FUEL CARTRIDGE WITH A FLEXIBLE BLADDER FOR STORING AND DELIVERING A VAPORIZABLE LIQUID FUEL STREAM TO A FUEL CELL SYSTEM

摘要

A fuel cartridge stores and delivers a vaporizable liquid fuel stream to one or more fuel cells. The cartridge includes a housing with an interior cavity, a fuel stream port with a bidirectional flow valve, a pressure relief valve for discharging a gas stream at a set pressure, a bladder located within the interior cavity and formed from a liquid-impermeable and gas-permeable liner, and a compression mechanism for imparting positive pressure to the bladder. In a fuel storage mode, the compression mechanism induces flow of vaporous fuel through the bladder liner. When the fuel cell fuel stream inlet pressure is less than the bladder pressure, the bladder discharges a liquid fuel stream in a fuel delivery mode. When the fuel cell fuel stream inlet pressure is greater than the bladder pressure, the fuel cell outlet fuel stream is returned to the bladder in a fuel return mode.