SOFC hot box components

• US 9,520,602 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2015
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Inventors: Venkataraman, Swaminathan, Kalika, Vlad, Weingaertner, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilliam, Barbara
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARTIN, ANGELA J
• Application Number:
  US14/938,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20160064748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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. A fuel cell system comprising:

a hot box; and

a fuel cell stack, an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO), an anode exhaust stream splitter, and an anode cooler heat exchanger located in the hot box;

wherein the splitter is configured to provide 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 into the anode cooler without being provided into the ATO.

2. The fuel cell system of claim 1, further comprising an anode recuperator heat exchanger and a cathode recuperator heat exchanger in the same hot box as the anode exhaust stream splitter.

3. The fuel cell system of claim 2, wherein the anode recupertor heat exchanger includes a fuel reformation catalyst such that the anode recuperator heat exchanger functions as both a heat exchanger and a per-reformer.

4. The fuel cell system of claim 3, further comprising a steam generator in the same hot box as the anode exhaust stream splitter.

5. The fuel cell system of claim 4, further comprising an anode recycle blower and a mixer located outside of the hot box.

6. The fuel cell system of claim 5, wherein:

an output of the anode cooler heat exchanger is connected to the anode recycle blower;

an output of the anode recycle blower is connected to the mixer;

an output of the steam generator is connected to the mixer to mix a second portion of the anode exhaust stream with steam.

7. The fuel cell system of claim 5, wherein:

an anode exhaust stream from the fuel cell stack is provided into the anode recuperator heat exchanger to heat a fuel inlet stream before the fuel inlet stream reaches the fuel cell stack;

the anode exhaust stream from the anode recuperator heat exchanger is provided into the anode exhaust stream splitter; and

the air inlet stream from the anode cooler is provided into the cathode recuperator heat exchanger to heat the air inlet steam using an ATO exhaust stream before the air inlet stream reaches the fuel cell stack.

8. The fuel cell system of claim 6, wherein the ATO, the anode recuperator heat exchanger and the cathode recuperator heat exchanger are located in the same hot box as the splitter, the solid oxide fuel cell stack and the anode cooler heat exchanger.