Exxonmobil Technology and Engineering Company

Precision Combustion, Inc.

Christopher Howard

Frank Hershkowitz

Christian Junaedi

Lu Han

Brandon J O'Neill

Lawrence J Novacco

Saurabh Vilekar

Keith E Davis

Paul J Rubas

Eric Edward Allocco

Frank J Dobek

Brian Bullecks

Molten carbonate fuel cell configurations are provided that allow for introduction of an anode input gas flow on a side of the fuel cell that is adjacent to the entry side for the cathode input gas flow while allowing the anode and cathode to operate under co-current flow and/or counter-current flow conditions. It has been discovered that improved flow properties can be achieved within the anode or cathode during co-current flow or counter-current flow operation by diverting the input flow for the anode or cathode into an extended edge seal region (in an extended edge seal chamber) adjacent to the active area of the anode or cathode, and then using a baffle to provide sufficient pressure drop for even flow distribution of the anode input flow across the anode or cathode input flow across the cathode. A second baffle can be used to create a pressure drop as the anode output flow or cathode output flow exits from the active area into a second extended edge seal region (in a second extended edge seal chamber) prior to leaving the fuel cell.

Flow baffle for molten carbonate fuel cell

This invention pertains to methods for controlling thermal aspects during operation of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system, including controlling target cathode and anode inlet stream temperatures and differential temperatures defined by the anode and cathode inlet and outlet streams. In one aspect, thermal management is achieved by controlling a combustion stream temperature and by employing one heat exchanger having two cold side pathways. In another aspect, thermal management is achieved by controlling a temperature of a combustion stream distributed through a cathode feed heat exchanger and an anode feed heat exchanger, optionally with bypassing a portion of the cathode air stream around the cathode feed heat exchanger. In another aspect, thermal management is achieved by employing a cathode feed heat exchanger to heat a cathode air stream and by employing an equalizer heat exchanger to equilibrate temperatures of the resulting heated cathode air stream and an anode fuel stream.

Thermal management of a solid oxide fuel cell system

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Stratford, CT, United States of America

Christopher Howard