Ballard Power Systems Corporation

Audi Ag

R&d Dynamics Corporation

Kirtikumar H Patel

Kazuo Saito

Tommy Skiba

Giridhari L Agrawal

John Munson

An exemplary fuel cell system includes a cell stack assembly having a plurality of cathode components and a plurality of anode components. A first reactant blower has an outlet situated to provide a first reactant to the cathode components. A second reactant blower has an outlet situated to provide a second reactant to the anode components. The second reactant blower includes a fan portion that moves the second reactant through the outlet. The second reactant blower also includes a motor portion that drives the fan portion and a bearing portion associated with the fan portion and the motor portion. The motor portion has a motor coolant inlet coupled with the outlet of the first reactant blower to receive some of the first reactant for cooling the motor portion.

Fuel cell system blower configuration

An anode exhaust recycle turbocharger () has a turbocharger turbine () secured in fluid communication with a compressed oxidant stream within an oxidant inlet line () downstream from a compressed oxidant supply (), and the anode exhaust recycle turbocharger () also includes a turbocharger compressor () mechanically linked to the turbocharger turbine () and secured in fluid communication with a flow of anode exhaust passing through an anode exhaust recycle loop () of the solid oxide fuel cell power plant (). All or a portion of compressed oxidant within an oxidant inlet line () drives the turbocharger turbine () to thereby compress the anode exhaust stream in the recycle loop (). A high-temperature, automotive-type turbocharger () replaces a recycle loop blower-compressor ().

Solid oxide fuel cell power plant with an anode recycle loop turbocharger

A foil thrust bearing forms the primary rotating interface for a film riding face seal. This face seal includes a spring system that will allow the entire assembly to translate axially relative to a static attachment. The complete assembly will form a hybrid foil/film riding face seal that shows much promise at being sufficiently flexible to enable operation in a gas turbine engine. The seal includes a flexible top plate having a non-flat surface under its working conditions, and a spring support system to allow the top plate to accommodate axial excursions and out-of-flat distortions.

Growing community of inventors

Berlin, CT, United States of America

Kirtikumar H Patel