# US 9,520,602 B2 · SOFC hot box components

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- Number: US 9,520,602 B2
- Document ID: US9520602B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/938,019
- Filed: 2015-11-11
- Published: 2016-03-03
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2010-09-01
- Assignees: Bloom Energy Corporation
- Applicants: Bloom Energy Corporation
- Inventors: Swaminathan Venkataraman; Vlad Kalika; David Weingaertner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520602B2

## CPC

- H01M 8/04022: {Heating by combustion}
- F28D 9/0018: {without any annular circulation of the heat exchange media}
- F28D 9/0025: {the conduits being formed by zig-zag bend plates}
- F28F 9/02: Header boxes; End plates
- H01M 8/0297: Arrangements for joining electrodes, reservoir layers, heat exchange units or bipolar separators to each other (H01M8/0271 takes precedence)
- H01M 8/04007: related to heat exchange
- H01M 8/04052: {Storage of heat in the fuel cell system}
- H01M 8/04067: {Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins}
- H01M 8/04074: {Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell}
- H01M 8/04097: {with recycling of the reactants (H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence)}
- H01M 8/04268: {Heating of fuel cells during the start-up of the fuel cells}
- H01M 8/0618: {Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming}
- H01M 8/0662: Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
- H01M 8/12: operating at high temperature, e.g. with stabilised ZrO2 electrolyte
- H01M 8/24: Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells
- H01M 8/2425: High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes
- H01M 8/243: Grouping of unit cells of tubular or cylindrical configuration
- H01M 8/2432: Grouping of unit cells of planar configuration
- H01M 2008/1293: {Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes}
- H01M 2300/0074: Ion conductive at high temperature
- Y02E 60/50: 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

## Abstract

Various hot box fuel cell system components are provided, such as heat exchangers, steam generator and other components.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel cell system comprising:
a hot box; and
a fuel cell stack, an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO), an anode exhaust stream splitter, and an anode cooler heat exchanger located in the hot box;
wherein the splitter is configured to provide a first portion of a fuel cell stack anode exhaust stream into the ATO while allowing a remainder of the anode exhaust stream to pass through the splitter into the anode cooler without being provided into the ATO.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system of claim 1, further comprising an anode recuperator heat exchanger and a cathode recuperator heat exchanger in the same hot box as the anode exhaust stream splitter.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The fuel cell system of claim 2, wherein the anode recupertor heat exchanger includes a fuel reformation catalyst such that the anode recuperator heat exchanger functions as both a heat exchanger and a per-reformer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The fuel cell system of claim 3, further comprising a steam generator in the same hot box as the anode exhaust stream splitter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The fuel cell system of claim 4, further comprising an anode recycle blower and a mixer located outside of the hot box.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The fuel cell system of claim 5, wherein:
an output of the anode cooler heat exchanger is connected to the anode recycle blower;
an output of the anode recycle blower is connected to the mixer;
an output of the steam generator is connected to the mixer to mix a second portion of the anode exhaust stream with steam.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The fuel cell system of claim 5, wherein:
an anode exhaust stream from the fuel cell stack is provided into the anode recuperator heat exchanger to heat a fuel inlet stream before the fuel inlet stream reaches the fuel cell stack;
the anode exhaust stream from the anode recuperator heat exchanger is provided into the anode exhaust stream splitter; and
the air inlet stream from the anode cooler is provided into the cathode recuperator heat exchanger to heat the air inlet steam using an ATO exhaust stream before the air inlet stream reaches the fuel cell stack.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The fuel cell system of claim 6, wherein the ATO, the anode recuperator heat exchanger and the cathode recuperator heat exchanger are located in the same hot box as the splitter, the solid oxide fuel cell stack and the anode cooler heat exchanger.