Open end protection for solid oxide fuel cells
AssigneeSiemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
InventorsPaolo R. Zafred, Jeffrey T. Dederer, Gregory W. Tomlins, James M. Toms, George R. Folser, Douglas S. Schmidt, Prabhakar Singh, Charles A. Hager
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Abstract
A solid oxide fuel cell (40) having a closed end (44) and an open end (42) operates in a fuel cell generator (10) where the fuel cell open end (42) of each fuel cell contains a sleeve (60, 64) fitted over the open end (42), where the sleeve (60, 64) extends beyond the open end (42) of the fuel cell (40) to prevent degradation of the interior air electrode of the fuel cell by fuel gas during operation of the generator (10).
Claims14
A solid oxide fuel cell having an exterior fuel electrode and an interior air electrode, with solid oxide electrolyte therebetween, the fuel cell having an open end and a closed end, where the open end contains a sleeve fitted over the solid oxide fuel cell at the open end, where the sleeve extends beyond the open end of the fuel cell.
A high temperature, solid electrolyte fuel cell generator, comprising:
- a) housing means defining a plurality of chambers including a fuel inlet chamber and an air pre-heating chamber;
- b) a plurality of elongated fuel cells having an interior air electrode and an exterior fuel electrode, and an active length with a closed end disposed in the fuel inlet chamber, and an open end disposed in the air pre-heating chamber, said open end subject to fuel gas entry during interrupted operation of the generator;
- c) means for flowing a gaseous oxidant through the fuel cells and into the air pre-heating chamber;
- and
- d) means for flowing a gaseous fuel about the fuel cells in the fuel inlet chamber;
- where the open end of each fuel cell contains a sleeve fitted over said open end, where the sleeve extends beyond said open end to prevent reduction of the interior air electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.