Modine Manufacturing Company

Liping Cao

Mark G Voss

Gregory G Hughes

Jeroen Valensa

Alan Paul Meissner

Nicholas Siler

Joseph R Stevenson

Gregory A Mross

The invention provides a solid oxide fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack having an anode side and a cathode side, an anode tailgas oxidizer for oxidizing an anode exhaust flow from the anode side to produce an oxidized anode exhaust flow, and a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a first inlet for receiving a cathode exhaust flow from the cathode side of the fuel cell stack, a second inlet for receiving the oxidized anode exhaust flow, and a mixing region for combining the cathode exhaust flow and the oxidized anode exhaust flow to produce a combined exhaust flow. An air flow path for supplying air to the fuel cell stack to support an energy-producing reaction in the fuel cell stack extends through the heat exchanger so that heat is transferred from the combined exhaust flow to the air traveling along the air flow path.

Compact air preheater for solid oxide fuel cell systems

The present invention provides, among other things, a method of operating a solid oxide fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack. The method can include the acts of combining an exhaust flow from an anode side of the fuel cell stack and an exhaust flow from a cathode side of the fuel cell stack, transferring heat from the combined exhaust flow to a first air flow, and combining a second air flow and the heated first air flow upstream from the fuel cell stack to control a temperature of the combined air flow entering the cathode side of the solid oxide fuel cell.

An integrated heat exchanger and muffler unit () is provided for transferring heat between a first fluid and a second fluid, and for muffling the noise of the first fluid. The unit includes a housing () including a first inlet () for the first fluid, a first outlet () for the first fluid, a second inlet () for the second fluid, and a second outlet () for the second fluid. The unit () further includes a resonator () in the housing () and connected between the first inlet and outlet () to muffle noise in the first fluid, and a heat exchanger core () in the housing () connected to the first and second inlets and outlets to transfer heat between the first and second fluids. In one embodiment, the heat exchanger core surrounds the resonator. In another embodiment, the resonator surrounds the heat exchanger core.

Integrated heat exchanger and muffler unit

A condenser () and method for separating a fluid flow is provided. The condenser () maybe used for separating a cathode exhaust flow () into a condensed liquid () and a non-condensed gas (). The condenser () includes a vertical inlet (), a vertical outlet (), a gas flow path (), a liquid flow path (), a non-condensed gas outlet () and a condensed liquid outlet ().

Condenser/separator and method

Energy consumption is minimized in the fuel cell system including a fuel cellhaving a fuel inlet, an oxidant inlet, a cathode gas outletand an anode tail gas outlet. At least one humidifier, is interposed between a source of air or fuel and includes an interior energy containing medium flow pathin heat exchange relation with a reactant flow pathtogether with a sourceof water connected to the reactant flow pathto be vaporized therein. The energy containing medium flow pathis connected to one of the outletsto receive a heated fluid therefrom to provide the heat of vaporization to the aqueous material.

Humidification of reactant streams in fuel cells

Degradation of membranes in fuel cellsdue to dehydration by relatively dry incoming reactant gases is avoided through the use of a humidifierin the incoming reactant streams,At least one of the humidifiersis formed in a stackhaving alternating flow passageswith the former receiving reactant gases and including finstherein and the latter receiving hot coolant from the fuel cellThe finsin the flow spacesare provided with a hydrophilic coating to foster filmwise evaporation of water introduced through a nozzleThe humidifier causes the reactant gas to attain a desired dewpoint before it is provided to the membranes of the fuel cell

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Racine, WI, United States of America

Liping Cao