Patent ID: 7387849
Filing Date: 2008-06-17
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. An electrical current generation system comprising: a fuel cell configured to operate at a temperature of at least about 250° C. and having an anode inlet and an anode exhaust outlet; and a rotary adsorption module fluidly connected to the anode exhaust outlet and the anode inlet, and operable to receive exhaust gas from the anode exhaust outlet, to separate and enrich usable fuel gas from the exhaust gas by adsorptive means, and to deliver such enriched usable fuel gas to the anode inlet, wherein the rotary adsorption module comprises: a rotor and a stator mutually defining a rotary distributor valve, wherein the rotor comprises: plural adsorbers having first and second ends, each adsorber comprising an adsorbent material and defining a flow path in contact with the adsorbent material between the first and second ends; a first rotor valve surface fluidly coupled to the first ends of the adsorbers; and a second rotor valve surface fluidly coupled to the second ends of the adsorbers; and wherein the stator comprises: a first stator valve surface in relatively rotatable communication with the first rotor valve a second stator valve surface in relatively rotatable communication with the second rotor valve surface; a feed gas function compartment opening into at least one of the first stator valve surface or the second stator valve surface and configured to provide the exhaust gas from the anode exhaust outlet to adsorbers through the first stator valve surface or the second stator valve surface and the first rotor valve surface or the second rotor valve surface; a displacement purge gas function compartment opening into at least one of the first stator valve surface or the second stator valve surface and configured to provide a displacement purge gas to the adsorbers through the first stator valve surface or the second stator valve surface and the first rotor valve surface or the second rotor valve surface; and a buffer gas function compartment configured to provide a buffer gas to the adsorbers through the first stator valve surface or the second stator valve surface and the first rotor valve surface or the second rotor valve surface.