METHOD OF AND ARRANGEMENT FOR REPLENISHING HYDROGEN CONSUMED BY A FUEL CELL DEVICE

• Main Authors: TROCCIOLA; JOHN C, STEDMAN; JAMES K
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.04.1993
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRICITY; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

An arrangement for replenishing hydrogen consumed in a fuel cell device includes a reaction vessel that contains a quantity of a material that releases hydrogen on contact with water in a highly exothermic reaction. A hydrogen-containing gaseous medium is passed through the material quantity under conditions resulting in removal of heat from the material quantity by convection at a heat removal rate sufficient to maintain a temperature differential between an inlet portion and an outlet portion of the reaction vessel below a predetermined level. This includes recirculating a portion of the gaseous medium from the outlet portion to the inlet portion and cooling at least the recirculated portion. Water vapor is added to the recirculated gaseous medium portion at a rate commensurate with that at which hydrogen is being consumed in the fuel cell device for such added water vapor to exothermically react with the solid material, whereas the remainder of the gaseous medium is supplied from the outlet portion to the fuel cell device.