Patents Assigned to ClearEdge Power, Inc.
  • Patent number: 8268160
    Abstract: In one example, a specimen is immersed in an electrolyte, and a plurality of potentials of the specimen are experimentally related to a plurality of currents by applying the potentials to the specimen while measuring the currents, or, by drawing the currents through the specimen while measuring the potentials. The potentials are referenced to a hydrogen reference electrode. Hydrogen is supplied to the hydrogen reference electrode via an electrolysis cathode distinct from the hydrogen reference electrode. In another example, an electrochemical cell confines a head gas disposed over the electrolyte. A partial pressure of water vapor in the head gas is adjusted so that the concentration of water in the electrolyte, when equilibrated with the head gas, falls within a predetermined concentration range. The head gas and electrolyte are then equilibrated, thereby controlling the concentration of water in the electrolyte, and an electrochemical property of the specimen is measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason M. Tang, Yang Song
  • Patent number: 8263274
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed that relate to temperature distribution in a reaction chamber of a steam reformer. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a steam reformer, comprising a central chamber through which feed gas flows, a reaction chamber surrounding the central chamber and having an inner wall and an outer wall, and a recuperative heat exchanger disposed between the inner wall of the reaction chamber and the central chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Sonnichsen, Bob Sorensen
  • Patent number: 8221692
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed that relate to increasing radiative heat transfer in a steam reformer from an exterior shell which includes a diffusion burner to an interior reactor via angled fins coupled to the exterior shell. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a steam reformer, comprising an exterior shell which includes a diffusion burner and angled fins, the angled fins extending away from an inner surface of the exterior shell and downward toward the diffusion burner. The steam reformer further comprises an interior reactor positioned at least partly within the exterior shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Bob Sorensen, Craig E. Evans, Brian Sonnichsen
  • Patent number: 8202655
    Abstract: A method is provided for reducing degradation in a fuel cell assembly, including at least one fuel cell with a PBI membrane, during standby, operation. The method may include electrochemically consuming an oxidant from a cathode coupled to the PBI membrane in response to a disconnection of an external load and supplying fuel to remove or electrochemically consume any back-diffused oxidant to the associated fuel cell sufficient to replace or consume the back-diffused oxidant while the external load is removed, and/or also may include controlling a standby temperature of the fuel cell. In this way, it may be possible to avoid increased cell voltage decay associated with degradation of the PBI in a simple and cost effective system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Yang Song, Zakiul Kabir, Craig Evans, Lin Qiu, Donald L. Maricle
  • Patent number: 8168339
    Abstract: A method for controlling an amount of a liquid electrolyte in a polymer-electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell is provided. The method comprises enriching one or more of a fuel flow and an air flow with a vapor of the liquid electrolyte, the liquid electrolyte being unreplenishable via an electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell. The method further comprises delivering the vapor of the liquid electrolyte to the fuel cell including the polymer-electrolyte membrane via one or more of the gas-permeable anode and or the gas-permeable cathode. In this manner, loss of liquid electrolyte from the PEM membrane of the fuel cell can be reduced, leading to improved fuel-cell endurance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Yang Song, Craig E. Evans, Nicolas DeFalco, Jason M. Tang
  • Patent number: 8168344
    Abstract: The air-cooled thermal management of a fuel cell stack is disclosed. One disclosed embodiment comprises a cooling plate apparatus for an air-cooled fuel cell stack, where the cooling plate comprises a body configured to receive heat from one or more fuel cells in thermal communication with the body, and airflow channels formed in the body and configured to allow a flow of a cooling air to pass across the body. An insulating structure is disposed in the airflow channels, wherein the insulating structure has decreasing thickness from a cooling air inlet toward a cooling air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: George W. Hawkins, Zakiul Kabir, Qimin Ming, Yang Song
  • Patent number: 8119294
    Abstract: A method is provided for reducing degradation in a fuel cell assembly, including at least one fuel cell with a PBI membrane, during standby, operation. The method may include electrochemically consuming an oxidant from a cathode coupled to the PBI membrane in response to a disconnection of an external load and supplying fuel to remove or electrochemically consume any back-diffused oxidant to the associated fuel cell sufficient to replace or consume the back-diffused oxidant while the external load is removed, and/or also may include controlling a standby temperature of the fuel cell. In this way, it may be possible to avoid increased cell voltage decay associated with degradation of the PBI in a simple and cost effective system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Yang Song, Zakiul Kabir, Craig Evans, Lin Qiu, Donald L. Maricle
  • Patent number: 8071247
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed that relate to increasing radiative heat transfer in a steam reformer from an exterior shell which includes a diffusion burner to an interior reactor via angled fins coupled to the exterior shell. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a steam reformer, comprising an exterior shell which includes a diffusion burner and angled fins, the angled fins extending away from an inner surface of the exterior shell and downward toward the diffusion burner. The steam reformer further comprises an interior reactor positioned at least partly within the exterior shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Bob Sorensen, Craig E. Evans, Brian Sonnichsen
  • Patent number: 8043750
    Abstract: A method for controlling an amount of a liquid electrolyte in a polymer-electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell is provided. The method comprises enriching one or more of a fuel flow and an air flow with a vapor of the liquid electrolyte, the liquid electrolyte being unreplenishable via an electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell. The method further comprises delivering the vapor of the liquid electrolyte to the fuel cell including the polymer-electrolyte membrane via one or more of the gas-permeable anode and or the gas-permeable cathode. In this manner, loss of liquid electrolyte from the PEM membrane of the fuel cell can be reduced, leading to improved fuel-cell endurance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Yang Song, Craig E. Evans, Nicolas DeFalco, Jason M. Tang
  • Patent number: 8038968
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed that relate to increasing a temperature in a low temperature zone in a steam reforming reactor via a radiative heating shunt. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a steam reforming reactor comprising a reaction chamber having an interior surface, a packing material located within the reaction chamber, and a radiative heating shunt extending from the interior surface into the reaction chamber. The radiative heating shunt comprises a porous partition enclosing a sub-volume of the reaction chamber bounded by the porous partition and a portion of the interior surface, the sub-volume being at least partly free of packing material such that radiative heat has a path from the interior surface to a distal portion of the porous partition that is unobstructed by packing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Bob Sorensen, Craig E. Evans, Brian Sonnichsen
  • Patent number: 7993708
    Abstract: A method of operating a power generating system including a fuel cell coupled to an electrical buffer, wherein the fuel cell is further coupled to a steam reformer, comprising adjusting operation of the reformer based on a voltage affected by the electrical buffer while maintaining a steam to carbon ratio of the reformer to control charging of the electrical buffer by the fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Evans, Steve Ernst, Evan Rege
  • Publication number: 20110003236
    Abstract: A method for controlling an amount of a liquid electrolyte in a polymer-electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell is provided. The method comprises enriching one or more of a fuel flow and an air flow with a vapor of the liquid electrolyte, the liquid electrolyte being unreplenishable via an electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell. The method further comprises delivering the vapor of the liquid electrolyte to the fuel cell including the polymer-electrolyte membrane via one or more of the gas-permeable anode and or the gas-permeable cathode. In this manner, loss of liquid electrolyte from the PEM membrane of the fuel cell can be reduced, leading to improved fuel-cell endurance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Yang Song, Craig E. Evans, Nicolas DeFalco, Jason M. Tang
  • Publication number: 20100227250
    Abstract: Embodiments related to fuel cells and membrane-electrode assemblies for fuel cells are disclosed. In one disclosed embodiment, a membrane-electrode assembly includes a catalyzed anode material and a membrane disposed in face-sharing contact with the catalyzed anode material. The membrane comprises mutually interpenetrating first and second phases, the first phase supporting an ionic conduction through the membrane, and the second phase supporting a dimensional structure of the membrane. The membrane-electrode assembly also includes a catalyzed cathode material disposed in face-sharing contact with the membrane, opposite the catalyzed anode material. Two opposing flow plates are also provided, each flow plate configured to distribute a reactant gas to a catalyzed electrode material of the membrane-electrode assembly. Other embodiments provide variants on the membrane-electrode assembly and methods to make the membrane-electrode assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Ru Chen, Craig Evans, Evan Rege, Zakiul Kabir
  • Publication number: 20100216044
    Abstract: The air-cooled thermal management of a fuel cell stack is disclosed. One disclosed embodiment comprises a cooling plate apparatus for an air-cooled fuel cell stack, where the cooling plate comprises a body configured to receive heat from one or more fuel cells in thermal communication with the body, and airflow channels formed in the body and configured to allow a flow of a cooling air to pass across the body. An insulating structure is disposed in the airflow channels, wherein the insulating structure has decreasing thickness from a cooling air inlet toward a cooling air outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: George W. Hawkins, Zakiul Kabir, Qimin Ming, Yang Song
  • Publication number: 20100216041
    Abstract: The extraction of energy from used cooking oil is disclosed. In one embodiment, used cooking oil is admitted from a cooking appliance to an interface, and then to a reactor or a series of reactors where it is reformed into a hydrogen-containing, reformed fuel. The hydrogen-containing, reformed fuel is then admitted to a fuel cell which produces electricity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon Slangerup, Brett Vinsant, Bill Sproull, Zakiul Kabir
  • Publication number: 20100003558
    Abstract: A method of operating a power generating system including a fuel cell coupled to an electrical buffer, wherein the fuel cell is further coupled to a steam reformer, comprising adjusting operation of the reformer based on a voltage affected by the electrical buffer while maintaining a steam to carbon ratio of the reformer to control charging of the electrical buffer by the fuel cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Applicant: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Evans, Steve Ernst, Evan Rege
  • Publication number: 20090246578
    Abstract: Embodiments of thermally integrated HT PEM fuel cell systems are disclosed. In one disclosed embodiment, a fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell, a fuel processor configured to form a processed fuel for the fuel cell, and a thermal management system comprising a heat transfer fluid circulation loop that circulates a heat transfer fluid through the fuel cell and through the fuel processing system in a common loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Evans, Evan Rege, Ru Chen, Zakiul Kabir
  • Publication number: 20070065709
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a fuel cell flow field is provided with a porous catalyst layer formed over the flow field. The flow field can be used to ionize reactant gases. In accordance with another embodiment, a high temperature fuel cell membrane, such as a polymer electrolyte membrane, can be formed with a porous layer of catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Applicant: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Slobodan Petrovic, Nicole Williams, Ru Chen, Yang Song, Brett Vinsant
  • Publication number: 20060204828
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention a fuel cell can be configured so as to directly bond silicon substrate flow field plates directly to one another via a dielectric bond without allowing reactant gases to penetrate the flow field plates during operation of the fuel cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Applicant: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Slobodan Petrovic, Brett Vinsant
  • Publication number: 20060154133
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a flow field plate can be configured with an electrolyte retaining material. The electrolyte retaining material can couple the electrolyte to the flow field plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Applicant: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Yang Song, Slobodan Petrovic, Nicole Williams, Ru Chen, Brett Vinsant