Fuel cell ventilation systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11205794-B2
Application number	US-201916560090-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2019
Priority date	Sep 8, 2015
Publication date	Dec 21, 2021
Grant date	Dec 21, 2021

Abstract

A roof cap assembly for a fuel cell system includes a housing, and a cover assembly disposed on the housing and configured to move between a first position and a second position. The cover assembly includes a cover including a first opening and a second opening, and a door connected to the cover and configured to selectively open and close the second opening. When the cover assembly is in the first position, the door closes the second opening, such that the reaction exhaust and the cabinet exhaust are directed through the first opening. When the cover assembly is in the second position, the door opens the second opening, such that the cabinet exhaust is directed through first opening and the reaction exhaust is directed through the second opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of configuring a fuel cell system including fuel cell modules, the method comprising:
determining whether the fuel cell system is intended for indoor use or outdoor use; and
either attaching an indoor ventilation assembly to the fuel cell modules, if the fuel cell system is intended for indoor use, or attaching an outdoor ventilation assembly to the fuel cell modules, if the fuel cell system is intended for outdoor use;
wherein:
the indoor ventilation assembly is configured to collect exhaust from the fuel cell modules and transport the collected exhaust to a vent leading outside of a room housing the fuel cell system;
the indoor ventilation assembly comprises:
an inner duct comprising exhaust inlets configured to receive exhaust from fuel cell modules of the fuel cell system;
a first outer duct and a second outer duct disposed on opposing sides of the inner duct, the first and second outer ducts comprising air inlets configured to receive ambient air; and
a fan configured to apply suction to at least one of the inner duct and the first and second outer ducts;
the outdoor ventilation assembly is configured to directly vent the exhaust from each of the fuel cell modules to an ambient atmospheres;
the outdoor ventilation assembly comprises:
a vent housing comprising:
a first inlet configured to receive reaction exhaust from a respective one of the fuel cell modules;
a second inlet to receive cabinet exhaust from the respective one of the fuel cell modules;
a first diverter disposed inside of the vent housing and configured to direct the reaction exhaust towards a top of the vent housing and direct the cabinet exhaust towards a bottom of the vent housing; and
a fan assembly guide disposed inside the vent housing; and

a fan assembly removably disposed in the vent housing and comprising:
a fan housing configured to selectively mate with the fan assembly guide; and
a fan disposed in the fan housing and configured to move the cabinet exhaust from the second inlet to the first diverter.

Assignees

• Bloom Energy Corp

Inventors

• Trevisan David
• Richards Gilbert
• Ballantine Arne
• Mahler Jessica
• Parker Ross
• Odenheimer Zachary

Classifications

• H01M2250/10

  Fuel cells in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant · CPC title

• H01M8/04089

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/0687

  Reactant purification by the use of membranes or filters · CPC title

• Y02B90/10

  Applications of fuel cells in buildings · CPC title

• H01M8/0662 Primary

  Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning · CPC title