| 摘要 |
1,172,823. Fuel cell gas supply system. ENERGY CONVERSION Ltd. 8 Nov., 1966 [17 Nov., 1965], No.48952/65. Heading H1B. A fuel cell system uses the pressure energy of pressurized fuel to cause oxidant to flow to the cell. As shown, pressurized fuel gas, e.g. hydrogen, in a cylinder 10 is expanded in a cylinder 15 to cause reciprocation of a piston 16 and a connected piston 22 of an oxidant (e.g. air) pump 23, the expanded gas being expelled from the cylinder 15 through a line 17 leading to the fuel electrode chamber of a fuel cell 19 and the pumped oxidant passing through a line 29 to the oxidant electrode chamber of the cell. The fuel gas passes through a pressure reducing valve 11 and a control valve 12 responsive to the pressure in the line 17, thereby to maintain the required pressure in the fuel cell. Should the pressure in the cell exceed a predetermined value the fuel gas is vented through a valve 35 and either burnt in a catalytic burner 36 or recovered for subsequent use in the cell. To ensure that the correct amount of oxidant is supplied to the cell for all operating conditions, the supply from the pump 23 may be divided into two streams by a valve, Fig. 2 (not shown), under the control of a device responsiveto changes in the humidity or electrolyte strength within the fuel cell. One stream leads into the cell and the other stream by-passes the cell. |
