Abstract: A power generator in which the rotor's mechanical rotation speed and the output frequency can be varied substantially independently of each other through electronic controls, to achieve results such as better match between speed and load regime of the primary mover and the generator's output.

Abstract: The subject invention pertains to a method and apparatus for recalibrating and/or estimating a battery's state of charge (SOC). The subject invention is advantageous in situations where the battery infrequently, if ever, reaches a full charge and/or a full discharge. In a specific embodiment, the subject method and apparatus can utilize a battery's voltage and/or current, and/or changes in a battery's voltage and/or current with time, to recalibrate and/or estimate the battery's SOC. The method and apparatus of the subject invention can monitor various parameters relating to the condition of the battery in order to determine where on the open circuit voltage (OCV) versus SOC curve, the dOCV/dSOC versus SOC curve, and/or d2OCV/dSOC2 versus SOC curve the curve the battery is and, in a specific embodiment, when the battery reaches inflection point of the OCV versus SOC curve.

Abstract: A steam injection nozzle system for injecting steam into a combustion liner of a gas turbine for enhancing power output and efficiency of the gas turbine. The combustion liner has a plurality of dilution holes for supplying air to a combustion chamber to create turbulence. A steam manifold surrounds the combustion liner and has a plurality of steam injection nozzles, each steam injection nozzle being disposed opposite a corresponding dilution hole, without touching the combustion liner, for injecting the steam directly into the combustion liner through the dilution holes. The steam is injected without altering an existing amount of air through the plurality of dilution holes, resulting in a constant amount of air through the plurality of dilution holes independent of the amount of steam injected therein within a predetermined range of steam. The predetermined range of steam injected may be between approximately 9% and approximately 35%, inclusive, of the air flowing through the combustion liner.

Abstract: A method for controlling the speed of an engine driving a generator supplying electrical current to a load includes the steps of monitoring the current, increasing the speed when the current increases and decreasing the speed when the current decreases. The governor apparatus used to carry out the method includes a microcontroller having a current and frequency look-up table embedded in it. For some part of the monitoring step, the engine runs at a first speed, e.g., idle speed, or some moderate speed above idle speed. The increasing step includes detecting an increase in the current to a value, determining from the look-up table the frequency corresponding to the value and increasing the speed of the engine until the frequency of the current is the frequency corresponding to the value. To state it in other words, the new method and apparatus control the engine at a modest speed when the generator is unloaded or lightly loaded and increases engine speed and current frequency with increases in generator load.

Abstract: Graft polymeric membranes in which one or more trifluorovinyl aromatic monomers are radiation graft polymerized to a preformed polymeric base film are provided, as well as ion-exchange membranes prepared therefrom. Preferred monomers include substituted &agr;, &bgr;, &bgr;-trifluorostyrenes and trifluorovinyl naphthalenes which are activated towards the grafting reaction or facilitate the introduction of more than one ion-exchange group per monomer unit in the grafted chains. The ion-exchange membranes are useful in dialysis applications, and particularly in electrochemical applications, for example as membrane electrolytes in electrochemical fuel cells and electrolyzers.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for protecting a solar cell. The solar cell includes first solar cell portion. The first solar cell portion includes at least one junction and at least one solar cell contact on a backside of the first solar cell portion. At least one bypass diode portion is epitaxially grown on the first solar cell portion. The bypass diode has at least one contact. An interconnect couples the solar cell contact to the diode contact.

Abstract: A fuel cell comprises a pair of separator plates and a pair of fluid distribution layers interposed between the separator plates. At least one of the fluid distribution layers comprises a sealing region and an electrically conductive, fluid permeable active region, and a thermoplastic polymeric material extending into each of the sealing region and the active region. An ion exchange membrane is interposed between at least a portion of the fluid distribution layers, and a quantity of electrocatalyst is interposed between at least a portion of each of the fluid distribution layers and at least a portion of the membrane, thereby defining the active region. Melt-bonding the thermoplastic material in the sealing region renders the at least one fluid distribution layer substantially fluid impermeable in a direction parallel to the major planar surfaces.

Abstract: A novel, improved method and apparatus for generation of mechanical and electrical power. Thrust module(s) is(are) provided on a low aerodynamic drag rotor. The rotor is affixed at a central hub to a shaft, and rotates about an axis defined by the shaft. The rotor acts as a structural member which transmits the thrust generated by the thrust module(s) onto the central power output shaft. In the preferred embodiment the thrust modules are ramjet engines, and the ramjet inlet captures and compresses an impinging inlet air stream. The compressed air stream thus provides oxygen for mixing with a fuel which is supplied to the ramjet thrust modules from a convenient fuel source such as natural gas. The fuel is oxidized in the thrust module(s) to produce combustion gases. The gases expand, and the exhaust flow creates thrust. The thrust motivates the ramjet engine to rotate at supersonic velocities, producing shaft energy.

Abstract: A ramjet engine power generator. Supersonic ramjets are provided at the distal ends of a low aerodynamic drag rotor. The rotor is affixed at a central hub to a shaft, and rotates about an axis defined by the shaft. The rotor acts as a structural member which transmits to the shaft the thrust generated by the ramjets. In the preferred embodiment, a partially shrouded ramjet inlet captures and compresses an impinging inlet air stream by utilizing inlet structures and an adjacent housing sidewall. The compressed air inlet stream provides oxygen for mixing with a fuel, such as natural gas, other suitable hydrocarbons, or hydrogen, which is supplied to the novel, preferably replaceable ramjet combustion chamber(s). Fuel is oxidized in the combustion chamber(s) to produce expanding combustion gases. Such gases escape out through a partially shrouded nozzle, acting against three outlet structures and an adjacent housing sidewall, rotating the ramjet at supersonic velocities, and producing shaft energy.

Abstract: A method and apparatus increase the temperature of a fuel cell via reactant starvation at one or both electrodes. Reactant starvation at an electrode results in an increased overvoltage at the electrode and hence increased internal heat generation under load. Starvation conditions can be prolonged or intermittent and can be obtained, for example, by suitably reducing the supply rate of a reactant or by operating the fuel cell at sufficiently high current density so as to consume reactant faster than it is supplied. The method can allow for some generation of useful power by the fuel cell during start-up. The method is particularly suitable for starting up a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell from temperatures below 0° C.

Abstract: An efficient method of interconnecting a solar cell having at least two front surface contacts with a diode mounted on a front surface of the solar cell includes the act of forming at least a first recess on a front surface of the solar cell. A first solar cell contact is formed on the front surface in the first recess. A second solar cell contact is formed on the front surface. At least a first bypass diode is positioned at least partly within the recess. The bypass diode has a first diode contact and a second diode contact. The first solar cell contact is interconnected with the first diode contact. The second solar cell contact is interconnected with the second diode contact.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for distributing water produced by the electrochemical reaction to ion-exchange membranes in an array comprising a plurality of electrochemical fuel cell stacks. Water distribution within individual fuel cell stacks within the array is improved to reduce membrane dryness near the oxidant stream inlet and to also reduce saturation of the oxidant stream near the oxidant stream outlet, thereby reducing electrode flooding. The method comprises periodically reversing the oxidant stream flow direction within at least one of the plurality of fuel cell stacks. The apparatus comprises an oxidant stream flow switching device for periodically switching the flow direction of an oxidant stream through an individual fuel cell stack.

Abstract: A load site voltage regulation control system. The load site receives electrical power from a utility over transmission lines. The load site also receives electrical power from a local generator unit operating with an inverter. The local generator unit and inverter are coupled to the load by an EMI filter and a transformer. Voltage at the load is controlled by adjusting the inverter voltage using an inverter voltage command. The inverter voltage command is based on load voltage, inverter voltage, EMI filter voltage, utility supplied current, and inverter current. In one embodiment, the inverter voltage is adjusted to minimize utility supplied reactive and real power and to actively dampen EMI filter voltage, with the inverter voltage command being developed though a multi-loop PPI control system.

Abstract: The described DC to AC inverter efficiently controls the amount of electrical power used to drive a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL). The output is a fairly pure sine wave which is proportional to an input control voltage. The output waveform purity is ensured by driving a symmetrical rectangular waveform into a second-order, low pass filter at the resonant frequency of the filter for all conditions of line voltage and delivered power. Operating stress on the step-up transformer is minimized by placing the load (lamp) directly across the secondary side of the transformer. When configured to regulate delivered power, the secondary side may be fully floated which practically eliminates a thermometer effect on the operation of the lamp. All of the active elements, including the power switches, may be integrated into a monolithic silicon circuit.

Abstract: An improved method reduces fuel cell performance degradation of an electrode comprising porous components. Electrochemical solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells typically have present therein a liquid which expands upon freezing, such as, for example water. The presence of such a liquid within the pores of the electrode components may cause performance degradation of the liquid freezes. The present method comprises employing an impregnant within at least some of the pores of the electrode components. The impregnant inhibits the deterioration of porous fuel cell components caused by expansion of the liquid within the pores when the fuel cell components are subjected to a temperature below the freezing temperature of the liquid. Preferably the impregnant does not expand when changing phases from a liquid to a solid. The impregnant may comprise an organic fluid, an organic acid, an inorganic acid, a polymer or dispersion.

Abstract: A rotating group for a microturbine power generation system includes an electrical generator rotor, a turbine and a compressor intermediate the generator and the turbine. The turbine, compressor and electrical generator rotor are secured together by a tieshaft. The tieshaft is prestressed such that faces of the turbine, electrical generator rotor and compressor maintain contact during high-speed, high-temperature operation of the system.

Abstract: An electrode having a notch along one edge is provided. The notch prevents unintentional internal shorting between the electrode and internal cell structures having an opposing polarity. In a preferred embodiment, the electrode is used in jellyroll electrochemical cells to avoid contact between the most exterior electrode wrap of the jellyroll and the can. A method of making such an electrode from a continuous strip of electrode material is also provided.

Abstract: A process for impregnating at least one porous part with an impregnant comprises: (a) immersing at least one porous part in a fixed volume of impregnant, (b) measuring at least one parameter indicative of the effective volume of the impregnant as the impregnant impregnates the porous part(s), and (c) interrupting impregnation when the measured parameter(s) indicates a desired level of impregnation is achieved. An apparatus for impregnating porous parts comprises a vessel for holding at least one porous part and a fixed volume of impregnant, and at least one device for measuring the change in effective volume of the impregnant within the vessel.

Abstract: A method of generating power. Ramjet structural components to provide inlet compression, a combustion chamber, and an outlet nozzle are provided at one or more circumferentially spaced locations along the periphery of a low aerodynamic drag rotor. Ramjet compression occurs by impingment of an inlet air stream between a rotating inlet structure and an adjacent stationary wall. The compressed air inlet stream provides oxygen for mixing with a fuel, such as natural gas, other suitable hydrocarbons, or hydrogen, which is supplied to the ramjet combustion chamber(s). Fuel is oxidized in the combustion chamber(s) to produce expanding combustion gases. Such gases escape out through a nozzle formed between a rotating outlet structure and a stationary wall. The ramjet operates at supersonic velocities, and preferably in excess of Mach 2.0, to produce shaft energy. The rotor rotates about an axis defined by an output shaft.

Abstract: A connector assembly connects a plurality of battery cells in a serial/parallel arrangement. Each battery cell includes a cover and a canister having a side and a bottom. Each battery cell is constructed such that a segment of the side of the canister forms a top crimped portion that retains the cover and is electrically isolated from the cover. The connector assembly includes a conductive weld cup. The conductive weld cup includes a bordered portion and recessed portion. The bordered portion includes a first side wall and a ledge that is substantially planar. The recessed portion is recessed within the ledge. The recessed portion includes a recessed portion and a floor that is substantially planar. The first side wall includes an integrated tab projecting from it. An inner surface of the bordered portion engages an outer surface of the side and the bottom of the canister of an upper adjacent battery cell. An outer surface of the floor engages a cover of a lower adjacent battery cell.