Alberta Research Council Incorporated

Alberta Innovates-technology Futures

Gary Kovacik

Hongsang Rho

Luis Yamarte

Partho Sarkar

Rong Zheng

Mark L Richardson

Partha Sarkar

This invention relates to a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack and a heat exchanger wrapped around the stack. The fuel cell stack comprises a fuel cell that operates at high elevated temperatures, such as a solid oxide fuel cell; the fuel cell can have a tubular configuration and comprise a pair of concentrically arranged electrode layers sandwiching a concentrically arranged electrolyte layer. The heat exchanger wraps around the fuel cell stack and comprises a flexible, thermally conductive first layer and an overlapping flexible, thermally conductive second layer spaced from the first layer. The first and second layers define adjacent annular oxidant supply and oxidant exhaust channels when wrapped around the stack. The exhaust channel is communicative with heated exhaust oxidant flowing from the stack, and the oxidant supply channel is communicative with supply oxidant that flows to the stack and is heated by heated exhaust oxidant in the adjacent oxidant exhaust channel and from heat radiating from the stack.

Heat exchanger for fuel cell stack

This invention relates to a solid oxide fuel cell system comprising at least one longitudinally extending tubular solid oxide fuel cell and a longitudinally extending heater mounted in thermal proximity to the fuel cell to provide heat to the fuel cell during start up and during operation as needed. The heater and fuel cell can be encased within a tubular thermal casing; the inside of the casing defines a first reactant chamber for containing a first reactant, such as oxidant. The fuel cell comprises a ceramic solid state electrolyte layer and inner and outer electrode layers concentrically arranged around and sandwiching the electrolyte layer. The outer electrode layer is fluidly communicable with the first reactant, and the inner electrode layer is fluidly isolated from the first reactant and fluidly communicable with a second reactant, such as fuel.

Heating solid oxide for fuel cell stack

This invention relates to controlling a load-following solid oxide fuel cell system such that the fuel cells in the system are operating within an acceptable electrochemical reaction efficiency. The system has a controller that is programmed to detect a load change on a fuel cell stack, and when the load decreases, reduces the fuel flow rate to the stack or deactivates one or more fuel cells in the stack such that the stack operates within an acceptable electrochemical reaction efficiency range corresponding to the decreased load; and when the load increases, the controller increases the fuel flow rate to the stack or activates fuel cells in the stack such that the stack operates within the acceptable electrochemical reaction efficiency range.

Controlling solid oxide fuel cell operation

Growing community of inventors

Edmonton, Canada

Gary Kovacik