Patent ID: 6512201
Filing Date: 2003-01-28
Classification: B23K,H01M,Y10S

Abstract:
An electric arc welding apparatus for forming a welding bead on a workpiece comprising an electric energy source, a welding circuit and an electrode, said electric energy source providing sufficient voltage and current to said welding circuit to cause an electric arc to form between said electrode and said workpiece, said welding circuit at least partially controlling at least one welding parameter between said electrode and said workpiece, said welding parameter includes a parameter selected from the group consisting of voltage, current, energy, power, polarity and combinations thereof, said welding circuit includes a buck circuit to increase the voltage of said electric energy source, said electric energy source includes plurality of stacked fuel cells, said plurality of stacked fuel cells having a stack voltage of at least about 15.4 volts and generating sufficient energy to generate a welding current of at least about 20V, at least about 100A and at least about 2 kW of load power, a plurality of said fuel cells includes an organic feed, said organic feed includes a feed selected from a group consisting of methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid, dimethoxymethane, trimethoxymethane, trioxane and combinations thereof, said electrical energy source producing a voltage that exceeds transient load requirements for said buck circuit, at least one of said fuel cells being selected from the group consisting of an indirect fuel cell, a direct fuel cell and combinations thereof.