Stack of intermediate temperature, metal-supported, solid oxide fuel cell units
AssigneeCeres Intellectual Property Company Limited
InventorsMark Selby, Stephen Hill, Stephen Phillip, Lee Rees
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stack (1) of intermediate temperature, metal-supported, solid oxide fuel cell units (10), each unit comprising a metal support substrate (12), a spacer (22) and an interconnect (30) that each have compression bolt holes (34), fuel inlet port (33), fuel outlet port (32) and air outlet (17) therein, wherein bolt voids (34) are formed by aligning the bolt holes and a further void (17) by aligning the air outlets, and the voids are vented, for example, to the environment or further void to prevent the build-up of fuel, moisture or ions.
Claims20
A stack of intermediate temperature metal supported, solid oxide fuel cell units arranged in a stack,
- wherein each fuel cell unit comprises a metal support substrate with electrochemically active layers, a spacer and an interconnect,
- wherein the metal support substrate, the spacer and the interconnect have bolt holes for compression bolts of the stack, at least one fuel inlet port and at least one fuel outlet port for fuel entry and exit into and out of the cell unit, and at least one air outlet,
- wherein bolt voids are formed within the stack by the alignment of the respective bolt holes for the compression bolts in the stack and a further void is formed by the alignment of the respective air outlets, and
- wherein the bolt voids for the compression bolts do not have fluid flow passageways for the stack extending therein, and the bolt voids each contain air, and are vented, either to the environment surrounding the stack or into an air outlet, to prevent build up of moisture, leaked or diffused hydrogen, or leaked ions, in the air in the bolt voids,
- and wherein either or both:
- a) venting is provided by slots provided in the bolt holes of any of the metal support substrate, the spacer and the interconnect,
- and
- b) gaskets are located between neighbouring cell units in the stack, the gaskets having at least one fuel port aligning with fuel inlet or outlet chimneys in the cell units either side thereof, and at least one further bolt hole aligning with the bolt holes for the compression bolt in the stack either side thereof, venting being provided by slots provided in the bolt holes of the gaskets.
A gasket for a solid oxide fuel cell stack configured to flow fuel therein and comprising bolts for compression of the stack,
- the gasket comprising at least one fuel port for fuel passage and two bolt holes for passing respective bolts of the solid oxide fuel cell stack therethrough, wherein the fuel port for fuel passage has a full perimeter wall whereas the two bolt holes have slots within perimeter walls thereof, breaking their peripheries, the slots extending from the perimeter walls of the bolt holes to an outer wall of the gasket, the two bolt holes thus being vented.
A stack of intermediate temperature metal supported, solid oxide fuel cell units arranged in a stack,
- wherein each fuel cell unit comprises a metal support substrate with electrochemically active layers, a spacer and an interconnect, the stack further comprising gaskets between neighbouring fuel cell units in the stack,
- wherein the metal support substrate, the spacer and the interconnect have bolt holes for compression bolts of the stack, at least one fuel inlet port and at least one fuel outlet port for fuel entry and exit into and out of the cell unit, and at least one air outlet,
- wherein the gaskets have:
- a) at least one fuel port aligning with either a fuel outlet chimney or a fuel inlet chimney in the cell units located either side thereof, and
- b) at least one further bolt hole aligning with the said bolt holes for the compression bolts in the cell units either side thereof,
- wherein bolt voids are formed within the stack by the alignment of the respective bolt holes in the stack and a further void is formed by the alignment of the respective air outlets, and
- wherein the bolt voids do not have fluid flow passageways for the stack extending therein, and the bolt voids are vented, either to the environment surrounding the stack or into an air outlet, the venting being provided by slots provided in either or both of i) the bolt holes of any of the metal support substrate, the spacer and the interconnect, and ii) the bolt holes of the gaskets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.