| 摘要 |
1,096,046. Fuel cells. SHELL INTERNATIONALE RESEARCH MAATSCHAPPIJ N.V. Dec. 1, 1965 [Dec. 8, 1964], No. 49896/64. Heading H1B. [Also in Divisions CL and G3] When the hydrogen pressure has built up to a certain value, the purified hydrogen from the reactor of Fig. 1 is fed into heat exchange with the electrolyte and along line 36 to the fuel cell. An initial venting procedure automatically takes place. The fuel cell 50 comprises eight blocks of cells which on starting are vented in pairs in sequence for about 1 minute per pair. The vent valves 51 are actuated by the contacts of a uniselector which is stepped under the control of a timing circuit (67) (Fig. 3, not shown). At the end of this sequence the main motor (64) driving the electrolyte pump 53 and a starter motor (64A) driving air pump 59 are connected to an auxiliary battery (63) to run at low speed. When the fuel cell reaches say 80 volts a voltage sensor (70) connects the motors and other auxiliary equipment to the fuel cell and connects the auxiliary battery to be charged by the fuel cell. The venting timing circuit (67) is then switched so the cell vents at its normal rate, i.e. one block of cells for six seconds every two minutes. The electrolyte, whose storage tank 34 is in heat exchange with the hydrogen supply, has its temperature maintained constant by a fan 55 cooling a radiator 54, the fan being intermittently magnetically clutched to electrolyte pump 53 under the control of a thermostat circuit (72). The supply voltage to the auxiliaries is automatically maintained constant by a voltage regulator (see Fig. 3). When the plant is shut down, the electrolyte from the tank 34 floods the cells so that when restarted impurities such as potassium carbonate are washed away. The voltage of individual cell blocks is monitored by means of the uniselector switch. The cells may be vented manually. |
