Fuel cell stack containing external electrode for corrosion mitigation
AssigneeBloom Energy Corporation
InventorsAdil A. Ashary, David Edmonston, Michael Petrucha, Martin Perry, Tyler Dawson
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Abstract
A method of operating a fuel cell system includes providing a fuel cell stack containing a plurality of fuel cells and interconnects, and first and second ceramic side baffles located on opposing sides of the fuel cell stack, and applying an electrical potential to an outer surface of at least one of the first and the second ceramic side baffles, such that the electrical potential is equal to or more negative than a lowest potential of any interconnect in the fuel cell stack or any electrically conductive fuel cell stack component.
Claims20
A method of operating a fuel cell system, comprising:
- providing a fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cells and interconnects, and first and second ceramic side baffles located on opposing sides of the fuel cell stack;
- and
- applying an electrical potential to an outer surface of at least one of the first and the second ceramic side baffles, wherein the electrical potential is equal to or more negative than a lowest potential of any interconnect in the fuel cell stack or any electrically conductive fuel cell stack component.
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cells and interconnects;
- first and second ceramic side baffles located on opposing sides of the fuel cell stack;
- and
- at least one external electrode is located on an outer surface of at least one of the first or second ceramic side baffles, wherein the at least one external electrode is configured to apply an electrical potential to the outer surface of at least one of the first and the second ceramic side baffles, wherein the electrical potential is equal to or more negative than a lowest potential of any interconnect in the fuel cell stack or any electrically conductive fuel cell stack component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.