MIXING TANK FOR FUEL CELL SYSTEM

Abstract

A device which can mix and store fuel and water, which is orientation independent and which has a small volume. The device includes: at least one inlet for fuel and/or water; and at least one outlet for a mixture of fuel and water, wherein the at least one inlet and the at least one outlet are connected to a flexible chamber in which fluids are mixed and temporarily stored.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustrating a conventional direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) system;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional device combining the function of a carbon dioxide separator, a water separator, a mixer, and a tank;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a device in which only an inlet and an outlet are connected to a flexible chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a device with a junction according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a device when no fluid is present inside according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a device with a tube having a U-shape according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a device with a tube having a 90° bend according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a device having a folding bellows as a flexible chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for mixing and storing fuel and water in a fuel cell system, the device comprising: at least one inlet for fuel and/or water;at least one outlet for a mixture of the fuel and the water; anda flexible chamber, wherein the at least one inlet and the at least one outlet are connected to the flexible chamber in which fluids are mixed and temporarily stored.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one inlet and the at least one outlet are connected to a tube which is arranged at least partially inside the flexible chamber, wherein at least one aperture is formed on the surface of the tube inside the chamber which allows the fuel and/or water to flow from the tube into the chamber and to flow back from the chamber into the tube.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the flexible chamber consists of a bag.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the flexible chamber is made of a bendable material.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein bending lines are provided on at least two walls of the flexible chamber.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the volume on the inside of the flexible chamber when not filled with fluid is essentially the same as the volume of the tube inside the flexible chamber.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the flexible chamber has folding pleats.

8. A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell stack;a water reservoir;a fuel tank; anda device to mix and store fuel and water, comprising:at least one inlet for fuel and/or water, andat least one outlet for a mixture of fuel and water, wherein the at least one inlet and the at least one outlet are connected to a flexible chamber in which fluids are mixed and temporarily stored.

9. A mixing tank for a fuel cell, comprising: a chamber with an expandable volume;an inlet to the chamber; andan outlet from the chamber,wherein a liquid is flowable from the inlet to the outlet, and the expandable volume increases or decreases in response to the liquid flowing into the chamber and out of the chamber.

10. The mixing tank of claim 9, further comprising: a tube to connect the inlet and the outlet, wherein the tube contains apertures through which the liquid is flowable from the inside of the tube to the expandable volume of the chamber and from the expandable volume of the chamber to the inside of the tube.

11. The mixing tank of claim 9, wherein the expandable volume increases or decreases in response to a difference between volumetric flow rates at the inlet and the outlet.

12. The mixing tank of claim 10, wherein the expandable volume increases or decreases in response to a pressure difference between the expandable volume and the tube.

13. The mixing tank of claim 10, wherein the apertures increase the mixing of the liquid by creating turbulence in the tube and the expandable volume.

14. The mixing tank of claim 9, wherein the chamber further comprises bending lines.

15. The mixing tank of claim 9, wherein the chamber further comprises pleats.

16. The mixing tank of claim 9, wherein the chamber is a bellows.

17. The mixing tank of claim 9, further comprising a pressure controller to manually or automatically control the pressure inside the chamber.

18. The mixing tank of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of inlets to the chamber and a plurality of outlets from the chamber.

19. The mixing tank of claim 9, wherein the expandable volume is at a minimum when there is no liquid inside the chamber.

20. The mixing tank of claim 9, wherein a liquid is flowable from the inlet to the outlet regardless of the orientation of the mixing tank.

21. A fuel cell system having at least a fuel cell, comprising: a chamber comprising; an expandable volume;an inlet to the chamber; andan outlet from the chamber,wherein, regardless of the orientation of the fuel cell system, a liquid is flowable from the inlet to the chamber to the outlet from the chamber, and the expandable volume increases or decreases in response to the liquid flowing into the chamber and out of the chamber.

22. The fuel cell system of claim 21, further comprising: a tube to connect the inlet and the outlet, wherein the tube contains apertures through which the liquid is flowable from the inside of the tube to the expandable volume of the chamber and from the expandable volume of the chamber to the inside of the tube.

23. The fuel cell system of claim 21, further comprising: a pressure controller to manually or automatically control the pressure of the chamber.