Patent ID: 11888196
Assignee: HYDROLITE LTD
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  C  Y | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A self-refueling power-generating system comprising:
a reversible device comprising a single stack comprising a plurality of electrochemical cells with respective membrane assemblies, the single stack of the reversible device configured to be operated alternately as a fuel cell in a fuel cell mode of the stack and as an electrolyzer in an electrolyzer mode of the stack,
wherein each of the membrane assemblies in the single stack has a hydrogen-side catalyst layer configured to catalyze hydrogen oxidation in the fuel cell mode and to catalyze hydrogen formation in the electrolyzer mode and an oxidant-side catalyst layer configured to catalyze oxygen reduction in the fuel cell mode and to catalyze oxygen formation in the electrolyzer mode, the catalyst layers being separated by a separation layer,
a controller configured to determine operation of the reversible device in the fuel cell mode or in the electrolyzer mode,
a hydrogen unit configured to supply hydrogen to the reversible device when operated in the fuel cell mode, and receive and optionally compress hydrogen from the reversible device when operated in the electrolyzer mode,
an oxidant unit configured to supply oxygen to the reversible device when operated in the fuel cell mode, and receive and optionally compress oxygen from the reversible device when operated in the electrolyzer mode,
a water unit configured to supply water or dilute electrolyte to the reversible device in a closed circuit and in conjunction with the supply of oxygen thereto, wherein the water unit comprises a gas/liquid separation module configured to deliver separated oxygen from the reversible device to the oxidant unit, and
a power connection configured to receive power from the reversible device when operated in the fuel cell mode and deliver power to the reversible device when operated in the electrolyzer mode, wherein the power connection is configured to deliver the received power to an external load when required, and to receive power for delivery from an external source when available,
wherein the water is supplied to and removed from the oxygen-side catalyst layer, together with the oxygen.