Abstract:
A fuel cell assembly (50) having manifold means for providing fuel and air to, and removing spent fuel and air from, flow passageways across the anodes (16) and cathodes (18) in a fuel cell stack. The sizes and proportions of the supply (23',33') and return (27',41') manifolds are optimized, and the total cross-sectional area of the return manifold is about twice the cross-sectional area of the supply manifold. The pressure drop in the manifolds is less than about one-quarter of the total pressure drop across the anode and cathode passageways in the stack, which ratio may be attained by adjusting the thickness of the anode and cathode spacers (38') and/or the size of the chimneys. Widthwise uniformity of flow across the anodes and cathodes is improved by forming each of the manifolds as a plurality of smaller, parallel flow conduits.
Abstract:
A fuel cell assembly (50) having manifold means for providing fuel and air to, and removing spent fuel and air from, flow passageways across the anodes (16) and cathodes (18) in a fuel cell stack. The sizes and proportions of the supply (23',33') and return (27',41') manifolds are optimized, and the total cross-sectional area of the return manifold is about twice the cross-sectional area of the supply manifold. The pressure drop in the manifolds is less than about one-quarter of the total pressure drop across the anode and cathode passageways in the stack, which ratio may be attained by adjusting the thickness of the anode and cathode spacers (38') and/or the size of the chimneys. Widthwise uniformity of flow across the anodes and cathodes is improved by forming each of the manifolds as a plurality of smaller, parallel flow conduits.
Abstract:
A glass ceramic composition for sealing adjacent metal cassettes in an SOFC stack. The seal composition comprises an alumina-silicate glass ceramic matrix and a ceramic fiber aggregate dispersed in the matrix. Preferably, the fiber is selected from the group consisting of zirconium oxide fiber, alumina fiber, and combinations thereof. Preferably, the fiber is present at 1-60 weight percent with respect to the weight of glass ceramic, preferably about 30 weight percent. Preferably, the zirconia is stabilized by up to about 10% yttria. Alumina fiber may substitute for a portion of the zirconia fiber. Preferably, a green seal is die cut from a green tape sheet formed by extrusion of a slurry comprising water and a latex binder. The green seal is sintered during the final SOFC stack assembly process to form the final stack seal.
Abstract:
A method for forming a solid oxide fuel cell stack from a plurality of individual solid oxide fuel cells, wherein the anodes of the solid oxide fuel cells are infiltrated by one or more materials for making the anodes less sensitive to sulfur poisoning and/or less subject to carbon degradation and/or for improving the electrochemical performance of the stack, the method comprising the steps of oxidizing the anodes of the individual solid oxide fuel cells before forming a stack, building a solid oxide fuel cell stack with all of the anodes in an oxidized state, reducing all of the anodes, and then infiltrating all of the anodes with at least one of the materials.
Abstract:
A fuel cell assembly (50) having manifold means for providing fuel and air to, and removing spent fuel and air from, flow passageways across the anodes (16) and cathodes (18) in a fuel cell stack. The sizes and proportions of the supply (23',33') and return (27',41') manifolds are optimized, and the total cross-sectional area of the return manifold is about twice the cross-sectional area of the supply manifold. The pressure drop in the manifolds is less than about one-quarter of the total pressure drop across the anode and cathode passageways in the stack, which ratio may be attained by adjusting the thickness of the anode and cathode spacers (38') and/or the size of the chimneys. Widthwise uniformity of flow across the anodes and cathodes is improved by forming each of the manifolds as a plurality of smaller, parallel flow conduits.
Abstract:
A method for forming a solid oxide fuel cell stack from a plurality of individual solid oxide fuel cells, wherein the anodes of the solid oxide fuel cells are infiltrated by one or more materials for making the anodes less sensitive to sulfur poisoning and/or less subject to carbon degradation and/or for improving the electrochemical performance of the stack, the method comprising the steps of oxidizing the anodes of the individual solid oxide fuel cells before forming a stack, building a solid oxide fuel cell stack with all of the anodes in an oxidized state, reducing all of the anodes, and then infiltrating all of the anodes with at least one of the materials.
Abstract:
A fuel cell system is disclosed comprising a plurality of fuel cell modules including a sealed planar fuel cell stack, the stack including internal manifold channels for transport of fuel and air to fuel cells within the stack and transport of tail gas and spent air away from fuel cells within the stack. Each of the fuel cell stacks is mounted on a stack footprint area (12, 13) of a top member (11) of a base manifold (10). The base manifolds (10) are configured to allow for interconnection of a number of fuel cell stack modules to provide a fuel cell system capable of producing power outputs that otherwise would have required large surface area cells or stack with a large number of cells.
Abstract:
A glass ceramic composition for sealing adjacent metal cassettes in an SOFC stack. The seal composition comprises an alumina-silicate glass ceramic matrix and a ceramic fiber aggregate dispersed in the matrix. Preferably, the fiber is selected from the group consisting of zirconium oxide fiber, alumina fiber, and combinations thereof. Preferably, the fiber is present at 1-60 weight percent with respect to the weight of glass ceramic, preferably about 30 weight percent. Preferably, the zirconia is stabilized by up to about 10% yttria. Alumina fiber may substitute for a portion of the zirconia fiber. Preferably, a green seal is die cut from a green tape sheet formed by extrusion of a slurry comprising water and a latex binder. The green seal is sintered during the final SOFC stack assembly process to form the final stack seal.
Abstract:
A fuel cell system is disclosed comprising a plurality of fuel cell modules including a sealed planar fuel cell stack, the stack including internal manifold channels for transport of fuel and air to fuel cells within the stack and transport of tail gas and spent air away from fuel cells within the stack. Each of the fuel cell stacks is mounted on a stack footprint area (12, 13) of a top member (11) of a base manifold (10). The base manifolds (10) are configured to allow for interconnection of a number of fuel cell stack modules to provide a fuel cell system capable of producing power outputs that otherwise would have required large surface area cells or stack with a large number of cells.
Abstract:
A fuel cell system is disclosed comprising a plurality of fuel cell modules including a sealed planar fuel cell stack, the stack including internal manifold channels for transport of fuel and air to fuel cells within the stack and transport of tail gas and spent air away from fuel cells within the stack. Each of the fuel cell stacks is mounted on a stack footprint area (12, 13) of a top member (11) of a base manifold (10). The base manifolds (10) are configured to allow for interconnection of a number of fuel cell stack modules to provide a fuel cell system capable of producing power outputs that otherwise would have required large surface area cells or stack with a large number of cells.