Insulation and compression of a high temperature device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018331384-A1
Application number	US-201615775782-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 11, 2016
Priority date	Nov 13, 2015
Publication date	Nov 15, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A high temperature system can include a high temperature device having a plurality of opposite surfaces and a compression device that exerts a biaxial compression against the opposite surfaces. The high temperature system can include a high temperature insulation disposed between the compression device and the high temperature device, and a low temperature insulation disposed external to the compression device such that the compression device is disposed between the high temperature insulation and the low temperature insulation.

First claim

1 .- 15 . (canceled)

16 . A high temperature system comprising:
a high temperature device having a sidewall defining a first plurality of opposite surfaces and a second plurality of opposite surfaces; a compression device external to the sidewall of the high temperature device, the compression device adapted to exert a biaxial compression against the first and second plurality of opposite surfaces via material elasticity.

17 . The high temperature system of claim 16 , further comprising:
a high temperature insulation disposed between the compression device and the high temperature device; and a low temperature insulation disposed external to the compression device such that the compression device is disposed between the high temperature insulation and the low temperature insulation.

18 . The high temperature system of claim 16 , wherein the high temperature device has an operating temperature of at least 500° C.

19 . The high temperature system of claim 16 , wherein the high temperature device includes a fuel reformer, a heat exchanger, a filter, a reactor, or an electrochemical device.

20 . The high temperature system of claim 16 , wherein the high temperature device includes a cross-flow solid oxide fuel cell stack.

21 . The high temperature system of claim 16 , wherein the high temperature system further comprises a manifold disposed between the high temperature device and the compression device.

22 . The high temperature system of claim 16 , wherein the biaxial compression includes a first uniaxial compression force in a first direction and a second uniaxial compression force in a second direction.

23 . The high temperature system of claim 22 , wherein the high temperature device includes a third plurality of opposite surfaces having an intersecting axis orthogonal to the first and second directions, wherein the compression device is adapted to exert a compression force on the third plurality of opposite surfaces in a direction orthogonal to the biaxial compression.

25 . The high temperature system of claim 16 , wherein the compression device includes a metal band with a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is not greater than a CTE of the high temperature device.

26 . The high temperature system of claim 16 , wherein the compression device includes a spring compression device including a spring mechanism adapted to exert a first compression force along a first direction intersecting the first plurality of opposite surfaces and to exert a second compression force along a second direction intersecting the second plurality of opposite surfaces.

27 . A high temperature system comprising:
a high temperature device having a sidewall defining an outer surface of the device; a compression device external to the sidewall of the high temperature device; a high temperature insulation disposed between the compression device and the high temperature device; and a low temperature insulation disposed external to the compression device such that the compression device is disposed between the high temperature insulation and the low temperature insulation.

28 . The high temperature system of claim 27 , wherein the sidewall defines a first plurality of opposite surfaces and a second plurality of opposite surfaces; and the compression device is adapted to exert a biaxial compression against the first and second plurality of opposite surfaces via material elasticity.

29 . The high temperature system of claim 28 , wherein the compression device includes a spring compression device comprising:
a first plurality of opposite compression plates corresponding to a first plurality of opposite surfaces of the high temperature device; and a second plurality of opposite compression plates corresponding to a second plurality of opposite surfaces of the high temperature device, wherein at least one compression plate per each of the first and second plurality of opposite compression plates is adapted to be activated by a spring mechanism adapted to exert a first compression force along a first direction intersecting the first plurality of opposite surfaces and to exert a second compression force along a second direction intersecting the second plurality of opposite surfaces.

30 . The high temperature system of claim 29 , wherein the spring mechanism includes a first and second spring element adapted to activate the at least one compression plate per each of the first and second plurality of opposite compression plates, and each of the first and second spring elements extend in a longitudinal direction oblique to the first and second directions such that a direction of a vector sum of forces per compression plate is in the first or second directions.

31 . The high temperature system of claim 30 , wherein each of the first and second spring elements is dedicated to both the first plurality of opposite compression plates and the second plurality of opposite compression plates.

32 . The high temperature system of claim 30 , wherein the first spring element is dedicated to the first plurality of opposite compression plates and the second spring element is dedicated to the second plurality of opposite compression plates.

33 . The high temperature system of claim 29 , wherein the spring compression device comprises a metal including a nickel-iron alloy, a nickel-chromium alloy, or any combination thereof.

34 . The high temperature system of claim 28 , wherein the low temperature insulation has a thermal conductivity TC L lower than a thermal conductivity TC H of the high temperature insulation.

35 . The high temperature system of claim 28 , wherein the compression device includes a load spreading device that transfers a compressive force of biaxial compression onto the high temperature insulation such that stress on the high temperature insulation is less than cold crush strength of the high temperature insulation.

Assignees

• Saint Gobain Ceramics

Inventors

• Feldman Brian P
• Takagi Yuto
• Pietras John D

Classifications

• H01M10/658

  by thermal insulation or shielding · CPC title

• H01M8/248 Primary

  Means for compression of the fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/2475

  Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/2425

  High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title