Patent ID: 7482078
Filing Date: 2009-01-27
Classification: C01B,C10J,C25B,H01M,Y02E,Y02P,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A system, comprising: a fuel cell subsystem, comprising: a hydrogen storage/use subsystem located outside of the fuel cell subsystem, wherein the hydrogen storage/use subsystem is one-way connected to the fuel cell subsystem via the separated hydrogen output of the hydrogen separator, and wherein the hydrogen storage/use subsystem stores at least a portion of hydrogen received from the hydrogen separator or provides at least a portion of hydrogen received from the hydrogen separator to a hydrogen using device or itself uses at least a portion of the hydrogen received from the hydrogen separator; further comprising a fuel reformer which is operatively connected to the carbon containing fuel source and to the fuel cell stack, and which is adapted to reform a carbon and bound hydrogen containing fuel provided from the carbon containing fuel source and to provide a carbon containing and free hydrogen containing fuel to a fuel inlet of the fuel cell stack; wherein the fuel reformer is thermally integrated with the fuel cell stack.