Electrochemical cell system including a heat recovery unit with exhaust backflow prevention
AssigneeBloom Energy Corporation
InventorsSamuel JUDAY, Prasad PMSVVSV, Reto ZUEGER, Lorenzo PENNA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of operating an electrochemical cell system includes operating a plurality of power modules each containing at least one stack of electrochemical cells, and outputting a system exhaust from each of the plurality of power modules, providing the system exhaust from each of the plurality of the power modules to a respective exhaust compartment to exchange heat with a heat exchange fluid, and venting the system exhaust from the respective exhaust compartment to atmosphere.
Claims22
An electrochemical cell system, comprising:
- power modules comprising one or more stacks of electrochemical cells;
- heat exchangers fluidly connected to exhaust outlet conduits of the respective power modules, wherein each heat exchanger is fluidly connected only to one of the power modules, and each heat exchanger is configured to receive system exhaust output only by one of the power modules;
- an inlet conduit configured to provide a relatively cold fluid to the heat exchangers;
- and
- an outlet conduit configured to receive a relatively hot fluid from the heat exchangers.
An electrochemical cell system, comprising:
- a plurality of power modules, each comprising one or more stacks of electrochemical cells and at least one exhaust outlet conduit;
- and
- a heat recovery unit fluidly connected to the exhaust outlet conduits of the power modules, the heat recovery unit comprising:
- exhaust compartments fluidly connected to at least one exhaust outlet of only one of the plurality of power modules, and configured to receive system exhaust output from only the one of the plurality of power modules;
- at least one heat exchange conduit extending through the exhaust compartments;
- an inlet conduit configured to provide a relatively cool fluid to the at least one heat exchange conduit;
- and
- an outlet conduit configured to receive a relatively hot fluid from the at least one heat exchange conduit.
A method of operating an electrochemical cell system, comprising:
- operating a plurality of power modules each containing at least one stack of electrochemical cells, and outputting a system exhaust from each of the plurality of power modules;
- providing the system exhaust from each of the plurality of the power modules to a respective exhaust compartment to exchange heat with a heat exchange fluid;
- and
- venting the system exhaust from the respective exhaust compartment to atmosphere.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.