Bloom Energy Corporation

United Technologies Corporation

Plug Power Inc.

Ion America Corporation

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen, Inc.

Other

James F McElroy

Arne Watson Ballantine

Matthias Gottmann

William F Smith

John Finn

K R Sridhar

Fred Mitlitsky

Swaminathan Venkataraman

Eric M Shane

Chockkalingam Karuppaiah

Ranganathan Gurunathan

Stephen Couse

Ramesh Srinivasan

M Douglas LeVan

Philip Dantowitz

Michael D Gasda

Rajaram Swaminathan

Darren Bawden Hickey

Andrei Leonida

Richard L Chartrand

Christopher W Callahan

David C Kirchhoff

Michael P Gordon

Alfred Meyer

Hugh A Carlson

Paul J Chludzinski

Jay W LaGrange

David Weingaertner

Russel Hugh Marvin

Emad El Batawi

Michael Gasda

Edward N Balko

Takafumi Okamoto

James Howard Kralick

Joseph E Genovese

Eric George Budesheim

Glenn A Eisman

Ram Ramanan

Ryan Hallum

Jeffrey R Boyer

Prathap Haridoss

Norman Peschke

Kurt Risic

Jakob Hilton

Chockkalingam Karrupaiah

John Fayer

Robert A Dross

A fuel cell comprising a series of cascaded cell stacks comprising at least one humidifier-degasser coupled to the cell stacks proximate a stack inlet; the at least one humidifier-degasser comprising at least one degasification section fluidly coupled upstream of at least one humidifier section; and at least one inert concentrator cell coupled downstream from the cell stacks proximate a stack vent.

Cascading stack electrochemical fuel cell

A fuel cell system includes grid independent operation with DC microgrid capability. This fuel cell system has a capability of operation with and without the grid, and with DC micro-grid capability.

Fuel cell system with grid independent operation and DC microgrid capability

A method of operating a fuel cell system includes providing a fuel inlet stream into a fuel cell stack, operating the fuel cell stack to generate electricity and a hydrogen containing fuel exhaust stream having a temperature above 200 C, lowering a temperature of the fuel exhaust stream to 200 C or less, separating the fuel exhaust stream into a first separated fuel exhaust stream and a second separated fuel exhaust stream, and recycling the first separated fuel exhaust stream into the fuel inlet stream.

Fuel cell system with partial recycling of anode exhaust

A fuel cell interconnect includes a first side containing a first plurality of channels and a second side containing a second plurality of channels. The first and second sides are disposed on opposite sides of the interconnect. The first plurality of channels are configured to provide a serpentine fuel flow field while the second plurality of channels are configured to provide an approximately straight air flow field.

Fuel cell interconnect

A method of operating a fuel cell system includes introducing a fuel mixture comprising hydrogen, fuel, and steam at a fuel inlet of the fuel cell system, and operating the fuel cell system to generate electricity. A ratio of hydrogen to carbon from fuel (H:C) in the fuel mixture is within a range of 0.25:1 to 3:1, inclusive; and a ratio of steam to carbon (S:C) in the fuel mixture is less than 2:1.

Operation of fuel cell systems with reduced carbon formation and anode leading edge damage

A fuel cell system includes a controller, a fuel cell stack, a fuel inlet conduit operatively connected to the fuel cell stack, the fuel inlet conduit adapted to receive fuel from a fuel supply, a recycling conduit operatively connecting the fuel cell stack to the fuel inlet conduit, the recycling conduit adapted to recycle a portion of a fuel exhaust stream from the fuel cell stack to the fuel inlet conduit, and an ammonia or hydrazine storage vessel operatively connected to the fuel inlet conduit via a valve coupled to the controller. The controller is configured to control the operation of the valve to provide ammonia or hydrazine from the ammonia or hydrazine storage vessel into the fuel inlet conduit upon detecting a change in the fuel from the fuel supply.

Ammonia or hydrazine injection into fuel cell systems

A system and method in which a high temperature fuel cell stack exhaust stream is recycled back into the fuel inlet stream of the high temperature fuel cell stack. The recycled stream may be sent to a carbon dioxide separation device which separates carbon dioxide from the fuel exhaust stream. The carbon dioxide separation device may be a carbon dioxide trap, an electrochemical carbon dioxide separator, or a membrane separator. A water separator may be used in conjunction with the carbon dioxide separation device or used separately to continuously remove water from the recycled stream.

SOFC system with selective CO2 removal

Systems and methods are provided for fuel cell stack heat treatment. An eductor may be used to recycle air into the air inlet stream or to recycle fuel into the fuel inlet stream. An eductor may also be used to exhaust air away from the furnace. The stack heat treatment may include stack sintering or conditioning. The conditioning may be conducted without using externally supplied hydrogen.

Solid oxide fuel cell stack heat treatment methods and apparatus

An electrochemical cell having a water/gas porous separator prepared from a polymeric material and one or more conductive cell components that pass through, or are located in close proximity to, the water/gas porous separator, is provided. The inventive cell provides a high level of in-cell electrical conductivity.

Electrochemical cell with improved water or gas management

Systems and methods are provided in which ammonia is used as a fuel source for solid oxide fuel cell systems. In the various aspects a high temperature fuel cell stack exhaust stream is recycled through one or more separation or conversion devices to create a purified recycled fuel exhaust stream that is recycled back into the fuel inlet stream of the high temperature fuel cell stack. In various aspects a nitrogen separator may remove nitrogen from the recycled fuel cell stack exhaust stream, a water separator may remove water from the recycled fuel cell stack exhaust stream, and/or an ammonia reactor and hydrogen separator may be used to condition the fuel inlet stream of the high temperature fuel cell stack. In a further aspect a molten carbonate fuel cell and/or Sabatier reactor may be used to condition the fuel inlet stream of the high temperature fuel cell stack.

Ammonia fueled SOFC system

A method for operating a fuel cell system during an interruption includes identifying a load interruption in which an external load is partially or fully unable to draw electrical power from the fuel cell system. At least a first fuel cell column of the fuel cell system is operated in an electrolysis mode such that the first fuel cell column generates fuel during the load interruption. Power is provided to the first fuel cell column in the electrolysis mode from at least a second fuel cell column of the fuel cell system. The second fuel cell column is operating in a normal power generation operating mode.

Fuel cell system with interruption control

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) includes a cathode electrode, a solid oxide electrolyte, and an anode electrode having a first portion and a second portion, such that the first portion is located between the electrolyte and the second portion. The anode electrode comprises a cermet comprising a nickel containing phase and a ceramic phase. The first portion of the anode electrode contains a lower porosity and a lower ratio of the nickel containing phase to the ceramic phase than the second portion of the anode electrode.

Anode with remarkable stability under conditions of extreme fuel starvation

Growing community of inventors

Suffield, CT, United States of America

James F McElroy