Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for energy management. A system, such as a vehicle, includes a plurality of energy storage units that include a supercapacitor and an electrochemical battery. The system includes an energy controller that tracks historical power draw from the plurality of energy storage units over time in power tracking data, and that identifies a power draw based on the power tracking data. The energy controller switches between a first configuration and a second configuration based on the identified power draw. The first configuration is configured for drawing power from the electrochemical battery and disconnecting from the supercapacitor, while wherein the second configuration is configured for drawing power from the supercapacitor and disconnecting from the electrochemical battery.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a fuel cell product assembly comprising a foundational frame assembly comprising a frame rail, a hot box cover removably supported by the foundational frame assembly to define a hot box area, one or more fuel cell assemblies housed in the hot box area and configured to produce electricity, and plumbing configured to supply a fuel or an oxidant to the one or more fuel cell assemblies, wherein at least a portion of the plumbing routes through and is protected by a longitudinal section of the frame rail.

Abstract: Hydrogen being a clean, highly abundant and renewable fuel, is a promising alternative for conventional energy sources. Mostly, this hydrogen is stored in the form of hydrides. The existing methods for identification of material for hydrogen storage as expensive and time consuming. A method and system of identification of materials for hydrogen storage has been provided. The method provides a machine learning technique to predict the hydrogen storage capacity of materials, using only the compositional information of the compound. A random forest model used in the work was able to predict the gravimetric hydrogen storage capacities of intermetallic compounds. The method and system is also configured to predict the thermodynamic stability of the intermetallic compound.

Abstract: A method is provided for operating a propulsion system having a gas turbine engine and a fuel cell assembly. The fuel cell assembly includes a fuel cell. The method includes: receiving gas composition data of output products from the fuel cell; and controlling operation of the fuel cell assembly, the gas turbine engine, or both in response to the received gas composition data of the output products from the fuel cell.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a first fuel cell having an electrode area made of first electrode material, and a second fuel cell having an electrode area made of second electrode material having low durability against output voltage variation in comparison with the first electrode material. The fuel cell system is configured to supply electrical power to a motor generator. The fuel cell system includes a required electrical power acquisition unit configured to obtain required electrical power of the motor generator, and a control unit configured to control the second fuel cell in a manner that a variation of output electrical power of the second fuel cell becomes not more than a predetermined limit variation, and control the first fuel cell in accordance with the required electrical power and output electrical power of the second fuel cell.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell system and a method of controlling water imbalance is provided. The electrochemical cell system and the method both include determining a present water imbalance in the electrochemical cell by summing a waterin and a watercreated less a waterout; tracking a cumulative water imbalance during operation of the electrochemical cell by repeatedly determining the present water imbalance and continuing to sum the results during operation; and adjusting a flow rate of the oxidant feed gas entering the electrochemical cell based on the cumulative water imbalance.

Abstract: One or more methods of designing microchannel fluid flow networks in a fuel cell bipolar plate includes executing one or more programs on one or more computing devices having one or more processors to optimize the spatially varying orientations of homogenized anisotropic porous media by iteratively executing a gradient-based algorithm that incorporates objective functions of reaction uniformity and flow resistance, and then generate, in response to the homogenized anisotropic porous media optimization, one or more microchannel fluid flow networks by dehomogenizing the optimized anisotropic porous media.

Abstract: The present invention relates, amongst other things, to a flushing system (40) for flushing an energy source device (15) and/or an energy sink device (16) of an energy system (10), the flushing system comprising: a flushing device (41) having a storage chamber (45), which on the input side is fluidically connected to a first line portion (46), which is formed as a flushing line starting from the energy source device (15), and/or to a second line portion (47), which is formed as a flushing line starting from the energy sink device (16); a first monitoring device (50) for monitoring the state of the storage chamber (45), the first monitoring device (50) comprising at least one sensor device (50a) associated with the storage chamber (45) for monitoring the fill level of the storage chamber (45); and also optionally a compensation container device (54) fluidically connected to the storage chamber (45).

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO), an ATO injector configured to mix a first portion of an anode exhaust from the fuel cell stack with a cathode exhaust from the fuel cell stack and to provide a mixture of the first portion of the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust into the ATO, an anode exhaust conduit which is configured to provide the first portion of the anode exhaust into the ATO injector, and cathode exhaust conduit which is configured to provide at least a portion of the cathode exhaust from the fuel cell stack into the ATO injector. The ATO injector includes injector tubes or injection apertures.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for processing ammonia. A heater may heat reformers, where the reformers comprise ammonia (NH3) reforming catalysts in thermal communication with the heater. NH3 may be directed to the reformers from storage tanks, and the NH3 may be decomposed to generate a reformate stream comprising hydrogen (H2) and nitrogen (N2). At least part of the reformate stream can be used to heat reformers. Additionally, the reformate stream can be directed to a hydrogen processing module such as a fuel cell.

Abstract: A method for estimating a present energy consumption of an electrically propelled vehicle powered by a propulsion battery. The method includes obtaining previous energy consumption values for a set of previous time instants, and a present drive pattern parameter value; estimating a present energy consumption based on a weighted moving average model fed with the energy consumption values, wherein, the weighted moving average model includes a modelled gain factor for each of at least a portion of the previous energy consumption values, where the modelled gain factors are modelled as a function of the drive pattern parameter.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell that generates electricity using a fuel gas and air, an air supply that supplies air to the fuel cell, a temperature meter that measures a temperature of the fuel cell, and a controller. The controller controls the air supply to increase an amount of air to be supplied to the fuel cell in response to the temperature of the fuel cell exceeding one of a plurality of predetermined temperatures.

Abstract: An integrated low-carbon energy system includes a controller configured to control an amount of H2 gas added to pipe-based delivery system that carries mixture of a fossil fuel in gaseous form with the H2 gas as a minority component by volume, an H2-compatible fuel cell that converts the mixed gas into electricity, a data interface that receives an H2 allocation request signal on behalf of a facility that receives electricity produced by the H2-compatible fuel cell, wherein in response to the H2 allocation request signal, the controller is configured to control a change an addition rate of H2 from a first level to a second level that corresponds with a level requested in the request signal.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell that generates electricity using a fuel gas and air, an air supply that supplies air to the fuel cell, a temperature meter that measures a temperature of the fuel cell, and a controller. The controller controls the air supply to increase an amount of air to be supplied to the fuel cell in response to the temperature of the fuel cell exceeding one of a plurality of predetermined temperatures.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a high thermal resistant polyolefin-based separator including a coating layer containing polyamic acid. Specifically, the separator includes a polyolefin-based substrate film, and a coating layer containing polyamic acid formed on one or both surfaces of the polyolefin-based substrate film, wherein the polyamic acid contains one or more functional groups selected from the group consisting of a sulfone group, a trifluoromethyl group, an alkyl group, and a phenyl ether group. Also, disclosed herein is an electrochemical battery having improved thermal stability by using the separator including a coating layer containing polyamic acid.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for processing ammonia. A heater may heat reformers, where the reformers comprise ammonia (NH3) reforming catalysts in thermal communication with the heater. NH3 may be directed to the reformers from storage tanks, and the NH3 may be decomposed to generate a reformate stream comprising hydrogen (H2) and nitrogen (N2). At least part of the reformate stream can be used to heat reformers. Additionally, the reformate stream can be directed to a hydrogen processing module such as a fuel cell.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack and a storage tank in which at least part of generated water discharged from the fuel cell stack is stored in liquid form. The storage tank includes a first valve configured to adjust the pressure inside the storage tank to a pressure equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure that is higher than the pressure outside the storage tank.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for monitoring the total amount of sulphur containing compounds in a metal or metal alloy plating bath, wherein the sulphur containing compounds contain at least one sulphur atom having an oxidation state below +6, the method comprising the steps (a), (b), optionally (c), and (d). Said method is a means of providing control over a metal plating process. Thus, the present invention relates furthermore to a controlled process for plating a metal on a substrate utilizing the method of the present invention for monitoring the total amount of said sulphur containing compounds.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a controller that controls an amount of air flow to be supplied from an air blower included in an oxygen-containing gas supply to a cell stack to cause a power level (in amperes) of a fuel cell controllable by a power level regulator (power conditioner) and an air utilization to have an increase-control section in which the air utilization increases in accordance with an increase in the power level of the fuel cell and a decrease-control section in which the air utilization decreases in accordance with an increase in the power level. The air utilization is a ratio of an air amount used by the fuel cell for power generation to an oxygen-containing gas (air) amount supplied to the fuel cell.

Abstract: An apparatus for dilution of hydrogen concentration in a fuel cell exhaust system is provided. The apparatus includes a fuel cell exhaust line configured for receiving a flow of gas from a connected fuel cell and including a flow of hydrogen gas. The apparatus further includes a mixing chamber disposed to receive the flow of hydrogen gas and configured for mixing a flow of air with the flow of hydrogen gas. The mixing chamber includes a mixing mesh including at least one tab feature configured for altering a flow direction of at least a portion of one of the flow of hydrogen gas and for creating a turbulent flow region within the mixing chamber.

Abstract: Presented are battery assemblies with integrated fuel tanks, methods for making/using such battery assemblies, and fuel cell electric vehicles having rechargeable traction battery packs with integrated fiber-composite hydrogen fuel tanks. A rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) assembly includes a battery pack housing with an internal battery module compartment located between two tank mounting cavities. Each mounting cavity is recessed into a respective lateral side of the battery pack housing. Multiple rechargeable battery modules are electrically interconnected with one another and mounted inside the battery module compartment. Each battery module contains multiple battery cells, such as a stack of series-connected lithium-ion pouch cells. A fuel tank is mounted in each of the tank mounting cavities on the lateral sides of the battery pack housing.

Abstract: A method includes applying to a substrate a solution including a polymeric compound to form a release layer on the substrate; applying ion-conducting elements on the release layer; applying a matrix polymer on the release layer, wherein the matrix polymer surrounds at least some of the ion-conducting elements; and removing the release layer to separate the matrix polymer from the substrate such that the ion-conducting elements remain embedded in a carrier layer of the matrix polymer and form an ion-conducting membrane.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a method of making a fuel cell including forming an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte using an additive manufacturing machine. The electrolyte is between the anode and the cathode. Preferably, electrical current flow is perpendicular to the electrolyte in the lateral direction when the fuel cell is in use. Preferably, the method comprises making an interconnect, a barrier layer, and a catalyst layer using the additive manufacturing machine.

Abstract: A control device of a powertrain system executes a control input determination processing and a system control processing. The control input determination processing includes a co-state variable determination processing to update a co-state variable p of an optimization problem for each time step and a control input calculation processing. The co-state variable determination processing includes an initial value determination processing that determines, as an initial value of the co-state variable p, the sum of a base value of the initial value and an external charge/discharge correction value. The base value is a final value or an average value of the co-state variable p during the last control time period. The external charge/discharge correction value is determined based on an external charge/discharge amount obtained by subtracting a SOC at the end of the last control time period from the SOC at the start of the current control time period.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO), an ATO injector configured to mix a first portion of an anode exhaust from the fuel cell stack with a cathode exhaust from the fuel cell stack and to provide a mixture of the first portion of the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust into the ATO, an anode exhaust conduit which is configured to provide the first portion of the anode exhaust into the ATO injector, and cathode exhaust conduit which is configured to provide at least a portion of the cathode exhaust from the fuel cell stack into the ATO injector. The ATO injector includes injector tubes or injection apertures.

Abstract: A fuel cell module may include: a cell stack device including a cell stack including an array of a plurality of fuel cells, a manifold which supplies a fuel gas to each of the fuel cells, and a reformer which reforms a raw fuel; an oxygen-containing gas flow channel through which the oxygen-containing gas flows; an oxygen-containing gas introduction plate which supplies the oxygen-containing gas to each of the plurality of fuel cells; a housing including a box body of which one side is opened to provide an opening and a lid (closed plate) which closes the opening; a gas pipe joint, an ignition heater, a thermocouple, etc. which are a plurality of insertion members inserted from an outside of the housing into an accommodation chamber, the respective insertion members being inserted through one surface (lid surface) of the housing.

Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system and method, the system including a power module configured to receive a fuel from a fuel conduit of the system, the power module including a fuel cell stack, a module conduit fluidly connecting the fuel conduit and the stack, and a fuel control valve (FCV) configured to control a flow rate of the fuel in the module conduit. The system also includes a first detector configured to detect a first Wobbe Index (WI) of the fuel in the fuel conduit, and a controller configured to control the FCV to change the fuel flow rate based on whether the detected first WI indicates a change in the composition of the fuel.

Abstract: Thermochemical storage materials having the general formula AxA?1-xByB?1-yO3-?, where A=La, Sr, K, Ca, Ba, Y and B=Mn, Fe, Co, Ti, Ni, Cu, Zr, Al, Y, Cr, V, Nb, Mo, are disclosed. These materials have improved thermal storage energy density and reaction kinetics compared to previous materials. Concentrating solar power thermochemical systems and methods capable of storing heat energy by using these thermochemical storage materials are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a firing cartridge, and more particularly, to a firing cartridge in which multiple slit grooves are formed in lateral portions positioned between an upper end portion and a lower end portion, and solid fuel cell electrodes are inserted into the slit grooves, such that the number of cells, which may be fired at the same time, is increased, and thus productivity of a solid fuel cell may be improved.

Abstract: An environmental enclosure is disclosed. The environmental enclosure may include sidewalls defining an enclosure volume, each of the sidewalls having an internally facing surface and an externally facing surface, and a solar shield comprising a reflective surface. The solar shield is spaced a first distance externally from the enclosure volume and is connected to a sidewall. The first distance defines a portion of a flow area that is configured to produce stack effect draft.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a component in a circulation passage for off-gas, a battery temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a fuel cell temperature, a component temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a component temperature, a state-of-charge acquisition unit configured to acquire a state of charge of a secondary battery, and a controller configured to, when a temperature difference between the acquired fuel cell temperature and the acquired component temperature is greater than or equal to a predetermined temperature difference at the time of a stop of power generation of the fuel cell system, perform a warm-up operation of a fuel cell and store electric power generated through the warm-up operation in the secondary battery while the state of charge of the secondary battery is lower than a predetermined state of charge, and, after completion of the warm-up operation, perform the scavenging operation at predetermined scavenging power.

Abstract: A pinhole determination method for a fuel cell includes steps of blocking air supply to a fuel cell stack by a controller; measuring a cell voltage value of each of unit fuel cells of the fuel cell stack; and determining whether or not a pinhole is present by comparing the cell voltage value with an average cell voltage value.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling a performance of a fuel cell stack is provided. In particular, the output performance of the fuel cell stack is determined by comparing the difference between an initial voltage and a voltage after a predetermined time lapses with the difference between the initial voltage and a preset minimum voltage.

Abstract: One method of operating a fuel cell system including splitting a cathode exhaust from one or more fuel cell stacks in the system into a majority cathode exhaust stream comprising more than 50% of the cathode exhaust and a first cathode exhaust bypass stream, providing the majority cathode exhaust stream to an inlet of an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) containing a catalyst and providing the first cathode bypass stream downstream of the catalyst such that it bypasses the catalyst. Another method includes providing an air inlet stream to the SOFC system via a main air inlet, providing the air inlet stream from the main air inlet to a cathode recuperator, and providing a cooling medium to a heat exchanger to cool the cathode recuperator.

Abstract: A humidifier for a fuel cell includes a body, first and second humidifying spaces formed inside the body, an exhaust gas inlet and an exhaust gas outlet for supplying exhaust gas released from the fuel cell stack into the first and second humidifying spaces, a passing space formed inside the body and directly or indirectly communicated with the second humidifying space and the fuel cell stack. The inflow gas flows into the passing space from the first humidifying space. A valve is installed in the passing space to allow the inflow gas introduced into the passing space to flow into the fuel cell stack with or without passing through or to allow some of the inflow gas introduced into the passing space to flow into the fuel cell stack passing through the second humidifying space and others of the inflow gas introduced into the fuel cell stack without passing through the second humidifying space.

Abstract: Novel mixed-conducting perovskite oxides, including La0.3Ca0.7Fe0.7Cr0.3O3-?, useful as oxygen and fuel electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and reversible solid oxide fuel cells (RSOFCs) applications. Electrode materials produce by microwave-assisted processes show improved properties as electroactive materials. SOFC and RSOFC are successfully prepared using microwave-assisted techniques.

Abstract: A module of the present invention is formed by housing, in a housing container, a cell stack device that includes cell stacks comprising an arrangement of a plurality of cells. The housing container includes a housing chamber that houses the cell stack device; a first gas introduction section provided in a lower portion of the housing chamber and configured to introduce a first gas supplied into the housing chamber; and a first gas circulation section provided on a side of the housing chamber and connected to the first gas introduction section. The width of the first gas circulation section is narrower than the width of the first gas introduction section.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack configured to generate power according to a load, a fuel tank configured to store fuel gas, a pressure regulating valve configured to regulate a pressure of the fuel gas supplied from the fuel tank to the fuel cell stack, a purge valve configured to purge the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell stack and a controller for controlling the system. The controller includes a pulsating unit configured to cause a fuel gas pressure of the fuel cell stack to pulsate, and a pressure increasing rate setting unit configured to set a pressure increasing rate of the pulsation of the fuel gas pressure according to an operating state.

Abstract: A method of controlling the driving of a fuel cell system includes: determining whether the fuel cell system enters idle stop in which air supply to the fuel cell stack stops; dropping a DC-link terminal voltage controlled by a DC-DC converter up to a first set voltage by controlling an operation of the DC-DC converter connected to a DC-link terminal outputting generation power of the fuel cell stack at the time of entering the idle stop; and dropping a voltage of the fuel cell stack to reduce an oxide of platinum which is a catalyst of a fuel cell by allowing the anode exhaust gas to flow backward into a cathode of the fuel cell stack by performing the hydrogen purge in an idle stop state of opening the hydrogen purge valve after the voltage of the DC-link terminal drops.

Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell includes a metal support which is formed from a porous metal substrate and which supports a power generation cell. The metal support includes a power generating area (GA) in which the power generation cell is disposed, and a buffer area (BA) which is formed on an outer side of the power generating area (GA) in an in-plane direction. A pore in the metal support in the buffer area (BA) is filled with a material with a thermal conductivity lower than that of a formation material of the metal support.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing hydrogen concentration in exhaust gas of an exhaust system of a fuel cell vehicle includes a bumper cover disposed at a rear portion of the fuel cell vehicle, the bumper cover forming a streamlined exterior surface, and an exhaust gas guiding unit interconnecting the exhaust system and the bumper cover, the exhaust gas guiding unit guiding the exhaust gas to the streamlined exterior surface of the bumper cover.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling a start of a fuel cell vehicle are provided. The method includes supplying hydrogen and air to a fuel cell and operating a converter so that a voltage on a high-voltage bus is constant, wherein the converter is disposed between a high-voltage battery and the high-voltage bus which is connected to an output terminal of the fuel cell. The voltage on the high-voltage bus is maintained at a preset lowest control voltage and the voltage on the high-voltage bus is adjusted based on a result comparing a preset lower-limit operational voltage of an inverter with an inverter detection voltage. The inverter is disposed between the high-voltage bus and a drive motor, and the inverter detection voltage is detected on a terminal of the inverter which is connected to the high-voltage bus.

Abstract: A method of controlling purging in a hydrogen storage system includes determining the internal hydrogen purity of a hydrogen tank and adjusting a hydrogen purging cycle of the hydrogen tank depending on the determined internal hydrogen purity. An apparatus for controlling purging in a hydrogen storage system is also provided.

Abstract: An object is to reduce the noise and the vibration caused in operation of an injector in a non-power generation state of a fuel cell. There is provided a fuel cell system comprising fuel cells configured such that each fuel cell includes an anode, an electrolyte membrane and a cathode; an injector that is configured to supply hydrogen to the anode; and a controller that is configured to control operation of an injector to make pressure of the anode reach a target pressure. In a non-power generation state that is after a start of the fuel cell system but is before power generation of the fuel cells, the controller sets a second target pressure that is higher than a first target pressure to the target pressure and controls operation of the injector to make the pressure of the anode equal to the second target pressure.

Abstract: A film inspection device is equipped with a first fixed roll, a second fixed roll, a first moving roll, and a second moving roll. The first and second fixed rolls stretch an electrolyte film, which includes a part that is irradiated with light between first and second driving rolls, from one surface side thereof. The first moving roll stretches the electrolyte film from the other surface side thereof. The second moving roll stretches the electrolyte film from the other surface side thereof. The second moving roll is moved such that a conveyance path of the electrolyte film between the second driving roll and the second fixed roll becomes short, while the first moving roll is moved such that the conveyance path of the electrolyte film between the first driving roll and the first fixed roll becomes long.

Abstract: Novel mixed-conducting perovskite oxides, including La0.3Ca0.7Fe0.7Cr0.3O3-?, useful as oxygen and fuel electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and reversible solid oxide fuel cells (RSOFCs) applications. Electrode materials produce by microwave-assisted processes show improved properties as electroactive materials. SOFC and RSOFC are successfully prepared using microwave-assisted techniques.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell stack; a centrifugal compressor that compresses and supplies the oxidant gas to the fuel cell stack; a regulating valve that controls pressure at an outlet of the compressor; and a control unit that controls the compressor and the regulating valve, wherein the control unit determines a rotation speed of the compressor and an open degree of the regulating valve based on a target air flow rate corresponding to a current value instructed to the fuel cell stack, actuates the compressor based on the determined rotation speed, and actuates the regulating valve based on the determined open degree. The control unit executes feedback control to reduce the difference between an actual air flow rate and a target air flow rate by changing the open degree of the regulating valve while maintaining the rotation speed of the compressor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a combined fuel cell and boiler system, and comprising: a fuel cell portion for receiving supplied outside air and raw material gas and generating electricity through a catalyst reaction; and a boiler portion comprising a latent heat exchanger, which is connected to an exhaust gas pipe of the fuel cell portion, for collecting the latent heat of self-generated exhaust gas with the latent heat of exhaust gas from the fuel cell portion. The present invention can effectively increase the efficiency of a boiler by supplying the exhaust gas from the fuel cell to the latent heat exchanger in the boiler, so as to be heat-exchanged in the latent heat exchanger with the exhaust gas from the boiler and then discharged, and can simplify the composition by unifying exhaust gas pipes.

Abstract: Disclosed is a metal-air fuel cell based on a solid oxide electrolyte employing metal nanoparticles as fuel. The metal-air fuel cell includes an anode, a cathode, a solid oxide electrolyte and a metal fuel, wherein the metal fuel comprises metal nanoparticles having an average particle diameter ranging from 1 nm to 100 nm. The metal nanoparticles have a low melting point and provide high reactivity. Thus, the metal-air fuel cell forms a metal molten phase at a relatively low temperature thereby improving contactability and has improved reactivity to promote oxidation, thereby enabling highly efficient power generation.

Abstract: A system and method for operating a fuel-cell system, which is attached to at least one further component via a cooling and/or lubricating circuit. A water-based, oil-free coolant and lubricant is used, and a flushing procedure for the fuel cell is initiated when a contamination of the fuel cell by the water-based, oil-free coolant and lubricant is detected.