for use in a downstream process is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of fuel processing units to generate the desired output gas, wherein each of the plurality of fuel processing uni... | 10/05/1999 |
| 5732463 | Method of preparing a fuel cell electrode The present invention discloses a method for preparing a catalyst to be applied to an electrode substrate, the method incorporates cooling the catalyst material to a temperature below a critical temperature and grinding the cooled catalyst to produce a ca... | 03/31/1998 |
| 5607786 | Fuel cell transport frame The present invention discloses a transport frame for transporting and maintaining a fuel cell stack assembly in a fixed position. The fuel cell stack asembly which is under compression by a top and bottom plate held together by tie rods positioned at the... | 03/04/1997 |
| 5558955 | Cathode reactant flow field component for a fuel cell stack The reactant flow field on the cathode side of a fuel cell assembly is formed from a plate made from carbon particles that are bonded together by a fluorocarbon polymer binder. The cathode reactant flow field is non-porous, and is hydrophobic due to the p... | 09/24/1996 |
| 5523175 | Plate-shaped fuel cell component A fuel cell component that includes a porous fuel cell plate and a solid frame contiguously extending all around the fuel cell plate is made by first forming an integral plate-shaped porous body including a central portion constituting the fuel cell plate... | 06/04/1996 |
| 5516344 | Fuel cell power plant fuel processing apparatus The integrated apparatus includes within a single vessel a plurality of components for processing fuel in a fuel cell plant. Along with the gas reformer is an air preheater for the burner and a plenum for supplying the shift converter. The shift converter... | 05/14/1996 |
| 5504433 | Electrochemical sensor for monitoring electrolyte content During operation of a fuel cell stack, electrolyte within individual fuel cells migrates between the cathode side and the anode side, and across the separator plate between the cathode side and the anode side electrolyte reservoir plate of a second cell. ... | 04/02/1996 |
| 5486041 | Cabinet structures coupled to adjacent cabinet structures and to rectangular frame elements, and equipped with anti-tilt mechanisms and rolling and sliding bases Cabinet structure has interconnected side, top and back panels, and base structure connected to the side panels, all with interengaging bevelled edge surfaces. A recess is formed in one bevelled surface and extends outwardly to define an opening on an out... | 01/23/1996 |
| 5480735 | High current alkaline fuel cell electrodes Electrodes for an alkaline fuel cell are disclosed. The electrodes include a porous substrate and a catalyst layer supported on the substrate. The catalyst layer includes catalyst particles for catalyzing the electrochemical reaction occurring at the elec... | 01/02/1996 |
| 5478663 | Edge seals for molten carbonate fuel cell stacks The reactant manifolds and corners of a molten carbonate fuel cell stack are sealed with particulate lithium aluminate members which are sufficiently porous so as to resist significant electrolyte migration therethrough. The seal members which are dispose... | 12/26/1995 |
| 5470360 | Fuel cell power plant reformer burner gas flow control system The fuel gas reformer of a fuel cell power plant is provided with burner gas flow baffles which are annular in configuration, and which are concentric with the axis of the burner tube. The annular burner gas flow baffles form annular burner gas flow passa... | 11/28/1995 |
| 5468573 | Electrolyte paste for molten carbonate fuel cells The electrolyte matrix and electrolyte reservoir plates in a molten carbonate fuel cell power plant stack are filled with electrolyte by applying a paste of dry electrolyte powder entrained in a dissipatable carrier to the reactant flow channels in the cu... | 11/21/1995 |
| 5419978 | Phosphoric acid fuel cell passivation with natural gas The anodes of fuel cells in a fuel cell stack are passivated during no load, hot-hold periods by directing a stream of desulfurized natural gas through the anode side of the cells in the stack. The cell voltage is thus maintained below 800 millivolts, pre... | 05/30/1995 |
| 5366825 | Laminated electrolyte reservoir plate An electrolyte reservoir plate is formed in a papermaking process. Graphite powder, reinforcing fibers, cellulosic fibers, and a thermosetting resin are mixed with a liquid to form a slurry and showered onto a screen to form a planar sheet which is dried ... | 11/22/1994 |
| 5350452 | Apparatus for applying dispersions to selected fuel cell electrode plate regions A flowable substance is applied to at least one predetermined area of a major surface of a plate-shaped fuel cell component by directing at least one stream of the flowable substance toward a predetermined zone that is situated in a plane along which the ... | 09/27/1994 |
| 5344668 | Applying dispersions to selected fuel cell electrode plate regions A flowable substance is applied to at least one predetermined area of a major surface of a plate-shaped fuel cell component by directing at least one stream of the flowable substance toward a predetermined zone that is situated in a plane along which the ... | 09/06/1994 |
| 5340663 | Fuel cell power plant A fuel cell power plant in which the fuel cell stack is enclosed within a containment vessel and in which reformer burner exhaust is used to pressurize and purge the containment vessel is disclosed. The fuel cell power plant provides dynamic pressure bala... | 08/23/1994 |
| 5330727 | Apparatus for removing carbon monoxide from gaseous media The concentration of carbon monoxide in a gaseous medium is reduced by selective catalytic oxidation in the presence of gaseous oxygen by passing the gaseous medium through a catalyst capable of oxidizing carbon monoxide in an exothermic reaction at tempe... | 07/19/1994 |
| 5330857 | Method of generating high-purity nitrogen gas High-purity nitrogen gas is generated by reducing at least the residual oxygen content of at least the cathode exhaust gas stream of a fuel cell device. The oxygen reduction is achieved either by controlling the passage of an oxidant gas through the catho... | 07/19/1994 |
| 5328542 | Method of manufacturing a laminated fuel cell component with an internal fluid impermeable barrier A composite plate-shaped fuel cell component includes two electrically conductive porous plates juxtaposed and in area electrical contact with one another at an interface, and a sealant body accommodated in and completely filling the pores of a sealed reg... | 07/12/1994 |
| 5308456 | Molten carbonate fuel cell sulfur scrubber and method using same Sulfur compounds poison catalysts, such as the anode catalysts and reformer catalysts within molten carbonate fuel cell systems. This poisoning is eliminated using a sulfur scrubber 29 located prior to the inlet of the cathode chamber 13. Anode exhaust 19... | 05/03/1994 |
| 5300124 | Method for forming a laminated electrolyte reservoir plate An electrolyte reservoir plate is formed in a papermaking process. Graphite powder, reinforcing fibers, cellulosic fibers, and a thermosetting resin are mixed with a liquid to form a slurry and showered onto a screen to form a planar sheet which is dried ... | 04/05/1994 |
| 5294580 | Method for making alloyed catalysts Adjustment of the noble metal catalytic activity in the production of noble metal alloyed catalyst preparation using alloying metals capable of multiple valence states improves the alloying metal loading. A noble metal is precipitated from a liquid onto a... | 03/15/1994 |
| 5275632 | Reformer support arrangement A gas fired reformer includes a plurality of bayonet type reformers, each having a vertical outlet tube posted on a common outlet header. Three outlet header continuation members pass downwardly through the reformer shell to a ground support, at least one... | 01/04/1994 |
| 5270132 | Minimized corrosion fuel cell device and a method of making the same A carbon-based material substrate of a cathode electrode of an acid electrolyte fuel cell is made corrosion resistant by depositing a material that is nonwettable by the electrolyte on that major surface of the substrate which carries a catalyst layer all... | 12/14/1993 |
| 5268239 | Fluoropolymer laminated separator plate Electrolyte migrates inter-cell in fuel cell stacks due to an electric potential gradient across the stack. This migration can be substantially inhibited with a graphite separator plate which has been laminated to the electrolyte reservoir plates of adjac... | 12/07/1993 |
| 5262249 | Internally cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell device An internally cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell device includes a fuel cell including a pair of substantially coextensive electrode components each of which includes a porous central region and a fluid-impermeable peripheral region circumferential... | 11/16/1993 |
| 5262034 | Electrochemical sensor for monitoring electrochemical potentials of fuel cell components An electrochemical sensor comprised of wires, a sheath, and a conduit can be utilized to monitor fuel cell component electric potentials during fuel cell shut down or steady state. The electrochemical sensor contacts an electrolyte reservoir plate such th... | 11/16/1993 |
| 5235846 | Fuel cell leakage detection technique Cross-over leakage in fuel cells is determined by comparing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the oxidant inlet stream and cathode effluent. The amount of carbon dioxide in the oxidant stream of a fuel cell should remain constant, barring leakage pro... | 08/17/1993 |
