# US 6,720,099 B1 · Fuel cell waste energy recovery combustor

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- Number: US 6,720,099 B1
- Document ID: US6720099B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 09/838,577
- Filed: 2001-04-19
- Published: 2002-03-07
- Granted: 2004-04-13
- Earliest claimed: 2000-05-01
- Assignees: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Karl Jacob Haltiner, Jr.
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6720099B1

## CPC

- H01M 8/0662: Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
- F28D 9/0043: {the plates having openings therein for circulation of at least one heat-exchange medium from one conduit to another}
- F28F 9/028: {by using inserts for modifying the pattern of flow inside the header box, e.g. by using flow restrictors or permeable bodies or blocks with channels}
- H01M 8/04014: Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants
- H01M 8/04074: {Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell}
- H01M 8/04089: of gaseous reactants
- H01M 8/2425: High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes
- H01M 8/2484: characterised by external manifolds
- H01M 8/04007: related to heat exchange
- H01M 8/04022: {Heating by combustion}
- H01M 8/04231: {Purging of the reactants}
- H01M 8/0612: from carbon-containing material
- H01M 8/247: Arrangements for tightening a stack, for accommodation of a stack in a tank or for assembling different tanks
- H01M 2008/1293: {Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes}
- H01M 2250/20: Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02T 90/40: Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general)
- F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

The waste energy recovery assembly for a fuel cell system comprises: a cathode exhaust passage in fluid communication with a mixing zone through a collection chamber; an anode exhaust passage in fluid communication with said mixing zone by way of an anode exhaust gas orifice disposed in a direction capable of forming an anode exhaust gas flow entering said mixing zone at an angle of about 45° to about 135° to a combined gas flow entering said mixing zone from said collection chamber; a thermal exchange structure in fluid communication with said mixing zone; and an exhaust gas passage in fluid communication with said thermal exchange structure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A waste energy recovery assembly for a fuel cell system, comprising:
a cathode exhaust passage in fluid communication with a mixing zone through a collection chamber;
an anode exhaust passage in fluid communication with said mixing zone by way of an anode exhaust gas orifice disposed in a direction capable of forming an anode exhaust gas flow entering said mixing zone at an angle of about 45° to about 135° to a combined gas flow entering said mixing zone from said collection chamber, said combined gas flow comprising cathode exhaust gas;
a thermal exchange structure in fluid communication with said mixing zone; and
an exhaust passage in fluid communication with said thermal exchange structure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cooling air passage in fluid communication with said collection chamber.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The assembly of claim 2, further comprising a purge air passage in fluid communication with said collection chamber.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The assembly of claim 3, further comprising a controller in operable communication with said purge air passage, said cooling air passage, and said mixing zone.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The assembly of claim 2, further comprising a controller in operable communication with said cooling air passage and said mixing zone.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein said thermal exchange structure further comprises catalyst material disposed on at least a portion of said thermal exchange structure.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a manifold in fluid communication with said mixing zone, manifold comprising a plurality of channels in fluid communication with said thermal exchange structure.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a combustion plug disposed in said mixing zone.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein said angle is sufficient to form a turbulence when anode exhaust gas and said combined gas flow are introduced to said mixing zone.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein said angle is perpendicular.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a collection chamber orifice, wherein said collection chamber orifice has a slot-like geometry.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein said collection chamber orifice has a length greater than about 5 times a width of said collection chamber orifice.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein said length is greater than about 10 times said width.

### Claim 14

A method of using a waste energy recovery assembly for a fuel cell system, comprising:
supplying reformate and supply air to said waste energy recovery assembly;
directing said supply air and said reformate through a thermal exchange structure in said waste energy recovery assembly, wherein said supply air is separated from said reformate;
introducing cathode exhaust gas to a mixing zone;
introducing anode exhaust gas to said mixing zone at an angle of about 45° to about 135° a combined gas flow direction to form composite gases, wherein said combined gas flow comprises cathode exhaust gas;
combusting said composite gases; and
flowing said combusted composite gases through said thermal exchange structure in thermal communication with said reformate and said supply air.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising catalytically reacting said anode exhaust gas and said cathode exhaust gas.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising mixing said cathode exhaust gas with cooling air in a collection chamber to form said combined gas flow.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein said angle is sufficient to form a turbulence when anode exhaust gas and said combined gas flow are introduced to said mixing zone.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein said angle is perpendicular.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising passing said combined gas flow through a collection chamber orifice, wherein said collection chamber orifice has a slot-like geometry.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein said collection chamber orifice has a length greater than about 5 times a width of said collection chamber orifice.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein said length is greater than about 10 times said width.

### Claim 22 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising maintaining said waste energy recovery assembly at a desired temperature by mixing with said cathode air exhaust.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, further comprising mixing a purge air with said cathode air and said cooling air to form said combined gas flow.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising igniting said anode exhaust gas and said combined gas flow in said mixing zone.

### Claim 25

A fuel cell waste energy recovery assembly comprising:
a means for supplying reformate and supply air to said waste energy recovery assembly;
a means for directing said supply air and said reformate through a thermal exchange structure in said waste energy recovery assembly, wherein said supply air is separated from said reformate;
a means for introducing cathode exhaust gas to a mixing zone;
a means for introducing anode exhaust gas to said mixing zone at an angle of about 45° to about 135° a combined gas flow direction to form composite gases, wherein said combined gas flow comprises cathode exhaust gas;
a means for combusting said composite gases; and
a means for flowing said combusted composite gases through said thermal exchange structure in thermal communication with said reformate and said supply air.

### Claim 26

A waste energy recovery assembly for a fuel cell system, comprising:
a cathode exhaust passage, cooling air passage and purge air passage in fluid communication with a collection chamber, said collection clamber in fluid communication with a mixing zone;
an anode exhaust passage in fluid communication with said mixing zone by way of an anode exhaust gas orifice disposed in a direction capable of forming an anode exhaust gas flow entering said mixing zone at an angle of about 45° to about 135° to a combined gas flow entering said mixing zone from said collection chamber, said combined gas flow comprising cathode exhaust;
an igniter in operable communication with said mixing zone;
a thermal exchange structure in fluid communication with said mixing zone; and
an exhaust gas passage in fluid communication with said thermal exchange structure.