Modine Manufacturing Company

Nicholas Siler

Mark G Voss

Jeroen Valensa

Michael J Reinke

Todd M Bandhauer

Dennis C Granetzke

Michael McGregor

Liping Cao

Alan Paul Meissner

Mark W Johnson

Gregory A Mross

Brian Merklein

Bradley C Engel

George A Baker

Joseph R Stevenson

Mark Johnson

A side plate for use in a heat exchanger having a width dimension and a first and a second row of parallel arranged tubes extending in the direction of the width dimension. A first and a second header are arranged at one common end of the width dimension to receive the ends of the tubes in the first and second rows, respectively. The side plate includes a first body section joined to and extending from the first header, the first body section defining a first outer periphery. The side plate includes a second body section joined to and extending from the second header, the second body section defining a second outer periphery. The second outer periphery is spaced apart from the first outer periphery such that each one of the first and second body sections is allowed to more relative to the other in the direction of the width dimension.

Heat exchanger and side plate

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 steam reformer/combustor assembly () is provided for use in a fuel processor () that supplies a steam/fuel feed mix () to be reformed in the assembly and a combustor feed () to be combusted in the assembly (). The assembly () includes a housing () defining first and second axially extending, concentric annular passages in heat transfer relation to each other; a first convoluted fin () located in the first passage to direct the feed mix therethrough, the first convoluted fin coated with a catalyst that induces a desired reaction in the feed mix; and a second convoluted fin () located in the second passage to direct the combustor feed therethrough, the second convoluted fin coated with a catalyst that induces a desired reaction in the combustor feed.

Highly integrated fuel processor for distributed hydrogen production

A combustor preheater () is provided for use in a fuel processor () to preheat a combustor feed () by transferring heat from a post water-gas shift reformate flow () to the combustor feed (). The combustor preheater () includes a housing () defining first and second axially extending, concentric annular passages in heat transfer relation to each other; a first convoluted fin () located in the first passage to direct the post water-gas shift reformate flow () therethrough and a second convoluted fin () located in the second passage to direct the combustor feed therethrough.

A recuperative heat exchanger () is provided for use in a fuel processor (), the heat exchanger () transferring heat from a fluid flow () at one stage of a fuel processing operation to the fluid flow () at another stage of the fuel processing operation. The heat exchanger () includes a housing () defining first and second axially extending, concentric annular passages in heat transfer relation to each other; a first convoluted fin () located in the first passage to direct the fluid flow therethrough; and a second convoluted fin () located in the second passage to direct the fluid flow therethrough.

A fuel processing system is provided wherein heat is transferred from a reformate flow () downstream from a water-gas shift () to both a) a combustor feed flow () that is supplied to a combustor (); and b) a water flow () that is supplied to a reformer feed mix () for a steam reformer ().

An integrated condenser/separator ( ) is provided for condensing and separating a condensate ( ) from a cathode exhaust gas flow ( ) in a fuel cell system ( ). The condenser/separator includes a housing ( ) and one or more baffle plates ( ) positioned in the housing ( ) to divide the interior of the housing ( ) into two or more gas flow chambers ( ) each containing a stack ( ) of heat exchange units ( ). A condensate drain ( ) is provided in each of the gas flow chambers ( ) to drain condensate therefrom. The condenser/separator ( ) can be configured into any reasonable and independent number of coolant and gas side passes as maybe required to meet the thermodynamic and pressure drop requirements of each particular application.

Integrated condenser/separator for fuel cell exhaust gases

Thermally induced stress tending to cause breakage or leakage at tube to header joints in a heat exchanger is eliminated by placing lines of weakening in the side plates conventionally employed in such heat exchanger prior to subjecting the heat exchanger to brazing.

Growing community of inventors

Franksville, WI, United States of America

Nicholas Siler