Patent ID: 11919651
Assignee: ALAKAI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  H  Y | IPC B  H

Claim 0:
1. A method for operating lightweight, high power density, fault-tolerant fuel cell systems in a clean fuel aircraft, the method comprising:
transporting liquid hydrogen (LH2) fuel from a fuel tank to one or more heat exchangers in fluid communication with the fuel tank using a fuel supply subsystem,
transforming a state of the LH2 into gaseous hydrogen (GH2), or warming GH2, using the one or more heat exchangers to perform thermal energy transfer to the LH2;
transporting the GH2 from the one or more heat exchangers into one or more fuel cell modules comprising a plurality of hydrogen fuel cells in fluid communication with the one or more heat exchangers;
gathering and compressing ambient air into compressed air using one or more oxygen delivery mechanisms comprising turbochargers or superchargers in fluid communication with an intake;
transporting compressed air from the one or more oxygen delivery mechanisms comprising turbochargers or superchargers into the one or more fuel cell modules comprising the plurality of hydrogen fuel cells in fluid communication with the one or more oxygen delivery mechanisms comprising turbochargers or superchargers;
diverting the GH2 inside the plurality of hydrogen fuel cells into a first channel array embedded in an inflow end of a hydrogen flowfield plate in each of the plurality of hydrogen fuel cells, forcing the GH2 through the first channel array, diffusing the GH2 through an anode backing layer comprising an anode Gas diffusion layer (AGDL) in surface area contact with, and connected to, the first channel array of the hydrogen flowfield plate, into an anode side catalyst layer connected to the AGDL and an anode side of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) of a membrane electrolyte assembly;
diverting compressed air inside the plurality of hydrogen fuel cells into a second channel array embedded in an inflow end of an oxygen flowfield plate in each of the plurality of hydrogen fuel cells disposed opposite the hydrogen flowfield plate, forcing the GH2 through the second channel array, diffusing the compressed air through a cathode backing layer comprising a cathode gas diffusion layer (CGDL) in surface area contact with, and connected to, the second channel array of the oxygen flowfield plate, into a cathode side catalyst layer connected to the CGDL and a cathode side of the PEM of the membrane electrolyte assembly;
dividing the GH2 into protons or hydrogen ions of positive charge and electrons of negative charge through contact with the anode side catalyst layer, wherein the PEM allows protons to permeate from the anode side to the cathode side through charge attraction but restricts other particles comprising the electrons;
supplying voltage and current to an electrical circuit powering a power generation subsystem comprising a plurality of motor controllers configured to control a plurality of motor and propeller assemblies in the clean fuel aircraft, and combining electrons returning from the electrical circuit with oxygen in the compressed air to form oxygen ions, then combining the protons with oxygen ions to form H2O molecules;
passing the H2O molecules through the CGDL into the second channel array to remove the H2O and the compressed air from the fuel cell using the second channel array and an outflow end of the oxygen flowfield plate, and removing exhaust gas from the fuel cell using the first channel array and an outflow end of the hydrogen flowfield plate;
measuring operating conditions in the clean fuel aircraft, using temperature sensing devices or thermal safety sensors; and
commanding, using one or more autopilot control units, the plurality of motor controllers, the fuel supply subsystem, the one or more fuel cell modules, and fluid control units with commands operating valves and pumps altering flows of fuel, air, and coolant to different locations based on the operating conditions measured using the temperature sensing devices or thermal safety sensors.