US 7,588,846 B2
Energy storage system
Bart D. Hibbs, Altadena, Calif. (US); William M. Parks, Simi Valley, Calif. (US); and Omourtag A. Velev, La Crescenta, Calif. (US)
Assigned to Aerovironment Inc., Monrovia, Calif. (US)
Filed on Oct. 31, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/981,313.
Application 11/981313 is a division of application No. 10/418737, filed on Apr. 17, 2003, granted, now 7,531,254.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/373301, filed on Apr. 17, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2008/0241621 A1, Oct. 02, 2008
Int. Cl. H01M 8/02 (2006.01); H01M 8/18 (2006.01); B64D 27/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 429—19  [429/12; 244/59] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An energy storage system pod for use in an environment characterized by fluid flowing relative to the pod so as to define forward and rearward pod directions, comprising:
a first tank for containing a first reactant;
a second tank for containing a second reactant, one tank of the first and second tanks being a larger tank, and the other tank of the first and second tanks being a smaller tank, wherein the larger tank is forward of the smaller tank;
a fuel cell stack including a cathode and an anode, the fuel cell being configured to react the first reactant at the cathode with the second reactant at the anode to produce power; and
an outer shell containing the first tank, the second tank and the fuel cell stack, the outer shell forming an airfoil-shaped profile having a leading edge facing substantially in the forward direction, wherein the airfoil-shaped profile defines a camber thickness that varies along a chord line of the airfoil-shaped profile, wherein the larger tank extends substantially across the airfoil-shaped profile at its point of greatest camber thickness, and wherein the smaller tank is narrower than the larger tank in the direction of the camber thickness.