Fuel cell assembly with external manifold for parallel flow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12334607-B2
Application number	US-201916695362-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2019
Priority date	Nov 26, 2019
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A fuel cell is provided including an anode configured to receive, and allow to pass through, an anode process gas, a cathode configured to receive, and allow to pass through, a cathode process gas, and an electrolyte matrix layer separating the anode and the cathode. One of the anode or the cathode has an extended edge seal chamber, and the fuel cell is configured to receive the anode process gas and the cathode process gas in substantially perpendicular directions relative to each other, and the extended edge seal chamber is configured to allow the anode process gas and the cathode process gas to pass through the anode and the cathode in substantially parallel flow paths.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell, comprising:
a cathode comprising a cathode inlet located on a cathode inlet side of the fuel cell, a cathode active area, and a cathode outlet located on a cathode outlet side of the fuel cell, wherein the cathode outlet side and the cathode inlet side are opposite sides of the fuel cell;
an anode comprising an anode inlet located on an anode inlet side of the fuel cell, an extended edge seal input chamber, and an anode active area, wherein the anode inlet side is different from both the cathode inlet side and the cathode outlet side, wherein the extended edge seal input chamber is located outside of the anode and cantilevered over the cathode inlet on the cathode inlet side, and wherein the extended edge seal input chamber is in fluid communication with the anode inlet and an anode active area inlet, wherein the anode active area inlet is located on the cathode inlet side or the cathode outlet side;
an electrolyte matrix layer separating the anode and the cathode; and
wherein the extended edge seal input chamber is configured to allow an anode process gas and a cathode process gas to pass across the anode active area inlet and the cathode inlet in substantially parallel flow paths.

2. A fuel cell stack comprising:
a cathode input manifold adjacent to a cathode inlet side of the fuel cell stack;
an anode input manifold adjacent to an anode inlet side of the fuel cell stack that is different from the cathode inlet side;
a cathode output manifold adjacent to a cathode outlet side of the fuel cell stack that is different from the cathode inlet side and the anode inlet side;
a fuel cell comprising:
an anode comprising an anode inlet located on the anode inlet side of the fuel cell stack, an extended edge seal input chamber, and an anode active area, the anode inlet being in fluid communication with the anode input manifold and the extended edge seal input chamber, the extended edge seal input chamber being located outside of the anode active area and cantilevered over a cathode inlet on the cathode inlet side, and the extended edge seal input chamber being in fluid communication with the anode inlet and the anode active area through an anode active area inlet, wherein the anode active area inlet is located on the cathode inlet side or the cathode outlet side;
a cathode comprising a cathode inlet and a cathode active area; and
an electrolyte matrix layer separating the anode and the cathode.

3. The fuel cell stack of claim 2 , wherein the extended edge seal input chamber is configured to allow an anode process gas and a cathode process gas to pass into the anode and the cathode in substantially parallel flow paths.

4. The fuel cell stack of claim 3 , wherein the anode includes a diverting surface configured to receive anode process gas and divert the anode process gas into the extended edge seal input chamber.

5. A fuel cell used in a fuel cell stack comprising:
an anode layer having an anode active area configured to receive anode process gas through an anode active area inlet and output the anode process gas through an anode outlet;
a cathode layer configured to receive cathode process gas from a cathode inlet on a cathode inlet side of the fuel cell and output cathode process gas to a cathode outlet located on a cathode outlet side of the fuel cell, wherein the cathode outlet side is opposite of the cathode inlet side; and
an electrolyte matrix layer separating the anode layer and the cathode layer,
wherein the anode layer includes a first extended edge seal input chamber, wherein the first extended edge seal input chamber is a cantilevered protrusion located outside of the anode active area and extending away from the anode active area on the cathode inlet side or the cathode outlet side;
wherein the first extended edge seal input chamber is configured to receive the anode process gas provided to the fuel cell stack from an anode inlet side of the fuel cell that is different from the cathode inlet side and the cathode outlet side and output the anode process gas across an anode active area inlet located on the cathode inlet side or the cathode outlet side.

6. The fuel cell of claim 5 , wherein the fuel cell further comprises:
a second extended edge seal chamber extending away from the anode active area on a side opposite the first extended edge seal input chamber,
wherein the second extended edge seal chamber is configured to receive the anode process gas from the anode active area.

7. The fuel cell of claim 5 , wherein the cathode layer is configured to receive the cathode process gas in a direction substantially parallel to a direction the anode process gas flows through across the anode active area inlet into the anode active area.

8. The fuel cell of claim 5 , wherein the cathode layer is configured to output the cathode process gas in a direction substantially parallel to the direction the anode process gas flows through the anode active area.

9. The fuel cell of claim 5 , wherein the anode layer includes a first diverting surface configured to receive the anode process gas from the anode inlet side and redirect the anode process gas toward the first extended edge seal input chamber.

10. The fuel cell of claim 5 , wherein the anode layer includes a second diverting surface configured to receive the anode process gas from a second extended edge seal chamber and redirect the anode process gas to an anode outlet side of the fuel cell, wherein the anode outlet side is opposite the anode inlet side.

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Technology & Engineering Company
• Fuelcell Energy Inc

Inventors

• Davis Keith E
• Novacco Lawrence J
• Han Lu
• O'Neill Brandon J
• Hershkowitz Frank
• Blanco Gutierrez Rodrigo F
• Igci Yesim

Classifications

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

  characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/04276 Primary

  Arrangements for managing the electrolyte stream, e.g. heat exchange · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/2432 Primary

  Grouping of unit cells of planar configuration · CPC title