Modular fuel cell and fuel source

• Main Authors: KELLS ASHLEY JAMES, NICHOLAS SIMON, CARNALL ANDREW JOHN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 27.01.2016
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS,e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USERAPPLICATIONS; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE

A fuel cell power module is coupled to a fuel supply reactor module by way of an adaptor which includes some of the control elements for controlling reaction of reactants in the reactor module. The adaptor includes a housing and a first connection interface in the housing for detachably coupling the adaptor to a fuel cell power module fuel inlet port and a second connection interface in the housing for detachably coupling the adaptor to a reactor module fuel outlet port. A fluid line extends between the first connection interface and the second connection interface. The adaptor includes a motive unit of a flow control mechanism configured to provide motive power to a flow circuit of a reactor module when the reactor module is coupled to the adaptor. The adaptor enables a fuel cell power module to be interfaced with different types of reactor modules having different form factor and different control requirements.