83results about "Power plants using fuel cells" patented technology

A regenerative fuel cell is combined with a combustion engine such as a Pulse Detonation Engine (PDE) to create a closed-loop power generation system. Stored hydrogen and oxygen are used by the regenerative fuel cell, and by the combustion engine, in which the reaction of the hydrogen and oxygen produces water in the gas phase (steam). The steam is used to generate work from a turbine shaft, which is used to drive a propulsion system for the marine vessel. After the steam passes through the turbine, the steam is cooled back to liquid water by a condenser, and stored with the water produced by the regenerative fuel cell. The stored water can be converted back into hydrogen and oxygen by using electrical power external to the closed-loop system. After regeneration of the water into hydrogen and oxygen, the closed-loop power system would be ready for operation again.

A hydrogen generation apparatus for an underwater vehicle is presented, the apparatus including a hydrolysis reaction compartment, a mass of solid lithium hydride disposed in the compartment, inlet and outlet structure for passing sea water through the compartment to generate steam, lithium hydroxide and hydrogen gas, a condenser for condensing out the steam and retaining the condensate and lithium hydroxide, and a tank for collecting the hydrogen gas, the tank having outlet structure for discharging the hydrogen gas to a vehicle propulsion system.

The invention provides a safety protection system and method of a hydrogen fuel cell ship. The safety protection system comprises a hydrogen leakage monitoring alarm module, an emergency switching-offmodule, a ventilation module, an automatic extinguishing module and a monitoring station. The safety and the reliability of the hydrogen fuel cell are improved in the ship application by the real-time monitoring of the concentration of the hydrogen, the early leakage warning, the concentration control, the automatic extinguishing function and the manual extinguishing function; thus, the possibility of hydrogen fuel cell accident is reduced to the utmost extent; and, the staff safety and the property safety on the ship are ensured. The grading chain alarm control method can get the chain alarmgrading information of the cabin precisely, timely and reliably; the super early cabin leakage information alarm saves precious time for cutting off the hydrogen supply and taking ventilation measures; single cabin alarms; each adjacent cabin pre-alarms; the single area alarms; the adjacent areas are separated; thus, the hydrogen is prevented from leaking and spreading; and, the whole ship chainleakage and the fire explosion accident are prevented.

A method and apparatus for harvesting energy in a fuel cell powered vehicle has first and second energy harvesting elements with at least two ends, the first end being electrically insulated from and in thermal communication with a high temperature reservoir associated with the fuel cell, the second end being electrically insulated from and in thermal communication with a low temperature reservoir associated with an exterior of the vehicle. The apparatus has particular utility for use in watercraft, specifically an underwater vehicle. The energy harvesting apparatus can include an electrical storage means for storing the energy harvested, and / or an electric load for consuming the energy harvested.

The invention provides a battery-powered watercraft with a flywheel energy storage system and a use method thereof. A power battery pack for providing power for ship navigation, a power distribution device, an energy management system, a power electronic converter, a flywheel energy storage system, a propulsion system and other electric loads. The power distribution device comprises a main distribution board and a distribution electric board, wherein the power battery pack, the propulsion system, the flywheel energy storage system and the distribution electric board are connected to the main distribution board through different types of power electronic converters, and other electric loads are connected to the distribution electric board. According to the battery-powered watercraft with flywheel energy storage system and use method thereof, the flywheel energy storage technology is applied to the battery-powered ship, the flywheel energy storage system and the power battery pack work in a coordinated mode through the energy management system, the dynamic response speed and stability of the power system of the battery-powered ship are improved, energy recovery during ship braking can be achieved, meanwhile, the power battery pack is protected, and the service lifetime of the power battery pack is prolonged.

A submarine boat is provided on which a hydrogen generating device which can supply hydrogen easily to a hydrogen storing means and can generate a hydrogen-containing gas at a low temperature is loaded. A submarine boat provided with a fuel cell (30) for power generation by supply of hydrogen and oxidizing agent, a hydrogen generating device (10) for generating a gas containing hydrogen to be supplied to the fuel cell, and propelling device driven by electricity generated by the fuel cell, characterized in that the hydrogen generating device is to generate a gas containing hydrogen by decomposing a fuel containing an organic compound, comprising a partition membrane (11), a fuel electrode (12) provided on one surface of the partition membrane, means (16) for supplying a fuel containing the organic compound and water to the fuel electrode, an oxidizing electrode (14) provided on the other surface of the partition membrane, means (17) for supplying an oxidizing agent to the oxidizing electrode, and means for generating and collecting the gas containing hydrogen from the fuel electrode. There are cases: (1) the hydrogen generating device is an open circuit having neither means for withdrawing electric energy to outside from a hydrogen generating cell constituting the hydrogen generating device, nor means for providing electric energy from outside to the hydrogen generating cell; (2) the hydrogen generating device has means for withdrawing electric energy to outside with the fuel electrode serving as a negative electrode and the oxidizing electrode as a positive electrode; and (3) the hydrogen generating device has means for providing electric energy from outside with the fuel electrode serving as cathode and the oxidizing electrode as anode.

A parent-child type boat can have an electric power generating device, such as a fuel cell. The boat can include a parent boat and at least one child boat which is smaller than the parent boat. The parent boat can be equipped with a generating device. The child boat can be equipped with a battery and an electric propulsion device. When the child boat is docked with the parent boat and electrically connected thereto, power can be supplied to at least one of the battery and the electric propulsion device of the child boat from the generating device of the parent boat.

A marine vehicle propulsion system is provided that combines a fuel cell electrical source for an AC propulsion motor for a marine vessel with an electrolyzer and a DC-AC converter. The fuel cell provides power for the AC propulsion motor. When the fuel cell is depleted, the DC-AC converter is disconnected from the AC propulsion motor and is reconnected to an AC power source from a host ship, and the power electronic DC-AC converter is disconnected from the fuel cell and reconnected to the electrolyzer. The fuel cell is replenished by operating the electrolyzer device that runs using DC power from the host ship to separate water into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas. The power electronic drive is operated in reverse to power the electrolyzer from the host ship.