SOFC hot box components

• US 8,968,943 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Inventors: Perry, Martin, Kalika, Vlad, Weingaertner, David, Sundararajan, Ananda, Krishnan, Navaneetha, Basu, Nilanjana, Ramanan, Ram, Bains, Virpaul, Lyle, William David
• Primary Examiner(s): Jelsma, Jonathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): KEKIA, OMAR M
• Application Number:
  US13/344,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20120196195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 429/408, 429/413, 429/415, 429/420, 429/423, 429/443, 429/444, 429/455, 429/456, 137/177, 137/178, 137/197, 137/560
• US Class Current: 429/408
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/0018 without any annular circulation of the heat exchange media
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/0025 the conduits being formed by zig-zag bend plates
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/02 Header boxes; End plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1293 Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0074 Ion conductive at high temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0297 Arrangements for joining electrodes, reservoir layers, heat exchange units or bipolar separators to each other H01M8/0271 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04007 related to heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04022 Heating by combustion
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04052 Storage of heat in the fuel cell system
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04067 Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04074 Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04097 with recycling of the reactants H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04268 Heating of fuel cells during the start-up of the fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0618 Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0662 Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/12 operating at high temperature, e.g. with stabilised ZrO2 electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/24 Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2425 High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/243 Grouping of unit cells of tubular or cylindrical configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2432 Grouping of unit cells of planar configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells

Abstract

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

Claims

1. An anode tail oxidizer (ATO) fuel splitter-injector and mixer element comprising:

one or more slits configured to inject a first portion of a fuel cell stack anode exhaust stream into the ATO while allowing a remainder of the anode exhaust stream to pass through the splitter-injector without being provided into the ATO; and

an ATO mixer element comprising vanes configured to swirl an air stream entering the ATO in an azimuthal direction.

2. The anode tail oxidizer fuel splitter-injector and mixer element of claim 1, wherein the splitter-injector is integrated with the mixer element.

3. The anode tail oxidizer fuel splitter-injector and mixer element of claim 2, wherein the mixer element comprises a cylinder which is open on top and bottom, and the vanes comprise vanes which are located between the outer and inner walls of the cylinder.

4. The anode tail oxidizer fuel splitter-injector and mixer element of claim 1, wherein the vanes are slanted between 10 and 80 degrees with respect to an axial direction of the cylinder.

5. The anode tail oxidizer fuel splitter-injector and mixer element of claim 1, wherein the mixer element is located above an ATO such that an open portion on the bottom of the cylinder is in fluid communication with the ATO and an open portion on the top of the cylinder is fluid communication with a cathode exhaust outlet of at least one fuel cell stack.

6. A fuel cell system comprising an anode tail oxizider and a pre-reformer, wherein:

the anode tail oxidizer comprises the anode tail oxidizer fuel splitter-injector and mixer element of claim 1; and

the pre-reformer comprises a fin partially or fully coated with a steam methane reformation catalyst which is part of or an addition to a fuel inlet side of an anode recuperator heat exchanger.

7. A fuel cell system comprising an anode tail oxizider and a pre-reformer, wherein:

the anode tail oxidizer comprises the anode tail oxidizer fuel splitter-injector and mixer element of claim 1; and

the pre-reformer comprises a wire coated with a steam methane reformation catalyst, wherein the wire is located in at least one of a fuel inlet side of an anode recuperator heat exchanger and in at least one fuel inlet tube connecting a fuel inlet output of the anode recuperator to a fuel inlet of the at least one fuel cell stack.

8. The pre-reformer tube-insert catalyst of claim 7, wherein the wire comprises a woven spiral or a series of wire rosettes.

9. A fuel cell system comprising an anode tail oxizider, wherein:

the anode tail oxidizer comprises the anode tail oxidizer fuel splitter-injector and mixer element of claim 1; and

an anode flow hub structure comprising a grooved base and a plurality of fuel inlet and outlet pipes.

10. The anode flow hub structure of claim 9, wherein the base is a cast base and the fuel inlet and outlet pipes are fluidly connected to respective fuel inlets and outlets of a fuel cell stack.

11. The anode tail oxidizer fuel splitter-injector and mixer element of claim 1, further comprising:

a catalyst containing cylinder, wherein an inner portion of the cylinder is an anode heat exchanger pre-reformer;

a flow hub located below the anode tail oxidizer fuel splitter-injector and mixer element; and

one or more fuel cells stacks,

wherein the fuel splitter-injector and mixer element is located above the anode tail oxidizer.