Stack of intermediate temperature, metal-supported, solid oxide fuel cell units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11387480-B2
Application number	US-201816645452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2018
Priority date	Sep 12, 2017
Publication date	Jul 12, 2022
Grant date	Jul 12, 2022

Abstract

A stack (1) of intermediate temperature, metal-supported, solid oxide fuel cell units (10), each unit comprising a metal support substrate (12), a spacer (22) and an interconnect (30) that each have compression bolt holes (34), fuel inlet port (33), fuel outlet port (32) and air outlet (17) therein, wherein bolt voids (34) are formed by aligning the bolt holes and a further void (17) by aligning the air outlets, and the voids are vented, for example, to the environment or further void to prevent the build-up of fuel, moisture or ions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A stack of intermediate temperature metal supported, solid oxide fuel cell units arranged in a stack,
wherein each fuel cell unit comprises a metal support substrate with electrochemically active layers, a spacer and an interconnect,
wherein the metal support substrate, the spacer and the interconnect have bolt holes for compression bolts of the stack, at least one fuel inlet port and at least one fuel outlet port for fuel entry and exit into and out of the cell unit, and at least one air outlet,
wherein bolt voids are formed within the stack by the alignment of the respective bolt holes for the compression bolts in the stack and a further void is formed by the alignment of the respective air outlets, and
wherein the bolt voids for the compression bolts do not have fluid flow passageways for the stack extending therein, and the bolt voids each contain air, and are vented, either to the environment surrounding the stack or into an air outlet, to prevent build up of moisture, leaked or diffused hydrogen, or leaked ions, in the air in the bolt voids,
and wherein either or both:
a) venting is provided by slots provided in the bolt holes of any of the metal support substrate, the spacer and the interconnect,
and
b) gaskets are located between neighbouring cell units in the stack, the gaskets having at least one fuel port aligning with fuel inlet or outlet chimneys in the cell units either side thereof, and at least one further bolt hole aligning with the bolt holes for the compression bolt in the stack either side thereof, venting being provided by slots provided in the bolt holes of the gaskets.

2. The stack of claim 1 , further comprising gaskets between neighbouring fuel cell units in the stack, the gaskets having:
a) at least one fuel port aligning with either a fuel outlet chimney or a fuel inlet chimney in the cell units located either side thereof, and
b) at least one bolt hole aligning with bolt holes for the compression bolt in the cell units either side thereof.

3. The stack of claim 2 , wherein there are at least two bolt holes for compression bolts at each end of the cell units.

4. The stack of claim 3 , wherein the gaskets vent all the bolt voids for the compression bolts.

5. The stack of claim 4 , wherein the gaskets each have two bolt holes.

6. The stack of claim 4 , wherein the gaskets provide the venting by their bolt holes comprising a slot in a side thereof out to an outer edge of the gasket.

7. The stack of claim 2 , having two or more fuel outlet ports for each cell unit, wherein the relevant gaskets therefor also have two or more fuel outlet ports.

8. The stack of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the cell units have vents for their bolt holes.

9. The stack of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the bolt voids are vented to the environment surrounding the stack.

10. The stack of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the bolt voids are vented into an air outlet of the stack.

11. A gasket for a solid oxide fuel cell stack configured to flow fuel therein and comprising bolts for compression of the stack,
the gasket comprising at least one fuel port for fuel passage and two bolt holes for passing respective bolts of the solid oxide fuel cell stack therethrough, wherein the fuel port for fuel passage has a full perimeter wall whereas the two bolt holes have slots within perimeter walls thereof, breaking their peripheries, the slots extending from the perimeter walls of the bolt holes to an outer wall of the gasket, the two bolt holes thus being vented.

12. The gasket of claim 11 , wherein the at least one fuel port for fuel passage is a central fuel port for fuel passage with the two bolt holes on either side thereof.

13. The gasket of claim 11 , wherein the at least one fuel port for fuel passage is a pair of fuel ports at respective ends of the gasket.

14. The gasket of claim 13 , wherein the ends of the gasket are spaced apart by an arm that is thinner than the ends of the gasket.

15. The gasket of claim 13 , wherein the two bolt holes are located on the ends of the gasket, respectively.

16. The gasket of claim 15 , wherein the two bolt holes are located between the pair of fuel ports for fuel passage.

17. The gasket of claim 11 , wherein the slots of the bolt holes extend parallel to one another.

18. The gasket of claim 11 , wherein the slots of the bolt holes both extend along a straight line extending between the two bolt holes.

19. The gasket of claim 11 , wherein the bolt holes are generally circular and the slots of the bolt holes both extend along a straight line extending between the centres of the two generally circular bolt holes.

20. A stack of intermediate temperature metal supported, solid oxide fuel cell units arranged in a stack,
wherein each fuel cell unit comprises a metal support substrate with electrochemically active layers, a spacer and an interconnect, the stack further comprising gaskets between neighbouring fuel cell units in the stack,
wherein the metal support substrate, the spacer and the interconnect have bolt holes for compression bolts of the stack, at least one fuel inlet port and at least one fuel outlet port for fuel entry and exit into and out of the cell unit, and at least one air outlet,
wherein the gaskets have:
a) at least one fuel port aligning with either a fuel outlet chimney or a fuel inlet chimney in the cell units located either side thereof, and
b) at least one further bolt hole aligning with the said bolt holes for the compression bolts in the cell units either side thereof,
wherein bolt voids are formed within the stack by the alignment of the respective bolt holes in the stack and a further void is formed by the alignment of the respective air outlets, and
wherein the bolt voids do not have fluid flow passageways for the stack extending therein, and the bolt voids are vented, either to the environment surrounding the stack or into an air outlet, the venting being provided by slots provided in either or both of i) the bolt holes of any of the metal support substrate, the spacer and the interconnect, and ii) the bolt holes of the gaskets.

Assignees

• Ceres Ip Co Ltd

Inventors

• Selby Mark
• Hill Stephen
• Phillip Stephen
• Rees Lee

Classifications

• H01M8/04 Primary

  Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04197

  Preventing means for fuel crossover · CPC title

• H01M8/247 Primary

  Arrangements for tightening a stack, for accommodation of a stack in a tank or for assembling different tanks · CPC title

• H01M8/2425

  High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes · CPC title