# US 11,309,571 B2 · Power tower for heat capture > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,309,571 B2 - Document ID: US11309571B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/824,833 - Filed: 2020-03-20 - Published: 2020-09-24 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-21 - Assignees: Bloom Energy Corporation - Applicants: Bloom Energy Corporation - Inventors: Arne Ballantine; Jessica Mahler; Carl Cottuli; Daniel Baynes; Martin Perry - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309571B2 ## CPC - H01M 8/2484: characterised by external manifolds - H01M 8/04007: related to heat exchange - H01M 8/04014: Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants - H01M 8/04089: of gaseous reactants - H01M 8/2475: Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks - H01M 8/249: comprising two or more groupings of fuel cells, e.g. modular assemblies - H01M 50/367: Internal gas exhaust passages forming part of the battery cover or case; Double cover vent systems - H01M 50/271: Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings - H01M 2250/10: Fuel cells in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant - H01M 2250/402: Combination of fuel cell with other electric generators - Y02B 90/10: Applications of fuel cells in buildings - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A power generating system includes power modules disposed in vertically stacked levels, exhaust plenums that extend vertically through the levels of power modules and are configured to receive exhaust output from the power modules, and an exhaust conduit that extends horizontally across an uppermost level of the power modules and is fluidly connected to the exhaust plenums. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power generating system comprising: power modules disposed in vertically stacked levels; exhaust plenums that extend vertically through the levels of power modules and are configured to receive exhaust output from the power modules; an exhaust conduit that extends horizontally across an uppermost level of the power modules and is fluidly connected to the exhaust plenums; and thermoelectric devices that are each thermally integrated with one of the exhaust plenums or the exhaust conduit, wherein the thermoelectric devices are arranged into series-wired circuits electrically connected to DC/DC converters, and the DC/DC converters are electrically connected to a same DC bus as the power modules. ### Claim 2 A power generating system comprising: power modules disposed in vertically stacked levels; exhaust plenums that extend vertically through the levels of power modules and are configured to receive exhaust output from the power modules; and an exhaust conduit that extends horizontally across an uppermost level of the power modules and is fluidly connected to the exhaust plenums, wherein each level of power modules is disposed on a different floor of a building. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the exhaust conduit and each level of power modules is disposed on a different floor of a building. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the power modules comprise fuel cell power modules. ### Claim 5 A power generating tower comprising a plurality of power generating systems that are stacked vertically above one another, wherein: each of the power generating systems comprises: power modules disposed in vertically stacked levels; exhaust plenums that extend vertically through the levels of power modules and are configured to receive exhaust output from the power modules; and an exhaust conduit that extends horizontally across an uppermost level of the power modules and is fluidly connected to the exhaust plenums; and the exhaust conduit is located above a first level of power modules in a first power generating system and below a second level of power modules in a second power generating system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The tower of claim 5, further comprising a vertically extending chimney that is fluidly connected to the exhaust conduits of the power generating systems. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The tower of claim 6, further comprising turbulators disposed in the chimney. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The tower of claim 5, further comprising air inlet plenums configured to provide air to each level of power modules, wherein: the air inlet plenums comprise inlets disposed on a first side of the tower; and the exhaust conduits comprise outlets disposed on an opposing second side of the tower. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The tower of claim 5, further comprising a top power generating system stacked on top of the stacked power generating systems, the top power generating system comprising: power modules disposed in vertically stacked levels; and exhaust plenums that extend vertically through the levels of power modules, are configured to receive exhaust output from the power modules, and are not fluidly connected to the chimney. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The tower of claim 9, further comprising a recirculation barrier disposed on top of the top power generating system and configured to block exhaust output from the exhaust plenums of the top power generating system from entering air inlet plenums configured to provide air to the power modules of the top power generating system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The tower of claim 5, further comprising fans configured to control exhaust flow through the exhaust conduits. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The tower of claim 5, further comprising an information technology load which is configured to receive power from the power modules. ### Claim 13 A power generating system comprising: power modules; a common exhaust plenum configured to receive exhaust from the power modules; and thermoelectric devices that are thermally integrated with the common exhaust plenum, wherein: the power modules comprise fuel cell power modules; and the thermoelectric devices are arranged into series-wired circuits electrically connected to DC/DC converters, and the DC/DC converters are electrically connected to a same DC bus as the power modules. ### Claim 14 A power generating system comprising: power modules; a common exhaust plenum configured to receive exhaust from the power modules; and thermoelectric devices that are thermally integrated with the common exhaust plenum, wherein the thermoelectric devices are mounted on the exhaust plenum, such that first sides of the thermoelectric devices are exposed to exhaust in the common exhaust plenums and opposing second sides of the thermoelectric devices are exposed to air exhausted from cabinets of the power modules, and wherein the air is cooler than the exhaust.