HEATER AND METHOD OF OPERATING

摘要

A heater includes a heater housing with a fuel cell stack assembly disposed therein. The fuel cell stack assembly includes a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent. The fuel cell stack assembly includes a fuel cell manifold for receiving the fuel within a fuel inlet and the oxidizing agent within an oxidizing agent inlet and distributing the fuel and oxidizing agent to the fuel cells. A fuel supply conduit supplies the fuel to the fuel inlet and an oxidizing agent supply conduit supplies the oxidizing agent to the oxidizing agent inlet. A sonic orifice is disposed between the fuel supply conduit and the fuel inlet or between the oxidizing agent supply conduit and the oxidizing agent inlet, thereby limiting the velocity of the fuel or the oxidizing agent through the sonic orifice.

主权项

1. A heater comprising:
a heater housing extending along a heater axis; a fuel cell stack assembly disposed within said heater housing and having a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent, said fuel cell stack assembly having a fuel cell manifold for 1) receiving said fuel within a fuel inlet of said fuel cell manifold and distributing said fuel to said plurality of fuel cells and 2) receiving said oxidizing agent within an oxidizing agent inlet of said fuel cell manifold and distributing said oxidizing agent to said plurality of fuel cells; a fuel supply conduit in fluid communication with said fuel cell manifold for communicating said fuel to said fuel inlet of said fuel cell manifold; an oxidizing agent supply conduit in fluid communication with said fuel cell manifold for communicating said oxidizing agent to said oxidizing agent inlet of said fuel cell manifold; and a sonic orifice disposed between said fuel supply conduit and said fuel inlet or between said oxidizing agent supply conduit and said oxidizing agent inlet and adapted to achieve a critical pressure ratio, thereby limiting the velocity of said fuel or said oxidizing agent through said sonic orifice.