method and apparatus for regulating energy fuel cells and their applications, in particular in traction.

摘要

1324879 Fuel cell battery P PATIN 16 Oct 1970 [16 Oct 1969] 49222/70 Heading H1B [Also in Division H2] In a method of controlling the output of a set of fuel cells the electrolyte of which contains constant amounts of a reactant, the cells are electrically connected in series and are progressively and sequentially connected hydraulically in parallel to the electrolyte circuit as the loss of head of electrolyte flowing through a preceding cell attains a preset value. Fig. 3 shows cells Pa-Pm which are used to supply a current I to a vehicle traction motor and to which electrolyte is supplied by a pump 9 driven by a motor 10. A main outlet duct 11 from the pump 9 is connected directly to the inlet of the first cell Pa and to the inlets of the cells Pb-Pm via pipes 12b-12m containing orifices 13b-13m, respectively, to produce a minimum flow through each cell. The minimum electrolyte flow is arranged to produce zero voltage in the cells Pb-Pm but internal resistances which are negligible or of a desired value. The inlet of each of the cells Pb-Pm is additionally connected to that of the preceding cell via a valve 14b-14m, respectively, each of which comprises a membrane 16, Fig. 4, which is normally held against the end of inlet pipe 21 by a spring 17 to shut off the flow. As the pump motor 10 speeds up, the pressure in inlet pipe 21 rises until the spring pressure is overcome and electrolyte is permitted to flow to the corresponding cell via inlet 20 and to the valve 14 of the next cell via a pipe 21. The motor 10 is connected in series with a rheostatic vehicle controller (23, Fig. 5, not shown) and is supplied from an auxiliary battery (24) in series with a dynamo (25) driven at a speed proportional to that of the vehicle. The arrangement produces a constant current I to the vehicle motor. The Specification mentions applications to control a number of other variables, using appropriate transducers instead of the dynamo (25).