Rolls-royce Corporation

Lg Fuel Cell Systems Inc.

Gary Wright

Gerard D Agnew

Nigel T Hart

Christopher Burrows

Nieves Lapena-Rey

Mark Cassidy

John P Shoesmith

Mark Foulkes

Simon Donovan

David Tucker

Adrian Harding

Gerard Daniel Agnew

Nigel Thomas Hart

A fuel cell stack having a plurality of connected modules. Each module includes an elongate hollow member and at least one passage extending through the hollow member. Each hollow member has a first flat surface and a second flat surface arranged parallel to the first flat surface. A first module includes a plurality of fuel cells arranged on at least one of the first and second flat surfaces. A first end of each module has an integral spacer and the modules are connected by the spacer of a first module contacting a second end of a second module.

Fuel cell stack having a plurality of modules

A fuel cell stack having a plurality of connected modules. Each module includes an elongate hollow member and at least one passage extending through the hollow member. Each hollow member has a first flat surface and a second flat surface arranged parallel to the first flat surface. A first module includes a plurality of fuel cells arranged on at least one of the first and second flat surfaces. A first end of each module has an integral spacer.

A solid oxide fuel cell module () comprises a plurality of fuel cells (). Each fuel cell () comprises a first electrode (), an electrolyte () and a second electrode (). A plurality of interconnectors () are arranged to electrically connect the fuel cells () in electrical series. Each interconnector () electrically connects a first electrode () of one fuel cell () to a second electrode () of an adjacent fuel cell (). The first electrode () comprises a first layer (A) on the electrolyte (to optimize the electrochemical activity at the electrolyte () and a second layer (B) on the first layer (A) to provide electronic conduction perpendicular to the layers () of the fuel cell (). The second layer (B) is arranged such that electronic conduction perpendicular to the layers ()) of the fuel cell () is different at different positions in the second layer (B).

Fuel cell module

A fuel cell stack comprises a plurality of modules and each module comprises an elongate hollow member and one passage extending through the hollow member for the flow of a reactant. Each hollow member has a first flat surface and a second flat surface. At least one of the modules includes a plurality of fuel cells arranged on at least one of the first and second flat surfaces. Each module has a first and second integral feature to provide a spacer and a connection with its adjacent modules. The first integral feature comprises a third flat surface and the second integral feature comprises a fourth flat surface. The third flat surface is arranged at an intersecting angle to the first flat surface and the fourth flat surface is arranged at an intersecting angle to the second flat surface.

Solid oxide fuel cell stack

A solid oxide fuel cell () comprises an anode electrode (), a cathode electrode () and an electrolyte () between the anode electrode () and the cathode electrode (). A gaseous fuel is supplied to an anode chamber () partially defined by the anode electrode () and a gaseous oxidant is supplied to a cathode chamber () partially defined by the cathode electrode (). The electrolyte () comprises a first dense non-porous layer (), a second porous layer () on the first dense non-porous layer () and a third dense non-porous layer () on the second porous layer (). The anode electrode () is arranged on the first dense non-porous layer () and the cathode electrode () is arranged on the third dense non-porous layer (). The second porous layer () acts as a buffer between the first dense non-porous layer () and the third dense non-porous layer () to prevent defects propagating between the layers () and to prevent fuel and oxidant leaking through the electrolyte ().

Solid oxide fuel cell

A solid oxide fuel cell module comprises a hollow support member and a plurality of fuel cells spaced apart longitudinally on one surface of the hollow support member. A plurality of interconnectors electrically connect the fuel cells in electrical series. Each fuel cell comprises a first electrode, an electrolyte and a second electrode. The first electrode of each of the fuel cells are electrically connected to the second electrode of adjacent fuel cells by a plurality of interconnectors spaced apart laterally with respect to the hollow support member. A laterally extending end of the first electrode of the said adjacent fuel cell has a plurality of recesses spaced apart laterally with respect to the hollow support member. Each of the interconnectors is positioned in a respective one of the plurality of recesses in the laterally extending end of the first electrode of the said adjacent fuel cell.

A remote monitoring system including a sub-system, local to a nuclear power plant and a remote sub-system at an operations base. Process data is collected manually by a hand-held computer and automatically by instrumentation on the power plant. The data collected is stored on a storage device before being transmitted via a communication link to a remote computer. The remote computer runs data analysis and diagnostic simulations on the process data from the power plant to predict future events.

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Derby, United Kingdom

Gary Wright