Sofc hot box components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018191007-A1
Application number	US-201815910311-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 2, 2018
Priority date	Jan 6, 2011
Publication date	Jul 5, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various hot box fuel cell system components are provided, such as heat exchangers, steam generator and other components.

First claim

1 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
a top enclosure comprising a finger plate or end cap; a bottom enclosure comprising a finger plate or end cap; and a corrugated sheet between the top and bottom enclosure; wherein the heat exchanger is configured such that a first fluid flows on one side of the corrugated sheet and a second fluid flows on an opposite side of the corrugated sheet.

2 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein:
the top and the bottom enclosure each comprise a finger plate; the heat exchanger comprises an anode cooler heat exchanger for a solid oxide fuel cell system; the first fluid comprises a fuel exhaust from a solid oxide fuel cell stack; and the second fluid comprises an air inlet for the solid oxide fuel cell stack.

3 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein:
the top and the bottom enclosure each comprise an end cap; the heat exchanger comprises an anode cooler heat exchanger for a solid oxide fuel cell system; the first fluid comprises a fuel exhaust from a solid oxide fuel cell stack; and the second fluid comprises an air inlet for the solid oxide fuel cell stack.

4 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein:
one of the top and bottom enclosures comprises a finger plate and the other one of the top and bottom enclosures comprises an end cap; the heat exchanger comprises an anode cooler heat exchanger for a solid oxide fuel cell system; the first fluid comprises a fuel exhaust from a solid oxide fuel cell stack; and the second fluid comprises an air inlet for the solid oxide fuel cell stack.

5 . The heat exchanger of claim 2 , wherein:
the top enclosure comprises a top finger plate; the bottom enclosure comprises a bottom finger plate; the corrugated sheet comprises a cylindrical metal sheet; the top finger plate comprises a hollow ring shaped plate having finger shaped extensions which extend into the inner portion of the ring; the bottom finger plate comprises a hollow ring shaped plate having finger shaped extensions which extend into the inner portion of the ring; and the top and bottom finger plates are offset from each other by one corrugation, such that fingers of the top finger plate cover every one either inward or outward facing recesses in the corrugated sheet, and fingers of the bottom finger plate cover every other one of the inward or outward facing recesses in the corrugated sheet.

6 . The heat exchanger of claim 2 , wherein:
the first side of the corrugated sheet is in fluid communication with a fuel exhaust conduit which is connected to the fuel exhaust of the solid oxide fuel cell stack and in fluid communication with an exhaust conduit from an anode recuperator heat exchanger; and the second side of the corrugated sheet is in fluid communication with an air inlet stream conduit.

7 . A fuel cell system, comprising:
a hot box; a fuel cell stack located in the hot box; and at least one uni-shell heat exchanger located in the hot box, the at least one uni-shell heat exchanger comprising a roughly cylindrical corrugated sheet process gas separator, wherein peaks and valleys of the cylindrical corrugated sheet process gas separator are aligned parallel to an axial direction of the cylindrical corrugated sheet process gas separator.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein:
the heat exchanger is configured to allow a hotter process gas and a cooler process gas to flow on respective opposing surfaces of the gas separator; and the hotter process gas stream is configured to provide convective heat transfer to the gas separator, conductive heat transfer through a thickness of the gas separator, and convective heat transfer from the gas separator to the cooler process gas stream.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein:
the at one uni-shell heat exchanger comprises a roughly cylindrical anode cooler uni-shell heat exchanger and a roughly cylindrical cathode recuperator uni-shell heat exchanger; the anode cooler is configured to allow substantially axial fuel cell stack anode exhaust stream and air inlet stream entry into the anode cooler; and the cathode recuperator is configured to allow substantially non-axial ATO exhaust stream and the air inlet stream entry into the cathode recuperator.

Assignees

• Bloom Energy Corp

Inventors

• Perry Martin
• Weingaertner David
• Basu Nilanjana
• Petrucha Michael
• Lyle William David
• Krishnan Navaneetha
• Gottmann Matthias

Classifications

• H01M8/06

  Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues (regenerative fuel cells H01M8/18) · CPC title

• H01M8/04

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

• H01M2300/0074

  Ion conductive at high temperature · CPC title

• H01M8/12

  operating at high temperature, e.g. with stabilised ZrO2 electrolyte · CPC title

• Y02E60/525

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic