Patent attributes
The apparatus contains a means to create superheated steam at a temperature of preferably 800° C. The superheated steam is delivered to a catalytic decomposition converter that contains ceramic membranes that function to decompose water H2O into its constituent elements of diatomic hydrogen and oxygen. In one embodiment, a cascade of catalytic cells, one set for hydrogen and one set for oxygen are arranged in a unique “Cascade and Recirculate” configuration that greatly improves the throughput of the catalytic process. Only enough hydrogen is produced and delivered to the fuel cell according to the real time demand. There is no hydrogen storage on board. An electrically heated boiler initializes the process, and thereafter the heat from the exothermic reaction of a high-temperature fuel cell, and a small hydrocarbon burner sustains the operational superheated steam temperature. By using the by-product heat of a high temperature fuel cell in conjunction with the efficient combustion of a small amount of conventional hydrocarbon fuel, a unique thermodynamic hybrid system is created. The electrical energy generated by the fuel cell is used to maintain the charged state of a traction battery. A plurality of pumps, valves, regulators and sensors under microprocessor control manage the processes.
