US 2019/0157705 A1Published application

Multiple fuel cell secondary interconnect bonding pads and wires

AssigneeLG Fuel Cell Systems Inc.

InventorGerry Agnew

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Abstract

A fuel cell system is provided. The fuel cell system may comprise segmented-in-series solid oxide fuel cells. The system may comprise a first fuel cell tube, a second fuel cell tube, and a plurality of secondary interconnects. The first and second fuel cell tubes may comprise a substrate having a first and second end and a pair of generally planar opposing major surfaces extending between the ends, a plurality of fuel cells disposed on one of the major surfaces wherein the fuel cells are electrically coupled in series to one another, a first electrical conductor that provides an electrical path from a fuel cell disposed on the major surface near an end of the substrate to a location on the other of the major surfaces. The plurality of secondary interconnects provide an electrical path between the first and second fuel cell tubes. The plurality of interconnects may be coupled to the first electrical conductor of each tube. The first fuel cell may be positioned with a major surface thereof spaced apart from and parallel to a major surface of the second fuel cell tube.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A segmented-in-series solid oxide fuel cell system comprising:

a first fuel cell tube comprising:
a substrate having a first and a second end and a pair of generally planar opposing major surfaces extending between said ends;
a plurality of fuel cells disposed on one of said major surfaces, said fuel cells being electrically coupled in series;
a first electrical conductor providing an electrical path from a fuel cell disposed on one of said major surfaces proximate the first end of said substrate to a location on the other of said major surfaces proximate the first end of said substrate;
a second fuel cell tube comprising:
a substrate having a first and a second end and a pair of generally planar opposing major surfaces extending between said ends;
a plurality of fuel cells disposed on one of said major surfaces, said fuel cells being electrically coupled in series;
a first electrical conductor providing an electrical path from a fuel cell disposed on one of said major surfaces proximate the first end of said substrate to a location on the other of said major surfaces proximate the first end of said substrate;
and
a plurality of secondary interconnects providing an electrical path between said first and second fuel cell tubes,
said first fuel cell tube being positioned with a major surface thereof spaced from and parallel to a major surface of said second fuel cell tube, said plurality of secondary interconnects being electrically coupled to said first electrical conductor of each of said first and second fuel cell tubes.

8 more elements

A fuel cell system comprising:

a plurality of fuel cell tubes, each of said tubes comprising:
a first end and a second end;
a first surface and a second surface, each of said first and second surfaces extending continuously between said first and second ends;
a plurality of fuel cells disposed on the first and second surfaces, wherein said fuels cells disposed on said first surface are electrically coupled in series to each other by one or more primary interconnects, and said fuel cells disposed on said second surface are electrically coupled in series to each other by one or more primary interconnects;
a first sheet conductor electrically coupling the fuel cell disposed on the first surface proximate the first end to the fuel cells disposed on the second surface proximate the first end;
a second sheet conductor electrically coupling the fuel cells disposed on the first surface proximate the second end to the fuel cell disposed on the second surface proximate the second end,
wherein said first and second sheet conductors are arranged such that the fuel cells disposed on the first surface are electrically coupled in parallel with the fuel cells disposed on the second surface;
a plurality of secondary interconnects each electrically coupling a first tube of said plurality to a second tube of said plurality, wherein said each of said secondary interconnects electrically contact the first sheet conductor of said first tube proximate to the first end of said first tube and the first sheet conductor of said second tube proximate to the first end of said second tube.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.