Patent ID: 8003268

Claim:
A modular, regenerative fuel cell system that comprises: (a) one or more electrolysis cell fluid modules in fluid communication with (i) a source of water, water vapor, or aqueous solution, (ii) one or more electrolysis cell stack modules, and (iii) means for storing hydrogen gas, and in electrical communication with a power source and control means, for providing water, water vapor, or an aqueous solution to the one or more electrolysis cell stack modules and for delivering hydrogen gas generated by the one or more electrolysis cell stack modules to the means for storing hydrogen gas; (b) one or more electrolysis cell stack modules in fluid communication with at least one electrolysis cell fluid module, and in electrical communication with the power source and the control means, each being adapted to convert water, water vapor, or an aqueous solution into at least a hydrogen gas; (c) one or more fuel cell fluid modules in fluid communication with (i) the means for storing hydrogen gas, (ii) a source of air or oxygen, and (iii) the one or more fuel cell stack modules, and in electrical communication with the power source and the control means, for providing hydrogen gas and air or oxygen to the one or more fuel cell stack modules; (d) one or more fuel cell stack modules in fluid communication with at least one fuel cell fluid module, and in electrical communication with the power source, an external load or power grid, and the control means, and each being adapted to extract chemical energy from the hydrogen gas and air or oxygen and converting the extracted chemical energy into electrical power; (e) a power source; (f) control means; and (g) means for storing hydrogen gas, wherein each stack module is devoid of major fluid systems, and wherein each fluid module comprises one or more pumps, valves, regulators, water/gas phase separation devices, and temperature, pressure and hydrogen sensors.