Fuel cell stack assembly and method of operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10211479-B2
Application number	US-201615008726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2016
Priority date	Jan 29, 2015
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A fuel cell stack assembly and method of operating the same are provided. The assembly includes a fuel cell stack column and side baffles disposed on opposing sides of the column. The side baffles and the fuel cell stack may have substantially the same coefficient of thermal expansion at room temperature. The side baffles may have a laminate structure in which one or more channels are formed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell stack assembly comprising:
a fuel cell stack;
an upper block disposed on a first end of the fuel cell stack;
a compression assembly comprising a spring disposed between the upper block and the fuel cell stack;
a lower block having a laminate structure and disposed on an opposing second end of the fuel cell stack; and
first and second side baffles disposed on opposing sides of the fuel cell stack and extending from the upper block to the lower block, the first side baffle comprising first, second, and third baffle plates that are laminated and bonded to one another in a horizontal stacking direction that is perpendicular to a stacking direction of fuel cells in the fuel cell stack, the second baffle plate being disposed between the first and third baffle plates,
wherein the first, second, and third baffle plates connect the upper and lower blocks, such that the spring applies a compressive load to the fuel cell stack, and
wherein the lower block comprises:
an inlet manifold connected to an inlet of the fuel cell stack; and
an outlet manifold connected to an outlet of the fuel cell stack.

2. The fuel cell stack assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the inlet manifold is connected to a fuel inlet of the fuel cell stack and a fuel source, to supply fuel from the fuel source to the fuel cell stack;
the outlet manifold is connected to a fuel outlet of the fuel cell stack to receive fuel exhaust from the fuel cell stack; and
the second side baffle comprises first, second, and third baffle plates that are bonded to one another in the horizontal stacking direction that is perpendicular to a stacking direction of fuel cells in the fuel cell stack, the second baffle plate being disposed between the first and third baffle plates.

3. The fuel cell stack assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a fuel channel extending through the first side baffle and into the lower block and the upper block, the fuel channel optionally extending through the upper block,
wherein the fuel channel is at least partially defined by the second baffle plate.

4. The fuel cell stack assembly of claim 3 , wherein the fuel channel comprises a fuel reformation catalyst and is connected to the inlet manifold.

5. The fuel cell stack assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third baffle plates of the first and second side baffles have different strengths, thermal conductivities, compositions, or any combination thereof.

6. The fuel cell stack assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third baffle plates are formed of a ceramic material.

7. The fuel cell stack assembly of claim 6 , wherein a space between the first and third baffle plates at least partially defines a fuel channel extending from the lower block to the upper block.

8. The fuel cell stack assembly of claim 7 , wherein the fuel channel is at least partially defined by the second baffle plate.

Assignees

• Bloom Energy Corp

Inventors

• Edmonston David
• Perry Martin
• Wilson James
• Guntanur Ramesha
• Prasad Paturi Balaji Narasimha

Classifications

• H01M8/0625

  in a modular combined reactor/fuel cell structure · CPC title

• H01M8/248

  Means for compression of the fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/249

  comprising two or more groupings of fuel cells, e.g. modular assemblies · CPC title

• H01M8/243

  Grouping of unit cells of tubular or cylindrical configuration · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title