CATALYTIC COMBUSTORS KEEPING CONTAINED MEDIUM WARM IN RESPONSE TO HYDROSTATIC VALVE

摘要

Water (9) in a fuel cell accumulator (10) is kept above freezing by a hydrogen/oxygen catalytic combustor (13) fed hydrogen through a mechanical thermostatic valve (25) in thermal communication (26) with the container (10) or the air nearby, and connected to hydrogen (28), optionally in series with a timer valve (183). The combustor may comprise an ejector (32) having hydrogen through its primary inlet (31) drawing air through a secondary inlet (33), or a diffusion combustor having a catalyst (38), including TEFLON® to permit water generated by combustion to flow by gravity out of the catalyst, spaced from a heating surface (30), and a diffusion control device (40); low partial pressure of oxygen at the catalyst causing diffusion through the device. Combustion vapor condenses on a surface (146) and is led by hydrophilic woven carbon paper (126) and wicking material (133) downwardly, through a disk (140) and plugs (147) either to ambient, to a salt canister (190), or to a porous hydrophilic mixer (200) for mixture with antifreeze (206).