Fuel cell-coupled heating and refrigeration system

Abstract

Disclosed are fuel cell coupled refrigeration systems and to the use of fuel cells to provide thermal energy to a refrigeration system. More particularly, a heat exchanger couples, directly or indirectly, to a fuel cell and a heat driven refrigeration system to transfer at least a portion of thermal energy generated by the fuel cell to the refrigeration system, thereby driving a refrigeration cycle of the refrigeration system.

1 . A fuel cell coupled refrigeration system comprising:
 a fuel cell operable to generate thermal energy;   a heat driven refrigeration system comprising a refrigerant for being driven through a refrigeration cycle; and   a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the fuel cell to receive at least a portion of the thermal energy to drive the refrigeration cycle of the refrigeration system.   
     
     
         2 . The fuel cell coupled refrigeration system of  claim 1  wherein the heat exchanger is a generator and the fuel cell is coupled with the generator. 
     
     
         3 . The fuel cell coupled refrigeration system of  claim 2  further comprising a condenser, and wherein the condenser is fluidly coupled to the generator. 
     
     
         4 . The fuel cell coupled refrigeration system of  claim 3  further comprising an evaporator, and wherein the evaporator is fluidly coupled to the condenser and the generator. 
     
     
         5 . The fuel cell coupled refrigeration system of  claim 1  wherein the heat driven refrigeration system further comprises an absorption system comprising a liquid media. 
     
     
         6 . The fuel cell coupled refrigeration system of  claim 5  wherein the refrigerant is selected from the group consisting of ammonium, sulfur dioxide, water, and hydrocarbon. 
     
     
         7 . The fuel cell coupled refrigeration system of  claim 1  further comprising an electric heating device thermally coupled with the heat exchanger, and wherein the heat exchanger receives thermal energy from at least one of the fuel cell and the electric heating device. 
     
     
         8 . The fuel cell coupled refrigeration system of  claim 7  wherein the electric heating device is configured to receive power from a battery cell stack cooled by the fuel cell coupled refrigeration system. 
     
     
         9 . The fuel cell coupled refrigeration system of  claim 1  wherein the heat exchanger comprises a first heat exchanger being a condenser and a second heat exchanger being an evaporator, and wherein the heat driven refrigeration system further comprises a compressor fluidly coupled to the condenser. 
     
     
         10 . The fuel cell coupled refrigeration system of  claim 9  wherein the compressor is thermally coupled to the fuel cell. 
     
     
         11 . A heat exchanger for a heat driven refrigeration system, the heat exchanger comprising:
 a generator comprising an inlet fluidly coupled to an outlet, the inlet adapted to receive a refrigeration fluid at an inlet temperature and the outlet adapted to discharge the refrigeration fluid at a discharge temperature greater than the inlet temperature; and   a fuel cell thermally coupled to the generator, the fuel cell adapted to heat the generator and the refrigeration fluid circulating therein.   
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 11  wherein the refrigerant comprising a refrigerant selected from ammonium, sulfur dioxide, water, and hydrocarbon. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 11  further comprising an electric heating device coupled to the generator. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 11  wherein the fuel cell is a high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell. 
     
     
         15 . A method of driving a refrigeration cycle of a heat driven refrigeration system to cool an ambient environment, the method comprising:
 heating a refrigerant using thermal energy produced by a fuel cell to form a heated refrigerant gas having a pressure higher than the refrigerant prior to heating; and   cooling the heated refrigerant gas in a condenser to form a liquid refrigerant having a pressure lower than the heated refrigerant gas, wherein the heated refrigerant gas absorbs heat from the ambient environment as it is cooled.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the fuel cell is a high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising absorbing the refrigerant into a liquid media prior to heating the refrigerant. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising evaporating the refrigerant prior to absorbing the refrigerant into a liquid media. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising compressing the refrigerant prior to heating the refrigerant. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  comprising further heating the refrigerant using thermal energy produced by an electric heating device.