Voltage lead jumper connected fuel cell columns

• US 8,968,958 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Inventors: Gottmann, Matthias, Perry, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilliam, Barbara
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARRICO, ROBERT SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US12/458,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20100009221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,070 Days
• Field of Search: 429/471
• US Class Current: 429/471
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/502 Interconnectors for connecting terminals of adjacent batteries; Interconnectors for connecting cells outside a battery casing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04022 Heating by combustion
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04074 Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0618 Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0631 Reactor construction specially adapted for combination reactor/fuel cell hydrogen C01B3/00; reactors for physicochemical processes B01J19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2475 Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/249 comprising two or more groupings of fuel cells, e.g. modular assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks, and one or more devices which in operation of the system provide an azimuthal direction to one or more anode or cathode feed or exhaust fluid flows in the system.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system, comprising:

a plurality of vertical fuel cell columns, each fuel cell column comprising at least one fuel cell stack, wherein the at least one fuel cell stack comprises a plurality of horizontal fuel cells stacked vertically;

a voltage lead jumper which electrically connects top ends of adjacent two of the plurality of vertical fuel cell columns such that the adjacent two vertical fuel cell columns form a column pair in which the columns are electrically connected in series; and

an electrical output located on a bottom end of each of the adjacent two vertical fuel cell columns, wherein the electrical outputs comprise current collection rods which extend through a bottom surface of the system and are electrically connected to a power conditioning module or device;

wherein each of the plurality of vertical fuel cell columns comprises a plurality of fuel cell stacks, wherein a first fuel cell stack in a first fuel cell column is separated from an adjacent second fuel cell stack in the first fuel cell column by an anode feed/return assembly;

wherein the plurality of vertical fuel cell columns comprise solid oxide fuel cell columns and the solid oxide fuel cell columns and the voltage lead jumper are enclosed in a housing; and

wherein the voltage lead jumper comprises a flexible, thermally and electrically insulating sleeve enclosing a metal or metal alloy wire and the flexible, thermally and electrically insulating sleeve comprises a plurality of hollow ceramic cylinders which enclose the metal or metal alloy wire and each of the plurality of hollow ceramic cylinders can move with respect to an adjacent one of the plurality of hollow ceramic cylinders to provide flexibility to the sleeve.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the voltage lead jumper is located in an integrated solid oxide fuel cell and fuel processor unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a hot box, and the voltage lead jumper is located in the hot box.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the voltage lead jumper electrically connects top ends of adjacent two of the plurality of vertical fuel cell columns in the hot box; and

the electrical outputs extend through a bottom surface of the hot box and are electrically connected to a power conditioning module or device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein:

a top electrical output of a first vertical fuel cell column in the column pair is electrically connected to a top electrical output of a second vertical fuel cell column in the column pair using the voltage lead jumper;

a bottom electrical output of the first vertical fuel cell column in the column pair is electrically connected to the power conditioning module or device; and

a bottom electrical output of the second vertical fuel cell column in the column pair is electrically connected to the power conditioning module or device.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of column pairs in the hot box.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of column pairs comprises the voltage lead jumper which connects a top electrical output of a first vertical fuel cell column in the column pair to a top electrical output of a second vertical fuel cell column in the column pair.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a bottom surface;

and wherein the electrical outputs comprise current collection rods which extend through the bottom surface.

9. A fuel cell system, comprising:

a plurality of fuel cell columns, each fuel cell column comprising at least one fuel cell stack, wherein the at least one fuel cell stack comprises a plurality of horizontal solid oxide fuel cells stacked vertically;

a voltage lead jumper which electrically connects top ends of adjacent two of the plurality of fuel cell columns such that the adjacent two fuel cell columns form a column pair in which the columns are electrically connected in series; and

an electrical output located on a bottom end of each of the adjacent two fuel cell columns;

wherein the voltage lead jumper comprises a flexible, thermally and electrically insulating sleeve enclosing a metal or metal alloy wire; and

wherein the flexible, thermally and electrically insulating sleeve comprises a plurality of hollow ceramic cylinders which enclose the metal or metal alloy wire and each of the plurality of hollow ceramic cylinders can move with respect to an adjacent one of the plurality of hollow ceramic cylinders to provide flexibility to the sleeve.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the electrical outputs comprise current collection rods which extend through a bottom surface of the system and are electrically connected to a power conditioning module or device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the voltage lead jumper is located in a hot box of a solid oxide fuel cell unit and the plurality of fuel cell columns comprise a plurality of vertical fuel cell columns.