Patent ID: 6620537
Filing Date: 2003-09-16
Classification: B60L,H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
A hydrogen fuel generator and fuel cell system and apparatus comprising a hydrocarbon fuel supply means; an oxidizer supply means; a water supply means; pump means connected with the fuel, oxidizer and water supply means; a thermally insulated high pressure elongate tank-like structure with upstream and downstream ends; a fuel and oxidizer mixing chamber at the upstream end of the tank-like structure and connected with the fuel and with the oxidizer pump means; an ignition chamber in the tank-like structure downstream from and receiving a fuel and oxidizer mixer from the mixing chamber; an ignition means operating to ignite the fuel and oxidizer mixture in the ignition chamber; a steam generating chamber in heat conducting relationship with the ignition chamber and connected with and receiving water from the water pump means; a pressure chamber in the tank-like structure down stream from the ignition and steam generating chambers and receiving the gases produced by oxidation of the fuel and the steam; a catalytic sulfur absorbing means in the tank-like structure downstream from and receiving gases and steam from the pressure chamber; a catalytic steam reformer means in the tank-like structure downstream from and receiving sulfur free gases and steam from the sulfur absorbing means and reforming carbon monoxide gas into carbon dioxide gas; a catalytic carbon monoxide scavenger means in the tank-like structure downstream from and receiving gases flowing from the steam reformer means and converting residual carbon monoxide to hydrogen and carbon dioxide gas; a collecting chamber in the tank-like structure downstream from the scavenger means and receiving hydrogen and carbon dioxide gas therefrom; heat exchange means downstream from and connected with the collecting chamber and operating to cool the high pressure heated gases flowing therefrom to cause the carbon dioxide gas to change to a liquid state; a liquid-gas separator means downstream from and connected with the heat exchange means, a liquid carbon dioxide holding tank and a hydrogen gas holding tank receiving liquid carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas from the liquid-gas separator means; a hydrogen fueled cell structure with an anode with related hydrogen gas feed means connected with the hydrogen holding tank and a cathode with related parts connected with an oxidizer feed means and with parts connected with and delivering water produced by fuel cell reaction to the water supply means.