AN ELECTROCHEMICAL PROPULSION SYSTEM

• Main Authors: MCMANIS, JAMES V, STRATTON, MICHAEL A, O'CONNELL, DANIEL B, MOORE, BARBARA S
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 16.07.2002
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: BLASTING; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TOTRANSPORTATION; COMBUSTION ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; WEAPONS

An electrochemical propulsion system in a vehicle comprises a hydrogen generator for converting fuel into hydrogen-containing gas and a fuel cell stack using the hydrogen-containing gas to produce electricity to power a drive motor fo r the vehicle. The fuel cell stack is oriented parallel to the vehicle longitudina l direction. The hydrogen generator is arranged longitudinally forward of the fuel cell stack and to the lateral side of the fuel cell stack. The fuel cell stack and the hydroge n generator are located within a front vehicle compartment of the vehicle in a closely adjacent manner. The hydrogen generator comprises a combustor for producing heat, a reformer closely adjacent to the combustor for converting fuel into hydrogen - containing gas using heat from the combustor, and a reactor to reduce carbon monoxide content from the hydrogen-containing gas wherein the reactor is adjacent to and downstream of the reformer. The drive motor is operatively connected to a wheel axle for driving vehicle wheels.