Liquid Hydrogen for Fuel Cell Operations

A fuel cell system with temperature control for the hydrogen tank to maintain consistent hydrogen density and accuracy of state of charge calculations. The system has a heater and cooler to adjust the tank temperature based on measurements. It uses a valve to selectively circulate coolant between the tank and an electrical component. By controlling the heater/cooler and valve based on tank temperature, it can maintain the hydrogen tank at a stable temperature for accurate fuel calculations, especially in applications like aerial vehicles where temperature fluctuations can affect measurements.

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Thermal management system for hydrogen storage and supply with improved response time and efficiency. The system uses a comprehensive energy management and control system to optimize the response time of a hydrogen storage and transportation system. It involves coupling a hydrogen storage device with a hydrogen supply subsystem, a water storage subsystem, a hot water subsystem, and a cooling water heat exchanger. The system recovers waste heat from a fuel cell to heat the hydrogen storage device for faster hydrogen release. It also uses flow regulation to improve emergency response time. The system enables rapid, unattended hydrogen storage and supply with higher energy efficiency.

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Energy transfer and supply system for hydrogen-powered aircraft that efficiently utilizes liquid hydrogen from low-temperature storage to fuel cells and engines. The system allows liquid hydrogen from a tank to be vaporized, pressurized, and routed to either fuel cells or engines based on demand. This allows flexible utilization of the liquid hydrogen for high-efficiency fuel cell operation or engine heating/combustion. It also involves heat exchangers to absorb waste heat from onboard systems and transfer it to the liquid hydrogen. A controller manages the routing and valves based on demand.

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Hydrogen fuel cell system with dynamic hydrogen consumption adjustment to avoid waste and reduce operating costs. The system has a hydrogen supply subsystem, a hydrogen buffer subsystem, a fuel cell subsystem, and a control subsystem. The buffer subsystem contains a booster pump, tank, and valve. The control subsystem adjusts pump pressure, valve opening, and fuel cell hydrogen production rate based on fuel cell power and tank pressure changes. This allows dynamic hydrogen consumption matching to prevent waste compared to fixed supply.

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Fuel cell system for drones that uses liquid hydrogen as fuel instead of gaseous hydrogen. The system has a liquid hydrogen storage device that transports the liquid hydrogen to a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger converts the liquid hydrogen to gaseous hydrogen by exchanging heat with coolant. This eliminates the need for additional heating devices and reduces weight compared to gaseous hydrogen systems. The gaseous hydrogen is then used to power the fuel cell stack. The coolant circuit is also used for cooling other components.

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A hydrogen production and fuel cell system that recycles the electricity generated by fuel cells to further produce hydrogen. The system has a hydrogen production device, a hydrogen storage device, a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), an electric energy storage component, and a reversible solid oxide fuel cell (RSOFC). The PEMFC uses hydrogen from storage to generate electricity, which is stored. The RSOFC uses hydrogen from storage to generate electricity, or uses electricity from storage to generate hydrogen. This allows full utilization of fuel cell electricity for hydrogen production or consumption.

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A high density liquid hydrogen storage system for fuel cell applications that improves energy density and reduces weight compared to high pressure hydrogen storage. The system uses subcritical (below boiling point) liquid hydrogen stored in a tank. A vaporizer converts the liquid hydrogen to gas using waste heat from the fuel cell. A heat exchanger, pressure regulator, and flow controller adjust the gas temperature, pressure, and flow to match fuel cell requirements. Feedback controls using sensors in the tank and vaporizer ensure reliable operation.

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A hydrogen fuel cell generator set that allows continuous operation without interruption for refueling. The set has two hydrogen storage tanks that can be switched to provide hydrogen to the fuel cell when one tank is empty. This allows uninterrupted operation as the fuel cell can draw from the non-empty tank while the empty tank is being refilled. The switch between tanks prevents fuel depletion and maintains hydrogen supply pressure. The set also has methods to dissipate the high internal heat generated by the fuel cell to prevent damage and reduce degradation.

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A quick-start liquid hydrogen storage and supply system that reduces start-up time of liquid hydrogen fuel systems by utilizing magnetocaloric efficiency to reliquefy evaporated hydrogen and soak the liquid hydrogen pump. This prevents significant hydrogen losses during pump start-up and allows the pump to operate in the liquid hydrogen temperature range. The system uses components like a liquid hydrogen bath, vaporizer, heat exchangers, fuel cells, and magnets. The vaporized hydrogen improves insulation of the storage tank and the magnets provide magnetocaloric cooling.

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Low-temperature hydrogen storage device and fuel cell integrated power supply system that enables fast response and low-temperature self-starting of low-temperature hydrogen storage devices and fuel cells. The system uses a hydrogen catalytic flameless combustion microreactor to heat the hydrogen storage tank and catalyze remaining hydrogen to provide heat and hydrogen for fuel cell startup. An automatic temperature control system adjusts the microreactor power based on tank temperature and pressure to heat the tank to hydrogen release temperature. This allows utilizing tail hydrogen from the fuel cell or residual hydrogen in the tank to start the fuel cell without external heating.

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Cold start method for hydrogen fuel cells using liquid hydrogen storage. The system allows rapid cold starts by utilizing throttling and heating when the liquid hydrogen temperature is below the conversion temperature. This avoids the need for external heating devices. The method involves vaporizing liquid hydrogen using air and then cooling it with low-pressure hydrogen. This provides preheated hydrogen for the fuel cell. The system also has a hydrogen burner and heat exchangers to utilize the high-grade cooling and heating of liquid hydrogen for thermal management.

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An integrated power system for vehicles that allows onboard power generation using hydrogen and oxygen when the main engine is off. The system uses a reversible fuel cell stack that can operate as a hydrogen generator or electricity generator. In one mode, it receives water and electricity from the vehicle engine, electrolyzes water to generate hydrogen, stores the hydrogen, and uses hydrogen combustion to generate electricity. In the other mode, it uses stored hydrogen to generate electricity. This allows self-sufficient onboard power when the main engine is off.

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A hydrogen fuel cell hydrogen supply system for vehicles that improves stability and controllability of the hydrogen supply to the fuel cell stack. The system uses a small-volume relay hydrogen storage tank with a refrigeration device to convert high-pressure hydrogen from the main tank to liquid at lower pressure. This isolated low-pressure hydrogen loop provides a stable and controllable supply to the fuel cell stack, preventing pressure fluctuations and ensuring long-term stable operation. Valves, sensors, and pumps manage the hydrogen flow between tanks and the fuel cell.

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A hydrogen fueled high altitude aircraft using a thermodynamic fuel cell system that maximizes efficiency and minimizes environmental impacts. The system compresses inlet air using multiple compressors and cools it using liquid hydrogen to maintain low temperature for the fuel cell. The hydrogen is also compressed and expanded before the fuel cell. The exhaust is cooled to condense water that is collected and expelled as ice. The high efficiency hydrogen conversion enables long range flight with lower fuel volumes. The VTOL aircraft can fly at high altitude with reduced environmental impact.

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Hydrogen cycle thermal management system for fuel cell engines that improves performance and stability in cold environments by maintaining hydrogen temperature before entering the fuel cell stack. The system uses a sequence of components like valves, heat exchangers, tanks, and a pump to circulate and heat hydrogen. It also recycles water from the fuel cell stack to further heat the hydrogen. This prevents hydrogen from cooling excessively during storage and transit, improving stack reaction efficiency and engine performance in cold conditions.

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Fuel cell system with a hydrogen supply that includes a medium-pressure accumulator between the pressure regulator and the metering valve. This prevents pressure fluctuations when the hydrogen tanks empty during operation. The accumulator minimizes gas-related and thermodynamically-related pressure changes at the fuel cell inlet. It is thermally connected to the fuel cell stack to improve temperature management. The accumulator is directly connected to the line between the regulator and valve with no additional valve.

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Power generation system with improved efficiency using a combination of internal energy extraction from high-pressure hydrogen and conventional fuel cell power generation. The system has a high-pressure hydrogen storage tank, expander-generator to extract internal energy from high-pressure hydrogen, fuel cell stack, and heat exchanger. The expander-generator converts high-pressure hydrogen into low-pressure hydrogen while extracting mechanical energy. This low-pressure hydrogen feeds the fuel cell stack along with air. The heat exchanger uses waste heat or solar energy to preheat the high-pressure hydrogen before expansion. This enables extracting more internal energy from the high-pressure hydrogen. The overall system converts both chemical and internal energy of hydrogen to electrical output.

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An integrated hydrogen storage alloy hydrogen fuel cell system that uses the heat released during hydrogen absorption by the storage alloy to improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption compared to traditional fuel cell systems. The system has a fuel cell stack, hydrogen storage tank, hydrogen supply device, air supply device, heat exchange cycle device, and control device. The hydrogen storage tank contains a hydrogen-absorbing alloy. During dehydrogenation, an electric heater at the tank outlet heats the alloy to increase hydrogen desorption. The heat exchange cycle transfers heat between the tank and stack. During hydrogenation, the tank releases heat to the stack. This avoids the need for bulky radiators and allows using the tank as a heat sink.

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Fuel cell system operation method to prevent fuel cell degradation when starting up from a cold standby. The method involves recovering boil-off hydrogen gas from the liquid hydrogen tank and supplying it to the fuel cell stack if the hydrogen concentration at the anode falls below a threshold. This prevents air infiltration into the anode during standby. The boil-off gas is compressed before injection to match stack operating pressure. The system uses valves and flow paths to control hydrogen flows between the tank, stack, compression and heating units.

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Fuel system for vehicles like aircraft with engines that can use liquid or gaseous hydrogen fuel. The system has separate tanks for liquid hydrogen and gaseous hydrogen, and parallel delivery lines. The liquid line has a pump and heat exchanger, while the gaseous line extends alongside. A regulator with surge tank connects both lines. During low power, liquid hydrogen pumps and heats. During high power, gaseous hydrogen from the tank supplies. This allows efficient pump sizing vs high demand. The surge tank buffers flow rate changes.

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Fuel cell hydrogen supply system for automobiles that improves fuel cell efficiency by controlling the temperature and humidity of hydrogen gas supplied to the fuel cell stack. The system uses a thermostat and pressure reducing valve to optimize hydrogen humidity. The thermostat surrounds the hydrogen supply line and contains a working fluid. The valve has a diaphragm that divides the thermostat into upper and lower chambers. A spring supports the diaphragm. When the hydrogen supply temperature is low, the lower chamber with the thermostat has higher pressure. This pushes the diaphragm down to open the valve port. Cooling water flows into the upper chamber. The water preheats the hydrogen before it enters the stack. This prevents excessive cooling and humidity issues. When the hydrogen supply temperature is high, the lower chamber has lower pressure. The

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A hydrogen temperature control system for liquid hydrogen fuel cell engines that allows quick starting of fuel cells in low temperature environments to prevent condensation and freezing. The system uses an external heater to preheat cold hydrogen before it enters the fuel cell stack when starting at low temperatures. A heat exchanger captures waste heat from the fuel cell during operation to preheat incoming cold hydrogen. This allows rapid starting without external heaters at operating temperatures.

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Process to purify hydrogen from a high-pressure tank to a level suitable for use in fuel cells. The process involves flowing the hydrogen stream through an adsorbent purifier to remove contaminants before delivering the purified hydrogen to the fuel cell. Adsorbents like metal organic frameworks (MOFs), zeolites, activated carbon are used to selectively adsorb impurities like CO, CO2, moisture from the hydrogen stream.

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Cooling system for hydrogen fuel cells in vehicles like aircraft that uses auxiliary cooling during peak power demands. The fuel cell includes a gasifier to convert liquid hydrogen to gas. The cooling system has a regular coolant circuit sized for normal power levels and an auxiliary bypass circuit that diverts coolant around the gasifier. During peak power, the auxiliary circuit is activated to bypass coolant, using the heat of hydrogen gasification to supplement fuel cell cooling. This prevents overcooling and enables a smaller main coolant system for cruise conditions. A controller manages the cooling systems based on power demand and conditions.

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Fuel cell system for a working machine like a tractor or backhoe that allows rapid response to power demand without pressure drop and reduces unused hydrogen in the tanks. The system has a hydrogen tank, fuel cell, and temperature controller. The controller increases tank temperature when hydrogen is low. This allows increasing hydrogen flow to the fuel cell quickly when load spikes. This prevents rapid pressure drops and maintains power response. By boosting tank temp, hydrogen release rate rises without needing extra hydrogen supply. This reduces wasted hydrogen in the tanks.

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Fuel cell system for a working machine like a tractor that has a hydrogen tank, fuel cell, and temperature controller to adjust the tank temperature. The system calculates the hydrogen level in the tank and increases the tank temperature when it falls below a threshold. This allows rapid hydrogen supply to the fuel cell when power demand spikes without dropping pressure. It reduces hydrogen waste by maximizing usage from the tank. The temperature increase is controlled based on the remaining hydrogen level.

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Fuel cell system for hydrogen-powered vehicles that uses electric heating inside the hydrogen tank to rapidly vaporize and pressurize the liquid hydrogen during startup. It also has an ammonia circulation system to utilize waste heat from the fuel cell's cooling system to vaporize the liquid hydrogen. This allows faster and reliable hydrogen supply to the fuel cell compared to relying solely on the vehicle's heat or self-pressurization.

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Fuel cell system with backup hydrogen tank to enable continuous operation when the primary tank runs out. The system has a spare hydrogen tank, valves, connecting hoses, and sliding mechanisms. When the main tank empties, a descending sealing plate touches a switch to start a motor. This moves components to slide the connecting hose to the backup tank. The sealing plate rises when hydrogen flows again. This ensures uninterrupted fuel cell operation after the primary tank is depleted.

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Liquid hydrogen utilization system for hydrogen fuel cells in vehicles that addresses the limitations of high-pressure hydrogen tanks for commercial applications. The system replaces traditional high-pressure hydrogen tanks with a liquid hydrogen vaporization setup. It uses a liquid hydrogen storage tank in the vehicle's cold chain compartment. A liquid hydrogen pump extracts the cold liquid hydrogen from the tank and vaporizes it to provide hydrogen fuel for the fuel cell. This system allows using liquid hydrogen, a cleaner and denser hydrogen form, without the high pressure constraints. It also captures the cold energy produced during vaporization for further cooling needs.

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Hydrogen fuel cell system for vehicles that maximizes efficiency by utilizing the latent heat of hydrogen vaporization. The system has a hydrogen tank, fuel cell stack, motor, heat exchanger, valves, and controller. It enables capturing the heat of vaporization when hydrogen boils in the tank. The vaporized hydrogen from the tank is routed to the fuel cell stack. The liquid hydrogen also flows to the stack. Coolant circulates through the stack and exchanges heat with the hydrogen. The controller regulates valves to balance hydrogen flow between liquid and vapor paths based on stack temperature. This recovers the latent heat and preheats the hydrogen, boosting cell efficiency. The stack's coolant also charges an auxiliary battery.

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A hydrogen energy composite power system that combines a hydrogen fuel cell, a hydrogen internal combustion engine, and an energy storage unit to provide efficient, quick-responding hydrogen power. The system can optimize power distribution and utilization by coordinating the fuel cell and engine based on load demands. The fuel cell provides power during low loads, the engine during high loads, and the storage unit buffers and smoothes power. The system has a hydrogen source, compressor, and hydrogen recovery from the fuel cell to feed the engine. A controller manages power allocation and fuel blending.

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Accurately adjusting hydrogen supply to a fuel cell vehicle from a liquid hydrogen storage tank based on fuel cell conditions. The system uses a bypass line with a valve and orifice to recirculate excess hydrogen back to the tank. A controller adjusts the valve based on tank pressure and flow measurements to optimize hydrogen vaporization from the tank. It also stops the compressor before opening the bypass valve when the vehicle is turned off to prevent overpressure.

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Hydrogen fuel cell power generation system that improves efficiency by capturing expansion work from hydrogen decompression and using it to generate power. The system has a hydrogen expansion unit with a hydraulic mechanism and generator to capture expansion work from hydrogen leaving the storage tank. The expanded hydrogen is then sent to the fuel cell stack. The air compression unit uses a hydraulic mechanism and electric motor to compress air. The heat generated during compression is exchanged with the hydrogen expansion unit to maintain temperature. This captures more energy compared to using a compressor. The expanded hydrogen and compressed air are sent to the fuel cell stack.

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A combined operation system for hydrogen fuel cells and compressed air energy storage that improves efficiency by utilizing expansion work and heat from the gases. The system uses separate isothermal expansion chambers for hydrogen and compressed air. When fuel cells need hydrogen, some high-pressure hydrogen is transferred to the expansion chamber, expands, and pushes a piston to generate electricity. When air is needed, some compressed air expands and pushes a piston to generate electricity. This captures expansion work that would otherwise be wasted. The expansion chambers also have heat exchangers to transfer heat from fuel cell expansion to the chambers. This prevents temperature drops and improves expansion efficiency.

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A system arrangement for cooling a fuel cell stack in a vehicle with a hydrogen tank. The system has a hydrogen tank that can be filled with liquid hydrogen, and a fuel cell stack with a cooling circuit. The cooling circuit is connected to the hydrogen tank through heat exchangers. One heat exchanger is between the hydrogen feed area and the anode recirculation area. Another heat exchanger is between the cathode drain and the cathode recirculation area. This allows efficient thermal coupling between the fuel cell stack and the hydrogen tank by exchanging heat through the heat exchangers.

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Power supply system with multiple storage devices and fuel cells that efficiently provides power to loads using a variety of energy sources. The system has a hydrogen supply unit with an electrolyzer, hydrogen storage devices, fuel cells, and power storage devices. It switches between sources like hydrogen storage, fuel cell stack, and battery packs to supply hydrogen and power to loads. This allows efficient charging/discharging of hydrogen storage and fuel cells while supplying load power from non-charging sources. It also reduces load on individual components like fuel cells and batteries.

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Vehicle-mounted low-temperature liquid hydrogen fuel cell system and heat exchange method for improving fuel cell performance and lifespan in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The system uses a multi-stage liquid hydrogen vaporizer with heat exchangers to raise the hydrogen temperature at the fuel cell inlet. A controller opens or closes valves based on fuel cell power response to optimize heat exchange. This prevents cold hydrogen from degrading cell performance. Other features like gas-liquid separators and hydrogen buffers further enhance vaporization efficiency and stability.

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Fuel cell charging system for electric vehicles that uses a low-temperature hydrogen storage technology based on a refrigeration cycle. The system has a fuel cell power generation module, control management module, and refrigeration cycle module. The fuel cell generates electrical energy using hydrogen stored in a low-temperature tank. Air compression and waste heat recovery from the fuel cell are used in the refrigeration cycle to cool the hydrogen storage tank. This allows efficient hydrogen storage at lower temperatures and costs compared to conventional methods. The system can also charge external equipment using both the fuel cell and battery pack. The refrigeration cycle recovers waste heat from the fuel cell to cool the hydrogen storage tank.

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Integrated cooling and vaporization system for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that reduces costs, improves stability, and efficiency by exchanging heat between the cooling medium for the fuel cell stack and the medium for vaporizing liquid hydrogen. It involves a thermal management unit with a vaporizer that vaporizes liquid hydrogen using heat from the fuel cell's cooling water, preventing condensation and icing. A heat transfer medium circulates between the vaporizer, fuel cell, and radiator to cool the fuel cell and vaporize hydrogen. A bypass valve allows optimizing heat exchange based on fuel cell output. This simplifies the system, reduces volume, and avoids extra cooling for the vaporizer.

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A vehicle-mounted liquid hydrogen fuel cell engine device that prevents hydrogen waste and improves hydrogen utilization by detecting and controlling the air pressure in the hydrogen tank. The device has a controller that periodically checks the hydrogen tank pressure after stopping the vehicle. If the pressure exceeds a safe range, it starts the fuel cell stack to charge the battery or performs thermal purging to lower the pressure. This uses excess vaporized hydrogen instead of wasteful venting. It also ensures the hydrogen tank pressure stays within bounds.

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Fuel cell heavy truck liquid hydrogen vaporization auxiliary device and control method to improve the efficiency of vaporizing liquid hydrogen for fuel cells in heavy trucks. The device recovers waste heat from the fuel cell and engine to heat the hydrogen storage tank, reducing the energy needed for vaporization. It uses a multi-stage waste heat recovery system with valves controlled by the fuel cell power level. This allows the waste heat to be efficiently transferred to the storage tank instead of dissipating. The recovered heat improves storage efficiency and reduces energy consumption compared to just using ambient air for vaporization.

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Hybrid power system that replaces traditional generators in off-grid situations using fuel cells, batteries, hydrogen production, and integrated control. The system includes a fuel cell stack, hydrogen production device, battery, power management system, and integrated control and monitoring unit. The fuel cell stack generates electricity from hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen production device creates green hydrogen from water and a catalyst. The battery charges from the fuel cell or discharges to load. The power management system converts and balances power. The integrated control monitors all components in real-time, manages fuel cell temperature, hybridizes power, recycles hydrogen, detects leaks, and provides system status to users.

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Using waste heat from a fuel cell to supply hydrogen back to the fuel cell without external sources. The fuel cell is cooled by circulating a cooling medium through it. The waste heat from the fuel cell is captured by the cooling medium and sent to a solid hydrogen storage. The hydrogen adsorbed by the storage is desorbed by the waste heat and supplied back to the fuel cell. This closes the hydrogen loop using the fuel cell's own waste heat.

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A vehicle liquid hydrogen fuel cell engine that improves hydrogen utilization and protects the fuel cell stack from overpressure. It has a controller that periodically checks the hydrogen tank pressure after vehicle stop. If above a limit, it starts the fuel cell to charge the battery or purge/insulate the stack to keep tank pressure within range. This uses evaporated hydrogen for vehicle power or stack purging instead of waste. The controller also starts the cell in cold weather to prevent condensation.

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A fuel cell system with multiple fuel cells connected to a hydrogen storage tank to generate power using hydrogen released from the tank. The system has a control device to dynamically adjust the number of operating fuel cells to match the planned output value. This allows handling of various output requirements by cooperatively operating the fuel cells instead of fixed 1:1 coupling. The control optimizes efficiency and utilization by balancing output across fuel cells based on factors like start/stop transitions, hydrogen availability, and heat recovery.

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Hydrogen fuel cell system for vehicles that maximizes fuel cell efficiency by using the heat of vaporization of liquid hydrogen. The system has a fuel cell stack, motor, tank, heat exchanger, and valves to manage hydrogen flow and cooling. When stopped, a valve closes and another opens to allow naturally vaporized hydrogen from the tank to the stack instead of pumping. This recovers heat of vaporization. The control unit can also optimize hydrogen flow, cooling, and battery charging for different power demands.

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A hydrogen fuel cell system for maximizing efficiency by using the vaporized hydrogen from a liquid hydrogen tank when it's not being driven. When the vehicle is stopped, a valve is closed on the liquid hydrogen line and another valve is opened to allow the naturally vaporized hydrogen to flow from the tank to the fuel cell stack. This captures the wasted vaporization loss and uses it to generate more electricity. The system also has features like a heat exchanger to optimize cooling efficiency.

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Integrated fuel cell system for simultaneous production of water and electricity. The system has a fuel cell stack, hydrogen supply, air supply, water heat management, warm water storage, and safety components connected through piping. The hydrogen and air subsystems supply reactants to the stack. Water heat management controls temperature and humidity. Warm water storage collects byproduct water. A controller coordinates operation. The integrated design improves versatility and compactness compared to separate components.

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A liquid fuel catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) reformer to produce hydrogen-rich reformates that can be converted to electricity within a fuel cell. The reformer has a novel reactor design with multiple CPOX reactor units in thermal communication. The reactor array allows efficient heat transfer between units for self-sustaining reforming temperatures without external heating. The reactor array also enables compact and scalable reformers with high fuel conversion and low carbon monoxide levels.

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Fuel cell hydrogen temperature and humidity control system to improve fuel cell performance by regulating the temperature and humidity of the hydrogen fuel. The system uses a heat exchanger and valve to selectively heat or bypass the hydrogen as it enters the fuel cell stack. This allows fine-tuning of the hydrogen properties to prevent condensation in cold conditions, avoid over-drying in hot conditions, and maintain optimal humidity for fuel cell reaction efficiency. The valve connects the hydrogen line to a heat exchanger in the cooling water outlet, allowing selective heat transfer. By controlling the valve, hydrogen can be heated or bypassed around the exchanger.

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