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US 6,805,990 B2Granted
Flat plate fuel cell stack
AssigneeFuelCell Energy, Inc.
InventorBrian Gorbell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel cell unit includes a cassette holder for a ceramic fuel cell element sandwiched between interconnects of a novel design. The cassette holder isolates the cell from the surrounding interconnect by means of a pliant seal within a rigid frame, thereby reducing the possibility of breakage of the brittle cells. The cassettes are assembled between an upper and lower interconnect to isolate the upper face of the cell from the lower face of the cell. A fuel cell unit includes an upper and lower interconnect containing a cassette. A fuel cell stack is formed from a plurality of fuel cell units.
Claims11
A fuel cell unit comprising:
- (a) an upper interconnect comprising a top plate and a lower plate enclosing a sealed interior chamber and defining an intake and an exhaust manifold opening in fluid communication with the chamber, wherein the lower plate defines a cell opening;
- (b) a lower interconnect comprising a lower plate and an upper plate enclosing a sealed chamber defining an intake and an exhaust manifold opening in fluid communication with the chamber, wherein the upper plate defines a cell opening;
- (c) a fuel cell cassette comprising:
- (i) a single planar fuel cell element having an anode surface, a cathode surface and an edge surface;
- (ii) a resilient seal element which contacts both flat surfaces and the edge surface;
- and
- (iii) a frame that retains both the seal and the cell element;
- wherein the fuel cell cassette fits within the upper interconnect cell opening and mates with the upper interconnect to seal the upper chamber and the fuel cell cassette fits within the lower interconnect cell opening and mates with the lower interconnect to seal the lower chamber;
- and
- (d) seal means disposed between the upper and lower interconnects.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.