Integrated solid oxide fuel cell and fuel processor
First Claim
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1. A fuel cell unit comprising:
- a plurality of angularly spaced fuel cell stacks arranged to form a ring-shaped structure about a central axis, each of the fuel cell stacks having a stacking direction extending parallel to the central axis;
an annular cathode feed manifold surrounding the fuel cell stacks;
an annular cathode feed flow passage surrounding the annular cathode feed manifold; and
at least one radial cathode feed flow passage connecting the annular cathode feed flow passage to the annular cathode feed manifold surrounding the plurality of fuel cell stacks; and
wherein each of the fuel cell stacks includes a plurality of cathode feed flow paths open to a radially outer face of the stack to receive a radially directed cathode feed flow from said cathode feed flow passages.
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Abstract
An integrated fuel cell unit (10) includes an annular array (12) of fuel cell stacks (14), an annular cathode recuperator (20), an annular anode recuperator (22), a reformer (24), and an anode exhaust cooler (26), all integrated within a common housing structure (28).
188 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A fuel cell unit comprising:
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a plurality of angularly spaced fuel cell stacks arranged to form a ring-shaped structure about a central axis, each of the fuel cell stacks having a stacking direction extending parallel to the central axis; an annular cathode feed manifold surrounding the fuel cell stacks; an annular cathode feed flow passage surrounding the annular cathode feed manifold; and at least one radial cathode feed flow passage connecting the annular cathode feed flow passage to the annular cathode feed manifold surrounding the plurality of fuel cell stacks; and wherein each of the fuel cell stacks includes a plurality of cathode feed flow paths open to a radially outer face of the stack to receive a radially directed cathode feed flow from said cathode feed flow passages. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A fuel cell unit comprising:
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a plurality of angularly spaced fuel cell stacks arranged to form a ring-shaped structure about a central axis, each of the fuel cell stacks having a stacking direction extending parallel to the central axis; an annular cathode feed manifold surrounding the fuel cell stacks to deliver a cathode feed flow thereto; an annular cathode exhaust manifold surrounded by the fuel cell stacks to receive a cathode exhaust flow therefrom; an annular cathode recuperator heat exchanger located radially outboard from the fuel cell stacks to transfer heat between the cathode feed flow and the cathode exhaust flow; and an annular anode recuperator heat exchanger located radially inboard from the fuel cell stacks to transfer heat between an anode feed flow and an anode exhaust flow. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A fuel cell unit comprising:
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an annular array of fuel cell stacks surrounding a central axis, with each of the fuel cell stacks having a stacking direction extending parallel to the central axis, wherein each of the stacks has a rectangular cross section; an annular cathode feed manifold surrounding the annular array of fuel cell stacks to deliver a cathode feed flow thereto; a plurality of baffles extending parallel to the central axis, each of the baffles located between an adjacent pair of the fuel cell stacks to direct a cathode feed flow from the annular cathode feed manifold and radially inwardly through the adjacent pair; an annular cathode exhaust manifold surrounded by the annular array of fuel cell stacks to receive a cathode exhaust flow therefrom; at least one radial cathode feed flow passage connected with an annular cathode feed flow passage surrounding the plurality of fuel cell stacks; and
each of the fuel cell stacks includes a plurality of cathode feed flow paths, wherein the baffles cooperate with the at least one radial cathode feed flow passage and the annular feed flow passage to direct cathode feed flow to the cathode feed flow paths;an annular cathode exhaust flow passage in heat exchange relation with said annular cathode feed flow passage to define a cathode recuperator heat exchanger; and another annular cathode feed flow passage in heat exchange relation with an annular anode exhaust flow passage to define an anode exhaust cooler.
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9. A fuel cell unit comprising:
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an annular array of fuel cell stacks surrounding a central axis, with each of the fuel cell stacks having a stacking direction extending parallel to the central axis, wherein each of the stacks has a rectangular cross section; an annular cathode feed manifold surrounding the annular array of fuel cell stacks to deliver a cathode feed flow thereto; a plurality of baffles extending parallel to the central axis, each of the baffles located between an adjacent pair of the fuel cell stacks to direct a cathode feed flow from the annular cathode feed manifold and radially inwardly through the adjacent pair; an annular cathode exhaust manifold surrounded by the annular array of fuel cell stacks to receive a cathode exhaust flow therefrom; an annular cathode recuperator heat exchanger located radially outboard from the fuel cell stacks to transfer heat between a cathode feed flow and a cathode exhaust flow; and an annular anode recuperator heat exchanger located radially inboard from the fuel cell stacks to transfer heat between an anode feed flow and an anode exhaust flow. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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Specification