Patent ID: 7628842
Filing Date: 2009-12-08
Classification: B60L,C01B,H01M,Y02E,Y02P,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A purification system for purifying a hydrogen stream supplied from a storage tank mounted in a vehicle to produce a purified hydrogen stream for a PEM fuel cell system utilized within the vehicle, said system comprising: a membrane separator utilizing a hydrogen transport membrane material containing a metal or metal alloy capable of selectively permeating hydrogen from the hydrogen stream at an elevated membrane operational temperature, thereby to produce a purified hydrogen permeate stream and a retentate stream comprising impurities contained in the hydrogen stream; the membrane separator in flow communication with the storage tank to receive the hydrogen stream and in flow communication with the PEM fuel cell system to form the purified hydrogen stream from the purified hydrogen permeate stream produced in the membrane separator; a pressure regulator located between the storage tank and the membrane separator and configured to control pressure of the hydrogen stream to a membrane separator operational pressure; a combustor connected to the membrane separator and configured to combust the retentate stream to produce a heated exhaust stream; first and second heat exchangers located between the pressure regulator and the membrane separator to transfer heat from the purified hydrogen permeate stream and from the heated exhaust stream to the hydrogen stream to heat the hydrogen stream and therefore the hydrogen transport membrane material to the elevated membrane operational temperature; the first and second heat exchangers connected to the membrane separator and the combustor, respectively, such that the purified hydrogen permeate stream indirectly exchanges heat to the hydrogen stream and the heated exhaust stream indirectly exchanges further heat to the hydrogen stream; and a control valve interposed between the first heat exchanger and the PEM fuel cell and configured to control pressure of the purified hydrogen stream to a PEM fuel cell operational pressure.