Abstract: A heater includes a heater housing extending along a heater axis; a fuel cell stack assembly disposed within the heater housing and having a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent; an electric resistive heating element disposed within the heater housing and electrically connected to the fuel cell stack assembly; and a first thermal switch located between the fuel cell stack assembly and the electric resistive heating element. The first thermal switch is closed to place the fuel cell stack assembly in electrical communication with the electric resistive heating element when the fuel cell stack assembly is electrochemically active and is open to prevent electrical communication between the fuel cell stack assembly and the electric resistive heating element when the fuel cell stack assembly is not electrochemically active.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of fuel cell cassettes each including a fuel cell with an anode and a cathode. Each fuel cell cassette also includes an electrode interconnect adjacent to the anode or the cathode for providing electrical communication between an adjacent fuel cell cassette and the anode or the cathode. The interconnect includes a plurality of electrode interconnect protrusions defining a flow passage along the anode or the cathode for communicating oxidant or fuel to the anode or the cathode. An electrically conductive material is disposed between at least one of the electrode interconnect protrusions and the anode or the cathode in order to provide a stable electrical contact between the electrode interconnect and the anode or cathode. An encapsulating arrangement segregates the electrically conductive material from the flow passage thereby, preventing volatilization of the electrically conductive material in use of the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: A heater includes a heater housing extending along a heater axis; a fuel cell stack assembly disposed within the heater housing and having a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent; an electric resistive heating element disposed within the heater housing and electrically connected to the fuel cell stack assembly; and a first thermal switch located between the fuel cell stack assembly and the electric resistive heating element. The first thermal switch is closed to place the fuel cell stack assembly in electrical communication with the electric resistive heating element when the fuel cell stack assembly is electrochemically active and is open to prevent electrical communication between the fuel cell stack assembly and the electric resistive heating element when the fuel cell stack assembly is not electrochemically active.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of fuel cell cassettes each including a fuel cell with an anode and a cathode. Each fuel cell cassette also includes an electrode interconnect adjacent to the anode or the cathode for providing electrical communication between an adjacent fuel cell cassette and the anode or the cathode. The interconnect includes a plurality of electrode interconnect protrusions defining a flow passage along the anode or the cathode for communicating oxidant or fuel to the anode or the cathode. An electrically conductive material is disposed between at least one of the electrode interconnect protrusions and the anode or the cathode in order to provide a stable electrical contact between the electrode interconnect and the anode or cathode. An encapsulating arrangement segregates the electrically conductive material from the flow passage thereby, preventing volatilization of the electrically conductive material in use of the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: A NOX abatement system includes a first NOX adsorber capable of being disposed in-line and downstream of and in fluid communication with an engine. The NOX abatement system further includes a selective catalytic reduction catalyst disposed in-line and downstream of, and in direct fluid communication with, the first NOX adsorber. The selective catalytic reduction catalyst is capable of storing ammonia. An off-line reformer is disposed in selective communication with and upstream of the first NOX adsorber and the selective catalytic reduction catalyst. The reformer is capable of producing a reformate that includes primarily hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

Abstract: A dual NOx trap system for reducing NOx emissions from an internal combustion engine. The system is plumbed and controlled such that the NOx adsorption time of a trap is decoupled from the NOx regeneration time. A trap is taken out of service for regeneration only for the minimum required regeneration time and then is placed back into service. Because regeneration times are short relative to adsorption times, during most of the working life of the assembly both of the traps are in service in NOx-trapping mode. Thus, higher NOx-trapping efficiencies are provided over most of the working life of the system because each unit volume of catalyst is in service for more than 50% of the time, permitting a smaller volume of catalyst for each trap than in a prior art system. Further, shorter off-line regeneration times result in reduced cooling of the traps during regeneration.

Abstract: A motor vehicle exhaust aftertreatment system includes an exhaust conduit that includes a NOx adsorber, a particulate filter, a reformer for generating reformate containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a fuel source, a reformate conduit, and an oxygen sensor. In response to a pressure drop through the particulate filter attaining a threshold value, reformate is introduced under selected controlled flow conditions into the exhaust conduit and caused to undergo combustion. The resulting exotherm maintains the temperature within the particulate filter within a selected range that is effective to cause oxidation and removal of soot from the particulate filter. Introduction of reformate into the exhaust conduit is discontinued when the pressure drop through the particulate filter is decreased to a selected value.

Abstract: A dual NOx trap system for reducing NOx emissions from an internal combustion engine. The system is plumbed and controlled such that the NOx adsorption time of a trap is decoupled from the NOx regeneration time. A trap is taken out of service for regeneration only for the minimum required regeneration time and then is placed back into service. Because regeneration times are short relative to adsorption times, during most of the working life of the assembly both of the traps are in service in NOx-trapping mode. Thus, higher NOx-trapping efficiencies are provided over most of the working life of the system because each unit volume of catalyst is in service for more than 50% of the time, permitting a smaller volume of catalyst for each trap than in a prior art system. Further, shorter off-line regeneration times result in reduced cooling of the traps during regeneration.

Abstract: A scaleable inter-digitized tine non-thermal plasma reactor element includes at least one pair of inter-digitized tine end connectors connected together defining gas passages between the tines. The prepared inter-digitized tine reactor element has a scaleable height, width, and length. Connectors are defined that enable efficient non-thermal reactor element fabrication for widely varying applications having various flow throughput and constituent reduction requirements. An inter-digitized tine reactor element is provided having several zones that are selectively powered so that the effective length of the reactor can be adjusted during operation for optimal efficiency over a range of operating conditions Structural carrier connectors and structural conductor connectors are provided. Structural carrier connectors have tines defined in a side to side basis comprising a high-k dielectric layer, electrode layer, structural dielectric, electrode layer, and high-k dielectric layer.

Abstract: A scaleable inter-digitized tine non-thermal plasma reactor element includes at least one pair of inter-digitized tine end connectors connected together defining gas passages between the tines. The prepared inter-digitized tine reactor element has a scaleable height, width, and length. Connectors are defined that enable efficient non-thermal reactor element fabrication for widely varying applications having various flow throughput and constituent reduction requirements.