Fuel cell manifold having an embedded dielectric layer and methods of making thereof
AssigneeBloom Energy Corporation
InventorsSiddharth PATEL, Karanpal BHANGU
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A manifold plate for a fuel cell stack includes a lower manifold portion, an upper manifold portion, a dielectric layer sandwiched between the lower manifold portion and the upper manifold portion, a bottom inlet hole and a bottom outlet hole formed in a bottom surface of the lower manifold portion, where the bottom inlet hole and the bottom outlet hole extend through the dielectric layer, top outlet holes and top inlet holes formed in opposing sides of a top surface of the upper manifold portion, outlet channels fluidly connecting the top outlet holes to the bottom inlet hole, and inlet channels fluidly connecting the top inlet holes to the bottom outlet hole.
Claims20
A manifold plate for a fuel cell stack, comprising:
- a lower manifold portion;
- an upper manifold portion;
- a dielectric layer sandwiched between the lower manifold portion and the upper manifold portion;
- a bottom inlet hole and a bottom outlet hole formed in a bottom surface of the lower manifold portion, wherein the bottom inlet hole and the bottom outlet hole extend through the dielectric layer;
- top outlet holes and top inlet holes formed in opposing sides of a top surface of the upper manifold portion;
- outlet channels fluidly connecting the top outlet holes to the bottom inlet hole;
- and
- inlet channels fluidly connecting the top inlet holes to the bottom outlet hole.
A method of manufacturing a manifold plate for a fuel cell stack, comprising:
- providing a lower manifold portion and an upper manifold portion;
- providing a dielectric layer;
- and
- assembling the lower manifold portion, the upper manifold portion, and the dielectric layer into the manifold plate such that the dielectric layer is sandwiched between the lower manifold portion and the upper manifold portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.