Solid oxide fuel cell generator with removable modular fuel cell stack configurations

A solid oxide fuel cell generator apparatus, comprising:

• a solid oxide fuel cell generator container comprising a generator housing containing at least one solid oxide fuel cell stack compartment within said housing for receiving a pre-assembled self-supporting removable modular fuel cell stack assembly;
• and,
• a pre-assembled self-supporting removable modular solid oxide fuel cell stack assembly positioned within said solid oxide fuel cell stack compartment, in which said pre-assembled self-supporting removable modular solid oxide fuel cell stack assembly comprises:
• a generally planar base having a hollow internal cavity defining a fuel plenum and a top surface containing a fuel plenum inlet in fluid flow communication with a fuel gas supply and a plurality of fuel plenum outlets;
• a fuel cell stack housing connected to the base and extending upwardly from the sides of the base defining a chamber generally enclosing the base;
• a plurality of fuel riser tubes, each fuel riser tube individually connected in fluid flow communication to an individual fuel plenum outlet, and extending upwardly from said top surface of said base;
• a plurality of columns and rows of fuel cell stack reformer boards, each fuel cell stack reformer board individually mounted to the top surface of said base and extending over an individual fuel riser tube, in which each fuel cell stack reformer board contains an internal channel with reformer catalyst in fluid flow communication with said fuel riser tube extending therein;
• a plurality of rows and columns of electrically interconnected elongated tubular solid oxide fuel cells, each row comprising a column of solid oxide fuel cells being spaced between neighboring columns of the fuel cell stack reformer boards, each solid oxide fuel cell being individually mounted to the top surface of the base and extending upwardly from said base, and each solid oxide fuel cell tube having an inner air electrode connected in fluid flow communication to an oxidant gas supply, an outer fuel electrode connected in fluid flow communication to the stack reformer board and a solid oxide electrolyte sandwiched in between the two electrodes.

A fuel cell generator apparatus, comprising:

• a fuel cell generator pressure vessel designed to operate with internal pressures in excess of atmospheric pressure, comprising an outer generator housing containing at least one fuel cell stack compartment within said outer generator housing for receiving a pre-assembled self-supporting removable modular fuel cell stack assembly;
• and
• a pre-assembled self-supporting removable modular fuel cell stack assembly positioned within said fuel cell stack compartment, where said fuel cell stack assembly comprises a generally planar base, a fuel cell stack mounted on said base, and an outer fuel cell stack housing connected to said base and extending upwardly from the sides thereof, defining a chamber generally enclosing the sides of said fuel cell stack, where said fuel cell stack comprises:
• a plurality of electrically interconnected elongated tubular solid oxide fuel cells mounted to said base, each fuel cell having an air electrode, a fuel electrode, and an electrolyte disposed between the two electrodes;
• an oxidant distribution channel connected to said fuel cells in fluid flow communication with said air electrodes of said fuel cells for transferring oxidant to said air electrodes;
• and,
• a fuel distribution channel connected to said fuel cells in fluid flow communication with said fuel electrodes of said fuel cells for transferring fuel to said fuel electrodes.