Unitized regenerative fuel cell system

A Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cell system uses heat pipes to convey waste heat from the fuel cell stack to the reactant storage tanks. The storage tanks act as heat sinks/sources and as passive radiators of the waste heat from the fuel cell stack. During charge up, i.e., the electrolytic process, gases are conveyed to the reactant storage tanks by way of tubes that include dryers. Reactant gases moving through the dryers give up energy to the cold tanks, causing water vapor in with the gases to condense and freeze on the internal surfaces of the dryer. During operation in its fuel cell mode, the heat pipes convey waste heat from the fuel cell stack to the respective reactant storage tanks, thereby heating them such that the reactant gases, as they pass though the respective dryers on their way to the fuel cell stacks retrieve the water previously removed

U.S. Race Politics: Learning from the Experiences of African Americans

Presentation made at Latinos in the Heartland (8th : 2010 : St. Louis, Mo.) and published in the annual conference proceedings.This research details three markers in the history of race and ethnic relations through a theoretical lens that addresses them from an African American perspective to illustrate what Latin Americans can learn from the experiences of blacks in American politics. The three markers include Chief Justice Taney's decision in Dred Scott (1857), the Supreme Court's decision in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) and Harold Washington's Chicago Mayoral Campaign in 1983. These events offer a critique and praxis of pluralism in traditional political theory and do shape the political landscape for race and ethnicity. Where they offer perspectives for racial and ethnic minorities in the United States to learn from, Latin Americans in particular, given controversies surrounding recent immigration patterns, can gain from knowledge and the analysis of the events. Likewise, the African American community can gain from Latin American perspectives. Through shared, periphery frames of reference, the brief history, and the environment surrounding the markers, in advancing a common ground from a critique of traditional political theory, the research thus provides direction for theory development that respects the value of pluralism despite its failures from theory into practice

Casino gambling\u27s proliferation throughout the United States: A case study of legal gaming in Louisiana

Legal casino-style gambling has expanded dramatically in the United States during the 1990s. Casino Gambling\u27s Proliferation Throughout the U.S.: A Case Study of Legal Gaming in Louisiana examines the causes for this sudden growth and the effects that introducing casino gambling has had on one state in particular, Louisiana. The paper will take you through a brief history of gambling from its earliest roots to its present place in our society. It will also provide a glimpse into what is in store for the gaming industry in the future

Advanced Fuel Cell System Thermal Management for NASA Exploration Missions

The NASA Glenn Research Center is developing advanced passive thermal management technology to reduce the mass and improve the reliability of space fuel cell systems for the NASA exploration program. An analysis of a state-of-the-art fuel cell cooling systems was done to benchmark the portion of a fuel cell system s mass that is dedicated to thermal management. Additional analysis was done to determine the key performance targets of the advanced passive thermal management technology that would substantially reduce fuel cell system mass

Demonstration of Passive Fuel Cell Thermal Management Technology

No abstract availabl

Electrically Conductive Porous Membrane

The present invention relates to an electrically conductive membrane that can be configured to be used in fuel cell systems to act as a hydrophilic water separator internal to the fuel cell, or as a water separator used with water vapor fed electrolysis cells, or as a water separator used with water vapor fed electrolysis cells, or as a capillary structure in a thin head pipe evaporator, or as a hydrophobic gas diffusion layer covering the fuel cell electrode surface in a fuel cell

Small Portable PEM Fuel Cell Systems for NASA Exploration Missions

Oxygen-Hydrogen PEM-based fuel cell systems are being examined as a portable power source alternative in addition to advanced battery technology. Fuel cell power systems have been used by the Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs. These systems have not been portable, but have been integral parts of their spacecraft, and have used reactants from a separate cryogenic supply. These systems typically have been higher in power. They also have had significant ancillary equipment sections that perform the pumping of reactants and coolant through the fuel cell stack and the separation of the product water from the unused reactant streams. The design of small portable fuel cell systems will be a significant departure from these previous designs. These smaller designs will have very limited ancillary equipment, relying on passive techniques for reactant and thermal management, and the reactant storage will be an integral part of the fuel cell system. An analysis of the mass and volume for small portable fuel cell systems was done to evaluate and quantify areas of technological improvement. A review of current fuel cell technology as well as reactant storage and management technology was completed to validate the analysis and to identify technology challenge