Abstract: A fuel cell with a direct antifreeze impermeable cooler plate is disclosed for producing electrical energy from reducing fluid and process oxidant reactant streams. The fuel cell includes an electrolyte secured between an anode catalyst and a cathode catalyst; an anode flow field secured adjacent the anode catalyst for directing the reducing fluid to pass adjacent the anode catalyst; a cathode flow field secured adjacent the cathode catalyst for directing the process oxidant stream to pass adjacent the cathode catalyst; a direct antifreeze impermeable cooler plate secured in heat exchange relationship with the cathode flow field; and a direct antifreeze solution passing through the cooler plate for controlling temperature within the fuel cell. The direct antifreeze solution is an organic antifreeze solution that is not volatile at cell operating temperatures.

Abstract: A direct antifreeze cooled fuel cell power plant is disclosed. The plant includes at least one fuel cell a thermal management system that directs flow of a cooling fluid for controlling heat within the plant, including a direct antifreeze solution passing through the water transport plate. The plant also integrates the direct antifreeze solution with a direct mass and heat transfer device, a water treatment system, and a steam injection system so that the direct antifreeze solution minimizes problems related to operation of the plant in sub-freezing conditions. A preferred antifreeze solution is an alkanetriol selected from the group consisting of glycerol, butanetriol, and pentanetriol. The direct antifreeze solutions minimize movement of the antifreeze as a vapor out of a water transport plate into contact with cathode or anode catalysts, and also minimize direct antifreeze solution loss from other power plant systems.

Abstract: The invention is a pry-proof gun port for shielding a gun whenever the gun port is in a closed position and for permitting the gun to be discharged through the gun port whenever the gun port is in an open position. The gun port includes a frame mountable to a support structure such as a currency transport vehicle, the frame including an exterior mount plate that defines a discharge port dimensioned to support a closure shield. A push rod has an exterior end secured to a peripheral region of the closure shield and an intermediate portion passing through a chamber of the frame. The push rod moves axially to position the closure shield out of the discharge port, and the push rod then rotates the closure shield away from the discharge port to place the gun port in the open position. A lock rod interacts between a shoulder of the chamber of the frame and a lock shaft coaxial with and within the push rod to restrict opening of the closure shield from the exterior mount plate.

Abstract: An interdigitated enthalpy exchange device is disclosed for a fuel cell power plant that includes at least one fuel cell and a direct mass and heat transfer device secured in fluid communication with both an oxidant stream entering the fuel cell and an exhaust stream leaving the fuel cell. The direct mass and heat transfer device secures the interdigitated enthalpy exchange device in mass transfer relationship between the oxidant and exhaust streams. The device includes discontinuous oxidant entry and oxidant exit channels and discontinuous exhaust entry and exhaust exit channels, thereby providing for direct transfer of mass and heat from the exhaust stream to the oxidant stream while also restricting loss of liquid from the plant in the exhaust stream, filtering of dust entering the plant in the oxidant stream, and dampening of noise of the plant.

Abstract: An operating system for a direct antifreeze cooled fuel cell power plant is disclosed for producing electrical energy from reducing and process oxidant fluid reactant streams. The system includes at least one fuel cell for producing electrical energy from the reducing and oxidant fluid streams; fuel processing components for processing a hydrocarbon fuel into the reducing fluid; a thermal management system that directs flow of a cooling fluid for controlling heat within the plant including a porous water transport plate adjacent and in fluid communication with a cathode catalyst of the fuel cell; a direct antifreeze solution passing through the water transport plate; and, a split oxidant passage that directs the process oxidant stream into and through the fuel cell.

Abstract: The invention is a sprayable organic fertilizer for application to a plant or plant soil that includes denatured soybean particles having a total protein content of at least fifty and up to ninety percent by weight, wherein the denatured soybean particles have a particle size of no greater than 250 microns, and wherein the denatured soybean particles are dispersed in an adequate amount of a liquid carrier so that the particles may be evenly sprayed onto the plant or plant soil through a liquid applicator. The denatured soybean particles may be mixed with a yeast extract that stimulates microbial growth. The sprayable organic fertilizer cannot be leached from the soil; cannot burn target plants; enhances the ecosystem of the root zone of the target plants; and, provides a high nitrogen analysis.

Abstract: The invention is a reformate fuel treatment system for a fuel cell power plant that includes at least one fuel cell for generating electricity from process oxidant and reducing fluid reactant streams; fuel processing components including a steam supply and a reformer for producing a hydrogen enriched reformate fuel for the fuel cell from a hydrocarbon fuel; and, an ammonia removal apparatus that treats the reformate fuel to make it appropriate for supplying hydrogen to an anode electrode of the fuel cell. The ammonia removal apparatus may be a disposable ammonia scrubber, an ammonia scrubbing cool water bed and an ammonia stripping warm water bed, a pair of first and second regenerable scrubbers, or a single regenerable ammonia scrubber.

Abstract: The invention is a direct antifreeze solution concentration control system for a fuel cell power plant that controls a concentration of a direct antifreeze within a direct antifreeze solution cooling fluid within the plant. The concentration control system includes at least one fuel cell; a thermal management system that controls a temperature within the fuel cell including a porous water transport plate secured in direct fluid communication with a cathode catalyst of the fuel cell, wherein the direct antifreeze solution passes through the water transport plate; a water recovery device in fluid communication with a process exhaust stream exiting the fuel cell for recovering water from the process exhaust stream; and, a process exhaust by-pass line in fluid communication between the fuel cell and a plant exhaust vent that selectively directs some or all of the process exhaust stream to by-pass the water recovery device and to pass out of the plant through the plant exhaust vent.

Abstract: A direct antifreeze cooled fuel cell power plant system is disclosed for producing electrical energy from reducing and process oxidant fluid reactant streams. The system includes at least one fuel cell for producing electrical energy from the reducing and oxidant fluid streams; a thermal management system that directs flow of a cooling fluid for controlling temperature within the plant including a porous water transport plate adjacent and in direct fluid communication with a cathode catalyst of the fuel cell; a direct antifreeze solution passing through the water transport plate; and, fuel processing components secured in fluid communication with the thermal management system for processing a hydrocarbon fuel into the reducing fluid and for controlling a concentration of a direct antifreeze in the direct antifreeze solution.

Abstract: The invention is an operating system for a fuel cell power plant that includes at least one fuel cell for producing electrical energy from a reducing and oxidant fluid and fuel processing components including a reformer and a burner for processing a hydrocarbon fuel into the reducing fluid, and a direct mass and heat transfer device secured in fluid communication with both a process oxidant stream and a plant exhaust passage, so that the device directly transfers mass such as water exiting the plant in a plant exhaust stream back into the plant within the process oxidant stream. The invention also includes a split oxidant passage that directs the process oxidant stream through the fuel cell and a reformer feed portion of the process oxidant stream into fluid communication with the fuel processing components.

Abstract: The invention is a humidification system for a fuel cell power plant. The system includes at least one fuel cell comprising a coolant flow field adjacent the cathode flow field. The coolant flow field includes a coolant inlet, a coolant outlet, and a split-path coolant distribution channel between the coolant inlet and outlet. The split-path distribution channel directs some of the coolest portion of the coolant stream to flow adjacent the cathode inlet and some of the coolest portion to flow adjacent the cathode outlet. The humidification system lowers a temperature of the process oxidant stream adjacent the cathode inlet, thereby increasing relative humidity of the stream in the cathode flow field adjacent the cathode inlet.

Abstract: A direct antifreeze cooled fuel cell is disclosed for producing electrical energy from reducing and process oxidant fluid streams that includes an electrolyte secured between an anode catalyst and a cathode catalyst; a porous anode substrate secured in direct fluid communication with and supporting the anode catalyst; a porous wet proofed cathode substrate secured in direct fluid communication with and supporting the cathode catalyst; a porous water transport plate secured in direct fluid communication with the porous cathode substrate; and, a direct antifreeze solution passing through the porous water transport plate. In operation of the fuel cell, because product water generated electrochemically at the cathode catalyst flows away from the cathode catalyst into the cathode substrate and into the water transport plate and because the cathode substrate is wetproofed, the antifreeze solution passing through the water transport plate remains essentially within this plate.

Abstract: The invention is a water retention system for a fuel cell power plant having at least one fuel cell and a coolant loop with a coolant reservoir and coolant passages for directing a coolant fluid through the fuel cell. An air conditioning unit is provided for directing a refrigerant to a first heat exchanger that cools secondary process air and for directing water condensed from the secondary process air to the coolant reservoir. The air conditioning unit also directs the refrigerant to a second heat exchanger that cools the coolant fluid within the coolant loop, and to a third heat exchanger that cools a plant exhaust stream exiting the plant. Water condensed from the plant exhaust is also directed from the third heat exchanger into the coolant reservoir.

Abstract: The invention is a hydride bed water recovery system for a fuel cell power plant that has at least one fuel cell having an electrolyte between anode and cathode electrodes for producing an electric current from a reducing fluid and an oxidant stream. A coolant loop directs a coolant fluid from a coolant reservoir through a coolant passage to the fuel cell and back to the reservoir. A process exhaust passage receives a cathode exhaust stream from the fuel cell and directs the stream away from the fuel cell and into a hydride bed cooler that passes the stream in heat exchange relationship with a condensing hydride bed of the cooler so that the bed cools the process exhaust stream to condense water out of the stream.

Abstract: A fine pore enthalpy exchange barrier is disclosed for use with a fuel cell power plant. The barrier includes a support matrix that defines pores and a liquid transfer medium that fills the pores creating a gas barrier. An inlet surface of the fine pore enthalpy exchange barrier is positioned in contact with a process oxidant inlet stream entering a fuel cell power plant, and an opposed exhaust surface of the barrier is positioned in contact with an exhaust stream exiting the plant so that water and heat exchange from the exhaust stream directly into the process oxidant inlet stream to heat and humidify the stream as it enters the plant. The liquid transfer medium may include water, aqueous salt solutions, aqueous acid solutions, or organic antifreeze water solutions.

Abstract: The invention is an improved ground anchor for securing an anchor cable to the ground. The ground anchor includes a body having a cable mount surface and an opposed drive rod surface, and a drive end defining a curled tip with a guide end opposed to the drive end defining first and second guide forks. An anchor cable mount projects from the cable mount surface of the body about midway between the drive and guide ends. The curled tip defines a guide bore, the first and second guide forks define a drive rod slot, and the curled tip and guide forks extend from the drive rod surface in the same or first direction so that a drive rod may pass through the drive rod slot into the guide bore. The anchor cable mount extends away from the cable mount surface in a second direction opposed to the first direction so that the cable mount does not interfere with the drive rod passing through the drive rod slot and guide bore.

Abstract: An alcohol and water recovery system for a direct aqueous alcohol fuel cell power plant includes at least one direct aqueous alcohol fuel cell for producing electrical energy, and a direct alcohol and water transfer device for recovering alcohol and water leaving the plant and transferring the recovered alcohol and water back into the plant. The direct alcohol and water transfer device passes a process oxidant stream upstream of the plant in mass transfer relationship with a plant exhaust stream that includes aqueous alcohol fuel and process oxidant fluid streams that have passed through the fuel cell, so that alcohol and water in the plant exhaust stream transfer directly through a mass transfer medium of the device to the process oxidant stream entering the fuel cell. The device includes a separator housing for supporting the transfer medium and for preventing bulk mixing of the streams.

Abstract: A mass transfer composite membrane for use with a fuel cell power plant includes a transfer medium core between opposed, rigid, porous support sheets. An inlet surface of the composite membrane is positioned in contact with an oxidant inlet stream of a fuel cell power plant, and an opposed exhaust surface of the composite membrane is positioned in contact with an exhaust stream exiting the fuel cell power plant to recover mass such as water from the exhaust stream and transfer it into the oxidant inlet stream entering the fuel cell. The transfer medium core may comprise any of a variety of materials for sorbing a fluid substance consisting of polar molecules such as water molecules from a fluid stream consisting of polar and non-polar molecules. A preferred transfer medium core is an ionomeric membrane such as a water saturated polyfluorosulfonic acid ionomer membrane.

Abstract: A method of selective corrosion rate analysis is shown for generating an inspection and replacement schedule for a fluid processing plant. The method includes the steps of identifying a system from a division of the plant into one or more systems wherein each system has mechanical components that are expected to experience a common corrosion environment, and wherein each system has at least one thickness measurement location for performing thickness inspections. The next steps are establishing system corrosion data for each thickness measurement location and running the data through a plurality of corrosion engineering models. Running the corrosion engineering models includes coordinating the system corrosion data of the thickness measurement locations into a plurality of physical relationship data groups, and applying a plurality of statistical distribution/goodness-of-fit tests to each physical relationship data group.

Abstract: The invention is an ergonomic canoe paddle. The paddle includes a shaft having a shear side and an opposed drag side, a blade having a shear surface and an opposed drag surface, wherein the blade is secured to a bottom end of the shaft so that the shear surface of the blade is secured to the shear side of the shaft and the drag surface of the blade is secured to the drag side of the shaft, and a handle secured to a top end of the shaft. The handle includes a central grip bar secured to the top end of the shaft, a right grip stem and a left grip stem secured to opposed ends of the grip bar. The right and left grip stems extend away from the shaft in a direction that is both about twenty degrees from a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the shaft, and that is also away from the drag side of the shaft about sixty-five degrees from a plane roughly parallel to the shear surface of the blade.