Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation

Larry A Shockling

Raymond A George

Luciano Veronesi

Robert Draper

James E Gillett

Jeffrey T Dederer

Donald G Sherwood

Prabhakar Singh

Philip Reichner

Stephen E Veyo

Richard A Basel

John T Gordon

Delmer Q Hoover

Trevor A Francis

An apparatus and method are disclosed for eliminating the chemical energy of fuel remaining in a fuel cell generator when the electrical power output of the fuel cell generator is terminated. During a generator shut down condition, electrically resistive elements are automatically connected across the fuel cell generator terminals in order to draw current, thereby depleting the fuel inventory in the generator. The invention provides a safety function in eliminating the fuel energy, and also provides protection to the fuel cell stack by eliminating overheating.

Fuel cell generator energy dissipator

A hydrocarbon reforming catalyst material comprising a catalyst support impregnated with catalyst is provided for reforming hydrocarbon fuel gases in an electrochemical generator. Elongated electrochemical cells convert the fuel to electrical power in the presence of an oxidant, after which the spent fuel is recirculated and combined with a fresh hydrocarbon feed fuel forming the reformable gas mixture which is fed to a reforming chamber containing a reforming catalyst material, where the reforming catalyst material includes discrete passageways integrally formed along the length of the catalyst support in the direction of reformable gas flow. The spent fuel and/or combusted exhaust gases discharged from the generator chamber transfer heat to the catalyst support, which in turn transfers heat to the reformable gas and to the catalyst, preferably via a number of discrete passageways disposed adjacent one another in the reforming catalyst support. The passageways can be slots extending inwardly from an outer surface of the support body, which slots are partly defined by an exterior confining wall. According to a preferred embodiment, the catalyst support is non-rigid, porous, fibrous alumina, wherein the fibers are substantially unsintered and compressible, and the reforming catalyst support is impregnated, at least in the discrete passageways with Ni and MgO, and has a number of internal slot passageways for reformable gas, the slot passageways being partly closed by a containing outer wall.

Hydrocarbon reforming catalyst material and configuration of the same

A solid oxide fuel cell generator has a pair of spaced apart tubesheets in a housing. At least two intermediate barrier walls are between the tubesheets and define a generator chamber between two intermediate buffer chambers. An array of fuel cells have tubes with open ends engaging the tubesheets. Tubular, axially elongated electrochemical cells are supported on the tubes in the generator chamber. Fuel gas and oxidant gas are preheated in the intermediate chambers by the gases flowing on the other side of the tubes. Gas leakage around the tubes through the tubesheets is permitted. The buffer chambers reentrain the leaked fuel gas for reintroduction to the generator chamber.

Solid oxide fuel cell generator

An electrochemical apparatus (10) is made having a generator section (22) containing electrochemical cells (16), a fresh gaseous feed fuel inlet (28), a gaseous feed oxidant inlet (30), gaseous spent fuel recirculation channels (46), and hot combusted exhaust gas exit channels (45), where the spent fuel recirculation channel (46) passes from the generator chamber (22) to combine with the fresh feed fuel inlet (28) at a circulation and mixing apparatus (50), where a reformable fuel mixture channel (51) passes between the mixing apparatus and reforming chamber (54) containing a reformable material, where a portion of the hot combusted exhaust gas exit channel (45) surrounds the reforming chamber (54), and where the fresh feed fuel inlet has a by-pass channel (62) into the gaseous spent fuel recirculation channel (46), said by-pass channel having valving to control fresh fuel feed flow to the gaseous spent fuel recirculation channel.

Electrochemical cell apparatus having combusted exhaust gas heat

An electrochemical apparatus (10) is made having a generator section (22) containing electrochemical cells (16), a fresh gaseous feed fuel inlet (28), a gaseous feed oxidant inlet (30), and at least one hot gaseous spent fuel recirculation channel (46), where the spent fuel recirculation channel (46), passes from the generator chamber (22) to combine with the fresh feed fuel inlet (28) to form a reformable mixture, where a reforming chamber (54) contains an outer portion containing reforming material (56), an inner portion preferably containing a mixer nozzle (50) and a mixer-diffuser (52), and a middle portion (64) for receiving spent fuel, where the mixer nozzle (50) and mixer-diffuser (52) are preferably both within the reforming chamber (54) and substantially exterior to the main portion of the apparatus, where the reformable mixture flows up and then backward before contacting the reforming material (56), and the mixer nozzle (50) can operate below 400.degree. C.

Electrochemical cell apparatus having an integrated reformer-mixer

A control rod support for mounting within a rod guide of a pressure vessel has plural, parallel axial extending passageway openings therein for receiving corresponding control rods of a control rod cluster. A channel extends from the passageway opening and through the support for accommodating each vane of a spider which supports the control rods and provides for telescoping movement of the control rod cluster relative to the rod guide and associated guide rod supports. Spaced interior side walls of the support defining the channel form junctures with the interior side wall defining the passageway opening; and planar wear surfaces extend from the respective junctures of the channel-defining interior side walls a sufficient lateral distance to provide planar-to-convex wear surface interfaces with the corresponding, contiguous surface segments of a generally cylindrical control rod which is received through the passageway opening and urged against the junctures.

Control rod support having planar wear surfaces

A spider assembly for supporting a corresponding rod cluster in a pressurized water reactor vessel, through which the core outlet flow passes in a predetermined direction. Each spider assembly comprises a generally cylindrical, central hub disposed in parallel axial relationship to the predetermined direction of the core outlet flow and a plurality of vane assemblies. Each vane assembly comprises means for mounting at least one rod to the assembly and at least one vane element connecting the rod mounting means to the hub. Each vane element has generally parallel, major planar surfaces disposed parallel to the predetermined direction of flow and a square trailing edge configuration which mitigates the shedding forcing function on the spider resulting from the core outlet flow thereover, while maximizing material content and thereby the strength thereof. Further, each vane element defines a plane of symmetry intermediate the major planar surfaces thereof and a leading edge cross-sectional configuration which is non-symmetrical relative to the associated plane of symmetry and preferably which is substantially uniform and defines a flow stagnation line which is off-set from the plane of symmetry. Corresponding vane elements, extending in generally diametrically opposite directions from the hub and having aligned planes of symmetry, have flow stagnation lines which are offset in a common direction from the aligned, respective planes of symmetry; alternatively, adjacent pairs of equiangularly displaced vane elements may have oppositely directed such offsets, commonly for all such pairs.

Rod cluster having improved vane configuration

A pressurized water reactor of an advanced design comprises, in vertically spaced relationship, a lower barrel assembly having lower and upper core plates, an inner barrel assembly and an axially removable calandria assembly having a lower calandria plate. A plurality of rod guides are cantilever-mounted in parallel axial relationship within the inner barrel assembly by rigidly mounting the lower ends thereof to the upper core plate. Axially extending sleeves affixed to the upper ends of the rod guides and telescopingly receive therein generally cylindrical supports which are affixed to and depend downwardly from the lower calandria plate and define alignment axes for the respectively associated rod guides. Axially extending leaf springs in each sleeve are normally biased radially inwardly and, in the assembled relationship of the calandria and inner barrel assemblies, resiliently and frictionally engage the respective cylindrical supports to maintain alignment and react both lateral and axial loads. Load pick-up surfaces of non-yielding sleeve portions react excessive loads directly into the lower calandria plate. Mating top end supports for RCC and WDRC rod guides permit dense packing of same, while internal openings of the top end supports permit telescoping movement of the corresponding rod clusters therethrough to permit ease of assembly and disassembly operations.

Frictionally loaded top end supports for cantilever-mounted rod guides

Slender water displacer rods for use in water reactors are provided with rings of a wear resistant coating spaced along the length of the rod. Each coating contains Cr.sub.2 C.sub.3 and is metallurgically applied and bonded to the zirconium base alloy forming the outer portion of the rod by electrospark-deposition (ESD) technique.

Growing community of inventors

Plum Borough, PA, United States of America

Larry A Shockling