Patent ID: 8123577

Claim:
A buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle comprising: a base portion; a controller to control autonomous operations of the aquatic vehicle, said controller being arranged on said base portion; one or more sensors; a power source to supply power for the aquatic vehicle; a plurality of fuel cell devices to supply power to said power source for recharging, each said fuel cell device including a plurality of anode/cathode pairs; a first partially submersible hull portion, said power source being housed by said first hull portion; a second partially submersible hull portion, one of said fuel cell devices being housed by said second hull portion, and said second hull portion having a first plurality of apertures arranged on a bottom side thereof to allow entry of seawater to react with anodes of said one fuel cell device; a third partially submersible hull portion, another of said fuel cell devices being housed by said third hull portion, and said third hull portion having a second plurality of apertures arranged on a bottom side thereof to allow entry of seawater to react with anodes of said another fuel cell device; and first, second, and third electric motors respectively coupled to said first, second, and third hull portions to propel the aquatic vehicle, wherein said second hull portion is configured to allow air from outside the second hull portion to access and interact with the cathodes of said one fuel cell device, and said second hull portion is configured substantially to prevent seawater passed through said first plurality of apertures from contacting the cathodes of said one fuel cell, wherein said third hull portion is configured to allow air from outside the third hull portion to access and interact with the cathodes of said another fuel cell device, and said third hull portion is configured substantially to prevent seawater passed through said second plurality of apertures from contacting the cathodes of said another fuel cell, and wherein said first and second plurality of apertures are configured to allow byproduct produced by reactions between the seawater and corresponding anodes to exit therethrough to outside the second hull portion and the third hull portion, respectively.