Patent ID: 6589033
Filing Date: 2003-07-08
Classification: F01C,F04C

Abstract:
A fuel cell electrical generation system comprising:a unitary sliding vane type compressor-expander for improving the efficiency of the system, comprising: a housing having a compressor side with a compressor inlet port and a compressor outlet port, and an expander side with an expander inlet port and an expander outlet port; a cylindrical rotor disposed within the housing and having a plurality sliding vanes disposed in slots around an outer periphery thereof, wherein the vanes are configured to slide inward and outward along the slots upon rotation of the rotor, thereby maintaining contact with an inner contoured surface of the housing and simultaneously compressing oxidant gas on the compressor side of the housing and expanding oxidant gas on the expander side of the housing; a fuel cell for generating output electrical power having an oxidant inlet connected to the compressor outlet port of the compressor-expander for receiving pre-compressed oxidant gas therefrom, an oxidant outlet connected to the expander inlet port of the compressor-expander for exhausting compressed oxidant thereto, a fuel inlet for introducing fuel to react with the oxidant gas, and a fuel exhaust for exhausting reacted fuel; a motor, powered by electricity derived from the fuel cell electrical generation system, having an output shaft connected to the cylindrical rotor of the compressor-expander for rotationally driving the cylindrical rotor to cause the simultaneous compression and expansion of oxidant gas in the compressor-expander.