Method for overheating gases at the inlet of a SOEC/SOFC-type solid oxide stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11228047-B2
Application number	US-201716475836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2017
Priority date	Jan 5, 2017
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

A system for overheating gases at the inlet of a SOEC/SOFC-type solid oxide stack, the stack including a main body that has first and second zones separated by a median plane, and inflow and outflow conduits, the zones include gas circulation circuits extending in the form of a spiral and communicating by means of a passage passing through the main body. A gas flow to be heated entering the inflow conduit circulates in the first gas circulation circuit and passes through the passage to then circulate in the second gas circulation circuit and in the conduit for the outflow of the reheated gases in order to reach the inlet of the SOEC/SOFC-type solid oxide stack.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A solid-oxide electrolyzer cell/solid-oxide fuel cell (SOEC/SOFC) stack, comprising an assembly comprising:
at least one SOEC/SOFC stack inlet gas superheat system, comprising:
a main body comprising a first zone for inlet of gases to be heated and a second zone for outlet of heated gases, the first and second zones being separated by a transverse median plane of the main body,
at least one inlet duct for the gases to be heated communicating with the first zone of the main body,
at least one outlet duct for the heated gases communicating with the second zone of the main body,

the first and second zones of the main body comprising respectively a first gas circulation circuit and a second gas circulation circuit,
the first gas circulation circuit extending in a spiral from a first outer end to a first inner end, and the second gas circulation circuit extending in a spiral from a second outer end to a second inner end,
the first and second inner ends communicating with each other through a through-passage of the main body, formed through the median plane of the main body for fluid communication of the first and second zones,
the at least one inlet duct and the at least one outlet duct being in fluid communication with the first and second outer ends, respectively, so that a flow of gas to be heated entering the at least one inlet duct flows into the first gas circulation circuit from the first outer end to the first inner end, and passes through the through-passage and then flows into the second gas circulation circuit, from the second inner end to the second outer end, and then into the at least one outlet duct to reach the inlet of the SOEC/SOFC stack,
the at least one inlet duct and the at least one outlet duct extend perpendicular to the median plane of the main body in superposition with respect to each other, and
at least one heating element placed in contact with said at least one gas superheat system.

2. The SOEC/SOFC stack according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one gas superheat system comprises a first closure plate and a second closure plate, extending on either side of the main body to cover the first and second zones of the main body, respectively, the first gas circulation circuit being located between the median plane and the first closure plate and the second gas circulation circuit being located between the median plane and the second closure plate.

3. The SOEC/SOFC stack according to claim 1 , the at least one inlet duct and the at least one outlet duct are separated from each other by a transverse median wall of the main body in which the through-passage is formed.

4. The SOEC/SOFC stack according to claim 1 , wherein the main body has a cylindrical shape.

5. The SOEC SOFC stack according to claim 1 , the main body has a main portion, comprising the first and second gas circulation circuits, and a lateral portion projecting from the main portion, the at least one inlet duct and the at least one outlet duct are fluidly connected to the main body at the lateral portion.

6. The SOEC/SOFC stack according to claim 1 , wherein the main body is made of nickel-based superalloy.

7. The SOEC/SOFC stack according to claim 1 , wherein the assembly comprises at least two heating elements arranged on either side of the at least one gas superheat system.

8. The SOEC/SOFC stack according to claim 1 , wherein the assembly comprises at least two gas superheat systems in contact with each other and at least two heating elements sandwiching the at least two gas superheat systems.

9. The SOEC/SOFC stack according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one heating element has a shape similar to the shape of the at least one gas superheat system.

10. A process for manufacturing the SOEC/SOFC stack according to claim 1 , comprising machining the main body to form the first gas circulation circuit and the second gas circulation circuit.

11. The process according to claim 10 , further comprising attaching, by a laser transmission welding process, a first closure plate and a second closure plate on either side of the main body to cover the first and second zones of the main body, respectively.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Planque Michel
• Bernard Charlotte
• Reytier Magali
• Roux Guilhem
• Szynal Philippe

Classifications

• F28D7/04

  the conduits being spirally coiled (F28D7/10 takes precedence){(F28D7/0016 and F28D7/0033 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04037 Primary

  Electrical heating · CPC title

• H01M8/04074

  Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell · CPC title

• F28D2021/0043

  for fuel cells · CPC title