Fuel cell system components

• US 9,722,273 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Inventors: Ballantine, Arne, Perry, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): APICELLA, KARIE O
• Application Number:
  US14/476,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20150140468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1293 Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/147 Fuel cells with molten carbonates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04007 related to heat exchange
• 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 8/04268 Heating of fuel cells during the start-up of the fuel cells
• 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 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making

Abstract

A fuel cell stack module includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks, a base supporting the plurality of fuel cell stacks, and a metal shell located over the base and the fuel cell stacks. The metal shell contains an integrated heat exchanger.

Claims

1. A fuel cell stack module, comprising:

a shell having a plurality of doors;

a support disposed inside the shell and having a vertical mounting surface; and

a plurality of solid oxide fuel cell stacks horizontally mounted on the vertical mounting surface of the support in vertically separated layers inside the shell such that the plurality of horizontally mounted fuel cell stacks have a stacking direction that extends perpendicular to a major surface of one of the plurality of doors.

2. The module of claim 1, wherein the solid oxide fuel cell stacks are mounted on the support using one or more rails.

3. The module of claim 1, wherein the support comprises a central column having the mounting surface and containing an integrated heat exchanger.

4. The module of claim 3, wherein the plurality of solid oxide fuel cell stacks comprise an annular array of internally manifolded solid oxide fuel cell stacks surrounding a central axis in the central column.