Water electrolysis or co-electrolysis reactor (SOEC) or fuel cell (SOFC) for pressurized operation and with a clamping system suitable for such operation
AssigneeCommissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
InventorsMagali Reytier, Charlotte Bernard, Guilhem Roux, Philippe Szynal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A clamping chamber in a reactor or fuel cell architecture having a stack of elementary units is above the clamping fittings. The clamping chamber, in which a gas other than the reactive gases will flow, is substantially at the same pressure as the reactive gases in the stack. The pressure of the gas flowing in the clamping chamber above the stack of elementary units will then balance the pressure created by the reactive gases and the gases produced within the stack.
Claims24
An electrochemical device, forming an SOEC electrolysis or co-electrolysis reactor or an SOFC fuel cell, configured to operate at high temperature, comprising:
- a stack of electrochemical cells based on SOEC/SOFC solid oxides;
- two end plates, called terminal plates, between which the stack is placed;
- two clamping plates of the stack;
- between which the end plates and the stack are placed;
- clamping means between the clamping plates, the clamping means being adapted to clamp the stack and keep the stack clamped between the terminal plates, regardless of temperature between ambient temperature and high operating temperatures of the device;
- and
- a clamping chamber delimited between one of the terminal plates and an adjacent clamping plate, the clamping chamber being connected to a clamping gas circuit at a higher pressure than inside of the stack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.