Bizarre Patents
A helium-filled sun shade for protecting individuals engaged in outdoor activities.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7964322 | Separator for direct methanol fuel cell A separator for separating a gas/liquid mixture for a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) comprises a closed channel with at least one channel section whose wall completely or partially consists of a hydrophobic, gas-permeable membrane, in which the cross-sectional are... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7811690 | Proton exchange membrane fuel cell A power generator comprising a hydrogen generator and a fuel cell stack having an anode exposed to hydrogen from the hydrogen generator and a cathode exposed to an ambient environment. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic layers are used to promote flow of water away from th... | 10/12/2010 |
| 7781083 | Hydrogen/hydrogen peroxide fuel cell One embodiment of the present invention includes a technique of performing a catalytic oxidation reaction at an anode to provide hydrogen ions from molecular hydrogen and a catalytic reduction reaction at a cathode to provide hydroxyl ions from liquid hydrogen perox... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7763370 | Electrical power generator An improved system for generating electrical power using a fuel cell. More particularly, a system for generating hydrogen gas by reacting water vapor with a substantially non-fluid substance and transporting the generated hydrogen gas to the fuel cell which generate... | 07/27/2010 |
| 7758984 | Shift reactor, fuel cell system employing the same, and operating method of the same A shift reactor for fuel cells, a fuel cell system employing the same, and an operating method of the same are provided. More particularly, a shift reactor for fuel cells is filled with a shift catalyst and includes an inlet through which reactants flow into the shi... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7749625 | Fuel for fuel cell, fuel cell and application thereof A fuel cell fuel contains an organic fuel used as a fuel for a fuel cell. The organic fuel is in a form of a solid molecular compound, such as an inclusion compound. The molecular compound can be prepared by contact catalytic reaction of a compound for forming the m... | 07/06/2010 |
| 7736775 | Fuel cell system and method for operating a fuel cell system A fuel cell system has a fuel cell stack composed of a plurality of fuel cells with a cathode side having a cathode inlet and a cathode outlet and an anode side having an anode inlet and an anode outlet. It is possible for a hydrogen-containing medium to be fed to t... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7736774 | Solid oxide fuel cell system There are provided a solid oxide fuel cell system made up of (a) a solid oxide fuel cell stack, (b) a preliminary reformer for removing hydrocarbons having two or more carbon atoms from a hydrocarbon fuel by converting the hydrocarbons having two or more carbon atom... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7727647 | Portable hydrogen fuel container charger A portable fuel cell charger has a water source and an electrolyzer coupled to the water source and adapted to be coupled to a power source. A fuel cell cartridge coupler is coupled to the electrolyzer and is adapted to be coupled to a fuel cell cartridge for provid... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7709121 | Method and apparatus for recirculating unused fuel in fuel cells Unused fuel in a fuel cell is recirculated in the anode loop and combined with fresh fuel using an electromagnetically driven pump. The pump includes a magnetic rotor mounted inside a conduit of nonmagnetic material that recirculates the fuel, and a plurality of ele... | 05/04/2010 |
| 7704617 | Hybrid reformer for fuel flexibility A reformer for a fuel cell system includes a leading segment and a trailing segment. The leading segment includes less reactive catalyst and/or more stabilizing catalyst than the trailing segment. The reformer may be used for reformation of high and low hydrocarbon ... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7704618 | High temperature fuel cell system and method of operating same A high temperature fuel cell stack system, such as a solid oxide fuel cell system, with an improved balance of plant efficiency includes a thermally integrated reformer, combustor and the fuel cell stack. ... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7691508 | Fuel cell shutdown and startup using a cathode recycle loop A method and device for operating a fuel cell system. A recirculation loop coupled to a fuel cell cathode ensures that fluids passing through the cathode are recycled, thereby enabling reaction between residual oxygen in the recycled fluid and fuel that has been int... | 04/06/2010 |
| 7687166 | Process for generation of electricity from a solid oxide fuel cell auxiliary power unit using engine exhaust gas The invention provides an auxiliary power unit (APU) and process for electricity generation in combination with an internal combustion engine in which the APU includes a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) having an inlet for fuel, an inlet for air and/or engine exhaust ga... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7678479 | Hydrogen fuel delivery systems A method for providing hydrogen to a hydrogen-powered device comprises providing a buffer connected to supply hydrogen to the device. The buffer is filled with hydrogen by coupling the buffer to a cartridge containing a predetermined quantity of hydrogen. The hydrog... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7674539 | Systems and processes for providing hydrogen to fuel cells A process and system for providing a hydrogen-containing gas stream to a fuel cell anode that includes providing a hydrogen-containing gas stream that includes carbon monoxide, introducing the hydrogen-containing gas stream into a pressure swing adsorption module th... | 03/09/2010 |
| 7674538 | Apparatus and method for high efficiency operation of a high temperature fuel cell system Apparatus and method for operating a fuel cell system including a hydrocarbon catalytic reformer and close-coupled fuel cell stack by recycling anode syngas into the reformer in a range between 60% and 95% of the total syngas. At equilibrium conditions, oxygen requi... | 03/09/2010 |
| 7670698 | Silicide fueled power generators and methods related thereto Embodiments of the present invention relate to a power generator comprising one or more fuel cells and a fuel, wherein the fuel comprises an alkali metal silicide. ... | 03/02/2010 |
| 7666533 | Determination of the lambda value of reformate A process and device for determination of the lambda value (λactual) of reformate (10) which is to be supplied to a fuel cell stack (12), by determining the lambda value (λactual) of the no-load voltage (U0) of the vo... | 02/23/2010 |
| 7651800 | Fuel cell system The object is to provide a simplified but highly efficient fuel cell system, permitting to perform the flame off detection and so on without supplying the burner with additional raw fuel, even if a flame rod system flame detection means is adopted as burner for refo... | 01/26/2010 |
| 7648785 | Clean power system One aspect of the invention relates to a clean power generation system in which an internal combustion engine is operated to produce shaft power and an exhaust stream. The exhaust stream is processed by a fuel cell. Fluctuations in power demand are met, at least in ... | 01/19/2010 |
| 7641994 | Fuel processing method and system A fuel processing method for a solid oxide fuel cell stack comprising the steps of: (a) supplying a feed stream comprising methanol and/or dimethyl ether to a methanation reactor containing catalytic material for the methanation of methanol and/or dimet... | 01/05/2010 |
| 7625648 | Electrochemical cell assembly An electrochemical cell assembly in which one or more grounded conduits, that can be an oxygen product tube or simply inlets or outlets, are connected to the electrically driven oxygen separator. In order to prevent the conduit(s) from degrading due to electrochemic... | 12/01/2009 |
| 7625647 | Fuel cell system with integrated thermal-to-electric generating devices A set of fuel cell system heat exchangers that have been modified to incorporate thermal-to-electric devices is disclosed. These devices convert a portion of the thermal energy flowing through each heat exchanger to electric energy. Methods for operating the fuel ce... | 12/01/2009 |
| 7572531 | Fuel reformer system with improved water transfer The present invention provides a hydrocarbon fuel reformer systems that improve the recovery and utilization of the water vapor and/or the heat energy within the reformer system. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention utilizes a desiccant matrix maintained... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7569294 | Modular portable battery charging system using hydrogen fuel cells Battery charging system comprising a hydrogen source module adapted to provide gaseous hydrogen; a hydrogen fuel cell power module comprising a hydrogen fuel cell and a power delivery outlet unit adapted to transfer power generated by the fuel cell to a secondary ba... | 08/04/2009 |
| 7550215 | Autothermal reformer-reforming exchanger arrangement for hydrogen production Low-energy, low-capital hydrogen production is disclosed. A reforming exchanger 14 is placed in parallel with an autothermal reformer (ATR) 10 to which are supplied a preheated steam-hydrocarbon mixture. An air-steam mixture is supplied to the burner/m... | 06/23/2009 |
| 7544431 | Regulated hydrogen production system A production system includes a reaction chamber having an inlet and outlet, a gas collection chamber coupled with the reaction chamber and a regulator coupled to the gas collection chamber. The regulator controls the flow of reactant to the reaction chamber in respo... | 06/09/2009 |
| 7521140 | Fuel cell system with electrokinetic pump A fuel cell system having a fuel cell, the fuel cell having a membrane-electrode assembly; a fuel reservoir containing a liquid fuel; a conduit coupling the fuel reservoir to the fuel cell; and an electrokinetic fuel pump coupled to the conduit, the electrokinetic f... | 04/21/2009 |
| 7521139 | Thermal management of fuel cells A method for the thermal management of a fuel cell, which method comprises: processing a fuel supply stream in an autothermal reformer to produce a fuel cell supply stream comprising a concentration of methane; and reforming within the fuel cell methane present in t... | 04/21/2009 |
| 7510793 | Post-reformer treatment of reformate gas A method of modifying reformate gas composition downstream of the reformer so that it remains in a carbon-free region, i.e. above the critical oxygen/carbon ratio even at the desired minimum operating temperature. This is accomplished by using staged partial oxidati... | 03/31/2009 |
| 7491455 | Method to startup a fuel cell stack without battery derived compressor power A method of providing fuel cell start-up without battery derived compressor power is provided. The method includes introducing hydrogen to the anode inlet of a fuel cell stack previously purged with air. The introduced hydrogen in the anode channels and the existing... | 02/17/2009 |
| 7485380 | Fuel cell power plant used as reformate generator A method for operating a fuel cell power plant to provide end-use electricity, end-use heat and end-use reformate includes the steps of providing a fuel cell power plant that consumes reformate to provide electricity and heat, said fuel cell power plant having a nom... | 02/03/2009 |
| 7482075 | Reforming apparatus for fuel cell, fuel cell and operation method of fuel cell In a reforming method for a high temperature type fuel cell in which dimethyl ether is used as fuel gas, and a gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide produced by reacting dimethyl ether with carbon dioxide is fed into the anode, the carbon deposition at the tim... | 01/27/2009 |
| 7482076 | Fuel cell stack humidification method incorporating an accumulation device A method of fuel cell stack humidification is provided incorporating the use of an accumulation device. The method provides for feeding back humid anode exhaust gas of the fuel cell stack to the fuel cell inlet and switching the anode inlet and outlet of the fuel ce... | 01/27/2009 |
| 7479336 | Gas control and operation method of a fuel cell system for water and gas distribution A gas control and operation method of a fuel cell system for improved water and gas distribution is disclosed. The present invention provides for a mechanization of a fuel cell system that allows control of the anode reactant and anode effluent through the anode por... | 01/20/2009 |
| 7479337 | Fuel cell shutdown and startup using a cathode recycle loop A method and device for operating a fuel cell system. A recirculation loop coupled to a fuel cell cathode ensures that fluids passing through the cathode are recycled, thereby enabling reaction between residual oxygen in the recycled fluid and fuel that has been int... | 01/20/2009 |
| 7465504 | Direct oxidation fuel cell and system operating on concentrated fuel using low oxidant stoichiometry A direct oxidation fuel cell system includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), a high concentration fuel and an oxidant source. Embodiments include a controller for adjusting the oxidant stoichiometric ratio or air flow to maximize the liquid water phase in the c... | 12/16/2008 |
| 7459224 | Methods, apparatus, and systems for producing hydrogen from a fuel Methods and apparatus for producing hydrogen are provided. The methods and apparatus utilize reforming catalysts in order to produce hydrogen gas. The reforming catalysts may be platinum group metals on a support material, and they may be located in a reforming reac... | 12/02/2008 |
| 7455922 | Energy utilization apparatus and energy utilization method An energy utilization apparatus includes: an endothermic reaction device for performing dehydrogenation endothermic reaction of an organic compound; a compression device for pressurizing a first gas containing hydrogen and a dehydrogenated organic compound, and a no... | 11/25/2008 |
