Heater and supporting structure thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10151176-B2
Application number	US-201514680108-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2015
Priority date	Apr 7, 2015
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

A heater includes a heater housing extending along a heater axis; a fuel cell stack assembly disposed within the heater housing and having a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent; a first medium conduit fixed relative to the heater housing and in fluid communication with the fuel cell stack assembly, the first medium conduit including a first medium conduit shelf extending laterally from the first medium conduit; a second medium conduit fixed relative to the heater housing and in fluid communication with the fuel cell stack assembly, the second medium conduit including a second medium conduit shelf extending laterally from the second medium conduit; wherein the fuel cell stack assembly is supported on the first medium conduit shelf and the second medium conduit shelf.

First claim

We claim:

1. A heater comprising:
a heater housing extending along a heater axis;
a fuel cell stack assembly disposed within said heater housing and having a fuel cell manifold supporting a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent;
a first medium conduit fixed relative to said heater housing and in fluid communication with said fuel cell stack assembly, said first medium conduit including a first medium conduit shelf extending laterally from said first medium conduit and facing upward, said first medium conduit shelf controlling an inlet flow of a first medium into said fuel cell manifold;
a second medium conduit fixed relative to said heater housing and in fluid communication with said fuel cell stack assembly, said second medium conduit including a second medium conduit shelf extending laterally from said second medium conduit and facing upward, said second medium conduit shelf controlling an inlet flow of a second medium into said fuel cell manifold;
wherein said fuel cell manifold is supported on said first medium conduit shelf and said second medium conduit shelf.

2. The heater as in claim 1 wherein:
said first medium conduit is a fuel supply conduit which supplies said fuel to said fuel cell stack assembly;
said first medium conduit shelf is a fuel supply conduit shelf;
said second medium conduit is an oxidizing agent supply conduit which supplies said oxidizing agent to said fuel cell stack assembly; and
said second medium conduit shelf is an oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf.

3. The heater as in claim 2 wherein said fuel cell manifold 1) receives said fuel from said fuel supply conduit and distributes said fuel to said plurality of fuel cells and 2) receives said oxidizing agent from said oxidizing agent supply conduit and distributes said oxidizing agent to said plurality of fuel cells.

4. The heater as in claim 3 wherein:
said fuel supply conduit shelf defines a fuel supply conduit shelf passage which in part communicates said fuel from said fuel supply conduit to said fuel cell manifold; and
said oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf defines an oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf passage which in part communicates said oxidizing agent from said oxidizing agent supply conduit to said fuel cell manifold.

5. The heater as in claim 4 wherein:
a fuel supply intermediate conduit is located between said fuel supply conduit shelf and said fuel cell manifold, thereby providing fluid communication from said fuel supply conduit shelf passage to said fuel cell manifold; and
an oxidizing agent supply intermediate conduit is located between said oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf and said fuel cell manifold, thereby providing fluid communication from said oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf passage to said fuel cell manifold.

6. The heater as in claim 5 wherein:
said fuel supply intermediate conduit is parallel to said heater axis; and
said oxidizing agent supply intermediate conduit is parallel to said heater axis.

7. The heater as in claim 5 wherein:
said fuel supply conduit shelf passage includes a fuel supply conduit shelf passage first section which is substantially perpendicular to said heater axis and also includes a fuel supply conduit shelf passage second section which extends from said fuel supply conduit shelf passage first section in a direction that is substantially parallel to said heater axis such that said fuel supply conduit shelf passage second section provides fluid communication from said fuel supply conduit shelf passage first section to said fuel supply intermediate conduit; and
said oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf passage includes an oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf passage first section which is substantially perpendicular to said heater axis and also includes an oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf passage second section which extends from said oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf passage first section in a direction that is substantially parallel to said heater axis such that said oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf passage second section provides fluid communication from said oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf passage first section to said oxidizing agent supply intermediate conduit.

8. The heater as in claim 7 wherein:
a fuel supply orifice is disposed within said fuel supply conduit shelf passage second section such that said fuel supply orifice provides a predetermined magnitude of restriction, thereby regulating flow of said fuel to said fuel cell stack assembly; and
an oxidizing agent supply orifice is disposed within said oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf passage second section such that said oxidizing agent supply orifice provides a predetermined magnitude of restriction, thereby regulating flow of said oxidizing agent to said fuel cell stack assembly.

9. The heater as is claim 7 wherein:
said fuel supply conduit shelf passage also includes a fuel supply conduit shelf passage sediment trap which extends from said fuel supply conduit shelf passage first section in a direction that is opposite of said fuel supply conduit shelf passage second section; and
said oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf passage also includes an oxidizing agent supply conduit passage sediment trap which extends from said oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf passage first section in a direction that is opposite of said oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf passage second section.

10. The heater as in claim 1 further comprising a third medium conduit fixed relative to said heater housing and in fluid communication with said fuel cell stack assembly, said third medium conduit including a third medium conduit shelf extending laterally from said third medium conduit and facing upward; wherein said fuel cell manifold is supported on said first medium conduit shelf, said second medium conduit shelf, and said third medium conduit shelf.

11. The heater as in claim 10 wherein:
said first medium conduit is a fuel supply conduit which supplies said fuel to said fuel cell stack assembly;
said first medium conduit shelf is a fuel supply conduit shelf;
said second medium conduit is an oxidizing agent supply conduit which supplies said oxidizing agent to said fuel cell stack assembly;
said second medium conduit shelf is an oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf;
said third medium conduit is an anode exhaust return conduit which communicates anode exhaust from said fuel cell stack assembly out of said heater housing; and
said third medium conduit shelf is an anode exhaust return conduit shelf.

12. The heater as in claim 11 wherein said fuel cell manifold which 1) receives said fuel from said fuel supply conduit and distributes said fuel to said plurality of fuel cells, 2) receives said oxidizing agent from said oxidizing agent supply conduit and distributes said oxidizing agent to said plurality of fuel cells, and 3) receives said anode exhaust from said plurality of fuel cells.

13. The heater as in claim 12 wherein:
said fuel supply conduit shelf defines a fuel supply conduit shelf passage which in part communicates said fuel from said fuel supply conduit to said fuel cell manifold;
said oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf defines an oxidizing agent supply conduit shelf passage which in part communicates said oxidizing agent from said oxidizing agent supply conduit to said fuel cell manifold; and
said anode exhaust return conduit shelf defines an anode exhaust return conduit shelf passage which in part communicates said anode exhaust from said fuel cell manifold to said anode exhaust return conduit.

Assignees

• Aptiv Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Fischer Bernhard A
• Badura Charles J
• Kirchner Bruce E

Classifications

• E21B43/24

  using heat, e.g. steam injection · CPC title

• E21B36/008 Primary

  using chemical heat generating means · CPC title

• H01M8/04067

  Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins · CPC title

• E21B41/0085

  Adaptations of electric power generating means for use in boreholes · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title