Bloom Energy Corporation

Lam Research Corporation

Cheng-Yu Lin

Harald Herchen

Vijay Srivatsan

Tad Armstrong

Michael Gasda

Daniel J Darga

Martin Perry

Swaminathan Venkataraman

Emad El Batawi

Ian Russell

Robert M Hintz

Manoj Pillai

Gilbert Richards

Avinash Verma

Padiadpu Shankara Anantha

Amit Nawathe

Victor Fung

Sachin Parhar

Michael Groesch

Brian Therault

Sanchit Khurana

Jonathan Scholl

Emily Wong

Sagar Mainkar

Matthias Gottmann

Arnold Kholodenko

Chockkalingam Karuppaiah

David S Mui

Michael Petrucha

Anwar Husain

Arjun Mendiratta

Gregory A Tomasch

Leon Ginzburg

Michael Lesher

Mark Mandelboym

Elson Seiki

Bijan Moslehi

Jakob Hilton

Drew Paran

Ali Delkaninia

Young Bui

Jonathan Cerrona

Dongai Shi

Shruti Baharani

Ling-Hsiang Chen

A method of making an interconnect for an electrochemical cell stack includes providing the interconnect, and creep flattening the interconnect prior to placing the interconnect into the electrochemical cell stack.

Methods and devices for preventing thermally-induced stress cracks in large footprint solid oxide fuel cell columns

A fuel cell interconnect includes fuel ribs disposed on a first side of the interconnect and a least partially defining fuel channels, and air ribs disposed on an opposing second side of the interconnect and at least partially defining air channels. The fuel channels include central fuel channels disposed in a central fuel field and peripheral fuel channels disposed in peripheral fuel fields disposed on opposing sides of the central fuel field. The air channels include central air channels disposed in a central air field and peripheral air channels disposed in peripheral air fields disposed on opposing sides of the central air field. At least one of the central fuel channels or the central air channels has at least one of a different cross-sectional area or length than at least one of the respective peripheral fuel channels or the respective peripheral air channels.

Fuel cell interconnect optimized for operation in hydrogen fuel

A method of forming a fuel cell interconnect includes depositing a Cr alloy powder, sintering the Cr alloy powder, and repeating the depositing and the sintering to form the fuel cell interconnect. The Cr alloy powder may include a pre-alloyed powder containing from about 4 wt. % to about 6 wt. % Fe, and from about 94 wt. % to about 96 wt. % Cr.

Methods for manufacturing fuel cell interconnects using 3D printing

A cross-flow interconnect and a fuel cell stack including the same, the interconnect including fuel inlets and outlets that extend through the interconnect adjacent to opposing first and second peripheral edges of the interconnect; an air side; and an opposing fuel side. The air side includes an air flow field including air channels that extend in a first direction, from a third peripheral edge of the interconnect to an opposing fourth peripheral edge of the interconnect; and riser seal surfaces disposed on two opposing sides of the air flow field and in which the fuel inlets and outlets are formed. The fuel side includes a fuel flow field including fuel channels that extend in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, between the fuel inlets and outlets; and a perimeter seal surface surrounding the fuel flow field and the fuel inlets and outlets.

Cross-flow interconnect and fuel cell system including same

Various embodiments include fuel cell interconnects having a fuel distribution portion having an inlet opening, a fuel collection portion having an outlet opening, and a primary fuel flow field containing channels, wherein the fuel distribution portion comprises at least one raised feature defining a fuel distribution flow path, and the fuel distribution flow path is not continuous with the channels in the primary fuel flow field. The at least one raised feature may include, for example, a network of ribs and/or dots. Further embodiments include interconnects having a fuel distribution portion with a variable surface depth to provide variable flow restriction and/or a plenum with variable surface depth and raised a raised relief feature on the cathode side, and/or varying flow channel depths and/or rib heights adjacent a fuel hole.

Interconnect for fuel cell stack

A method of making an interconnect for a solid oxide fuel cell stack includes contacting an interconnect powder located in a die cavity with iron, the interconnect powder including a chromium and iron, compressing the interconnect powder to form an interconnect having ribs and fuel channels on a first side of the interconnect, such that the iron is disposed on tips of the ribs; and sintering the interconnect, such that the iron forms an contact layer on the tips of the ribs having a higher iron concentration than a remainder of the interconnect. A glass containing cathode contact layer having a glass transition temperature of 900&#xb0; C. or less may be located over the rib tips on the oxidant side of the interconnect.

Fuel cell interconnect with reduced voltage degradation and manufacturing method

A method of making an interconnect for a solid oxide fuel cell stack includes providing an iron rich material containing at least 25 wt. % iron into channels of a mold, providing a powder containing 4-6 wt. % Fe, 0-1 wt. % Y and balance Cr into the mold over the iron rich material containing at least 25 wt. % iron, compacting the iron rich material containing at least 25 wt. % iron and the powder comprising 4-6 wt. % Fe, 0-1 wt. % Y and balance Cr in the mold to form the interconnect, and sintering the interconnect to form a sintered interconnect having iron rich regions having an iron concentration greater than 10% in ribs of the interconnect.

Fuel cell interconnect with iron rich rib regions and method of making thereof

Methods and systems for measuring and/or estimating a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of a component of a fuel cell system. A CTE measurement technique includes securing a measurement member over a surface of the component via a seal having a melting point, heating the seal above its melting point of the seal, cooling the component, measurement member and seal to a second temperature below the melting point of the seal, and determining the CTE of the component based on the change in the span of the measurement member after cooling. A fuel cell component characterization technique includes measuring an electrical resistivity (ER), conductivity (EC), resistance or conductance of the component, measuring at least one additional property of the component which, together with ER, EC, resistance or conductance, correlates to the CTE of the component, and sorting the component based on the measurements.

Method of measurement and estimation of the coefficient of thermal expansion in components

System and methods for refurbishing fuel cell stack components, the methods including singulating the stack using a splitting apparatus or a liquid nitrogen bath. Fuel cell debris may be removed from interconnects of the fuel cell stack using laser heating, flame heating, a die, sonication, a nubbed roller, grit blasting, and/or a high pressure fluid.

Systems and methods for recycling fuel cell stack components

Methods for fabricating an interconnect for a fuel cell system that include forming a metal powder into a preform structure, positioning the preform structure in a die cavity of a press apparatus, and compressing the preform structure in the press apparatus to form the interconnect. Further embodiments include use of thin inserts in the die cavity to provide reduced permeability and/or including filler material in the die cavity.

Pre-formed powder delivery to powder press machine

Various embodiments of a reactant feed and return assembly, such as an anode splitter plate (ASP), are provided for facilitating reactant feed and exhaust flow in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack system. Embodiments include a reactant feed and return assembly including at least a first portion formed of a chromium-based alloy, such as a chromium-iron alloy, having a similar coefficient of thermal expansion as other SOFC components and may therefore reduce internal stress in an SOFC stack. Methods for making an a reactant feed and return assembly comprising a chromium-based alloy are also provided.

Anode splitter plate and methods for making the same

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Cheng-Yu Lin