Fuel cell module housing with field replaceable stacks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10923757-B2
Application number	US-202016992659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2020
Priority date	Apr 22, 2016
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A fuel cell module includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks; a manifold configured to provide process gases to and receive process gases from the plurality of fuel cell stacks; and a module housing enclosing the plurality of fuel cell stacks and the manifold. Each of the plurality of fuel cell stacks is individually installable onto the manifold by lowering the fuel cell stack onto the manifold, and is individually removable from the manifold by raising the fuel cell stack from the manifold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power plant comprising:
a plurality of fuel cell modules, wherein each fuel cell module comprises:
a plurality of fuel cell stacks;
a manifold configured to provide process gases to and receive process gases from the plurality of fuel cell stacks; and
a module housing enclosing the plurality of fuel cell stacks and the manifold;
wherein each fuel cell stack is individually installable onto the manifold by lowering the fuel cell stack onto the manifold, and is individually removable from the manifold by raising the fuel cell stack from the manifold;

wherein each module housing defines a hot region, and a cool region located above the hot region;
wherein each fuel cell module comprises a thermally insulating wall separating the hot region from the cool region;
wherein each thermally insulating wall comprises a plurality of openings and a plurality of closure plates, each closure plate removably closing a respective opening among the plurality of openings, wherein each opening and each respective closure plate corresponds to a respective fuel cell stack among the plurality of fuel cell stacks;
wherein each fuel cell stack of each fuel cell module is individually installable onto the manifold by removing the respective closure plate from the respective opening of the thermally insulating wall, and lowering the fuel cell stack from the cool region through the respective opening to the hot region and onto the manifold; and
wherein each fuel cell stack of each fuel cell module is individually removable from the manifold by removing the respective closure plate from the respective opening of the thermally insulating wall, and raising the fuel cell stack off of the manifold and from the hot region through the respective opening to the cool region.

2. The power plant of claim 1 , wherein the power plant is configured such that, when one of the plurality of fuel cell modules is taken offline, the remaining fuel cell modules are configured to continue to operate.

3. The power plant of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of fuel cell modules are divided into a plurality of module arrangements, each of which includes a primary module and a secondary module; and
in each module arrangement, the primary module is configured to output oxidant gas to the secondary module.

4. The power plant of claim 3 , wherein each module arrangement includes first and second primary modules, each of which is configured to output oxidant gas to the secondary module.

5. The power plant of claim 4 , wherein the manifold comprises a common oxidant gas duct that includes an oxidant supply duct configured to supply the oxidant gas to the first and second primary modules and an oxidant exhaust duct configured to receive oxidant exhaust from the secondary module.

6. The power plant of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of fuel cell modules are configured to receive anode gas in parallel.

7. The power plant of claim 1 , wherein each fuel cell stack is installable onto and removable from the manifold without manual mechanical attachment between the fuel cell stack and the manifold.

8. The power plant of claim 1 , wherein each fuel cell stack comprises a plurality of molten carbonate fuel cells.

9. The power plant of claim 1 , wherein each fuel cell stack is installable onto and removable from the manifold via a crane.

10. The power plant of claim 1 , wherein each fuel cell module comprises a concrete base configured to support the respective module housing.

11. The power plant of claim 1 , wherein each module housing comprises sheet metal siding and sheet metal roofing.

12. The power plant of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fuel cell stacks of each fuel cell module are disposed in the hot region and supported by heat resistant supports.

13. The power plant of claim 1 , wherein, in each fuel cell module:
the hot region includes at least one upper hot region and at least one lower hot region;
the plurality of fuel cell stacks are located in the at least one upper hot region; and
the manifold is located in the at least one lower hot region.

14. The power plant of claim 13 , wherein each fuel cell module comprises a plurality of in-situ process gas seals configured to seal between the plurality of fuel cell stacks and the manifold, wherein the in-situ process gas seals operate via static force from the weight of the plurality of fuel cell stacks.

15. The power plant of claim 1 , wherein each fuel cell module comprises at least one bus-bar that is located in the cool region and is configured to transfer current from the plurality of fuel cell stacks to power conditioning equipment.

Assignees

• Fuelcell Energy Inc

Inventors

• Davis Keith
• Jolly Stephen
• Quatannens Michael L
• Lambrech Matthew

Classifications

• H01M8/249

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

• H01M2008/147

  Fuel cells with molten carbonates · CPC title

• H01M8/2485 Primary

  Arrangements for sealing external manifolds; Arrangements for mounting external manifolds around a stack · CPC title

• H01M8/2475

  Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title