Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Siemens Energy, Inc.

Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation

Siemens Power Generation, Inc.

Robert Draper

Paolo R Zafred

Stephen E Veyo

Donald G Lorentz

James E Gillett

Raymond A George

Robert W Wolfe

Richard A Basel

Robert S Lackey

Michael P Jaszcar

George J Silvestri, Jr

Roswell J Ruka

Richard E Kothmann

Homer G Hargrove

Gregory E Zymboly

Edward H Smith

Francis R Spurrier

Ronald F Antol

Larry A Shockling

William E Young

Kevin P Litzinger

Thomas J Fagan, Jr

Wayne C Sumpman

Allen J Baum

James A Dilmore

George C Economy

Louis K Lau

Matthew W Riggle

Joseph R Humphrey

Vinod B Doshi

Robert S Williams

Gong Zhang

Thomas Prevish

Charles R Osborne

James M Toms

Arun K S Iyengar

Niranjan Desai

Angela Bronson

Robert J Baker

Robert L Cather

Randall A Holmes

Gianfranco DiGiuseppe

Arun Iyengar

A Michael Di Croce

A solid oxide fuel cell generator is provided for electrochemically reacting a fuel gas with a flowing oxidant gas at an elevated temperature to produce power. The generator includes a generator section receiving a fuel gas and a plurality of elongated fuel cells extending through the generator section and having opposing open fuel cell ends for directing an oxidant gas between opposing plena in the generator. A sealant defines a seal on the fuel cells adjacent at least one of the fuel cell ends. The sealant is a modified lanthanum borate aluminosilicate glass composition having a minimal amount of boron oxide and silica, and in which the sealant maintains substantially constant physical characteristics throughout multiple thermal cycles.

Solid oxide fuel cell generator including a glass sealant

A solid oxide fuel cell () is made having a tubular, elongated, hollow, active section () which has a cross-section containing an air electrode () a fuel electrode () and solid oxide electrolyte () between them, where the fuel cell transitions into at least one inactive section () with a flattened parallel sided cross-section () each cross-section having channels () in them which smoothly communicate with each other at an interface section ().

Solid oxide fuel cell with transitioned cross-section for improved anode gas management at the open end

A fuel cell generator including a housing defining a plurality of chambers including a generator chamber having first and second generator sections. A plurality of elongated fuel cells extend through the first and second generator sections. An oxidant supply supplies oxidant to at least one of the chambers within the housing in order to provide oxidant to one end of each of the fuel cells. A fuel distribution plenum extends transversely to the elongated fuel cells and is located between the first and second generator sections. The fuel distribution plenum distributes fuel to the first and second generator sections in opposing directions within the generator chamber.

Solid oxide fuel cell generator with mid-stack fuel feed

A solid oxide fuel cell generator () is made which contains bundles () of solid oxide fuel cells (), a bus bar unit () in adjacent contact with the fuel cell bundles, where the bus bar unit () can pass electrical current, the bus bar unit () containing flat inner plate sections () adjacent the fuel cell bundles, outer solid nickel bar () and with solid, U-shaped nickel strap take-off connections () between the plates and bar; and a power lead () electrically connected to the outer solid nickel bar, where the flat inner plate sections () and solid U-shaped nickel strap take-off connections () pass electrical current generated in the fuel cell bundles through the bus bar units ().

Current bus and power lead assemblies for solid oxide fuel cell generators

A high temperature fuel cell generator () having a housing () containing a top air feed plenum (), a bottom fuel inlet (), a fuel reaction generator chamber () containing fuel cells () and a reacted fuel-reacted air combustion chamber () above the fuel reaction generator chamber (), where inlet air () can be heated internally within the housing in at least one interior heat transfer zone/block () located between the reacted fuel-reacted air combustion chamber () and the air feed plenum ().

Integral air preheater and start-up heating means for solid oxide fuel cell power generators

A solid oxide fuel assembly is made, wherein rows () of fuel cells (), each having an outer interconnection () and an outer electrode (), are disposed next to each other with corrugated, electrically conducting expanded metal mesh member () between each row of cells, the corrugated mesh () having top crown portions and bottom portions, where the top crown portion () have a top bonded open cell nickel foam () which contacts outer interconnections () of the fuel cells, said mesh and nickel foam electrically connecting each row of fuel cells, and where there are no more metal felt connections between any fuel cells.

Combination nickel foam expanded nickel screen electrical connection supports for solid oxide fuel cells

A solid oxide fuel cell generator ( ) contains stacks ( ) of hollow, tubular axially elongated fuel cells ( ) which can operate to generate electricity; a single oxidant inlet plenum ( ) including a bottom enclosing member, having hole therethrough which acts as an oxidant feed tube positioning board ( ); a fuel inlet plenum ( ); an oxidant/fuel exhaust chamber ( ); power leads ( ) electrically connected to the fuel cells transverse to the axis ( &prime;) of the fuel calls; and a plurality of oxidant feed tubes ( ); all surrounded by insulation ( ); where there are at least two fuel cell stacks arranged in a row next to each other, the oxidant feed tube positioning board at the bottom of the oxidant inlet plenum is a laminate of layers of porous alumino-silicate ceramic fibers bonded with a ceramic alumina binder and dense woven ceramic ( ) impregnated with ceramic adhesive ( ), and wherein the insulation constitutes, primarily, bulk ceramic fibers.

Low-cost atmospheric SOFC power generation system

A fuel cell generator contains a plurality of fuel cells ( ) in a generator chamber ( ) and also contains a depleted fuel reactor or a fuel depletion chamber ( ) where oxidant ( ) and fuel ( ) is fed to the generator chamber ( ) and the depleted fuel reactor chamber ( ), where both fuel and oxidant react, and where all oxidant and fuel passages are separate and do not communicate with each other, so that fuel and oxidant in whatever form do not mix and where a depleted fuel exit ( ) is provided for exiting a product gas ( ) which consists essentially of carbon dioxide and water for further treatment so that carbon dioxide can be separated and is not vented to the atmosphere.

Segregated exhaust SOFC generator with high fuel utilization capability

A fuel cell generator contains a plurality of fuel cells ( ) in a generator chamber ( ), where oxidant ( ) and fuel ( ) are fed to the generator chamber ( ), where both fuel and oxidant react to form depleted fuel and depleted oxidant, which are separated by steam ( ) at a pressure higher than that of both the depleted oxidant stream and the depleted fuel stream, and where all oxidant and fuel passages do not communicate with each other, so that fuel and oxidant (in whatever form) do not mix, and where depleted fuel ( ), consisting essentially of carbon dioxide and water, exits for further treatment, so that the remaining carbon dioxide can be separated from the remaining water and is not vented to the atmosphere.

Segregated exhaust fuel cell generator

A solid oxide fuel assembly is made, wherein rows ( ) of fuel cells ( ), each having an outer interconnection ( ) and an outer electrode ( ), are disposed next to each other with corrugated, electrically conducting expanded metal mesh ( ) between each row of cells, the corrugated mesh ( ) having top crown portions ( ) and bottom shoulder portions ( ), where the top crown portion ( ) contacts outer interconnections ( ) of the fuel cells ( ) in a first row ( ), and the bottom shoulder portions ( ) contacts outer electrodes ( ) of the fuel cells in a second row ( ), said mesh electrically connecting each row of fuel cells, and where there are no metal felt connections between any fuel cells.

Expanded nickel screen electrical connection supports for solid oxide fuel cells

A fuel cell array (10) is made, containing number of tubular, elongated fuel cells (12) which are placed next to each other in rows (A, B, C, D), where each cell contains inner electrodes (14) and outer electrodes (18 and 18'), with solid electrolyte (16 and 16') between the electrodes, where the electrolyte and outer electrode are discontinuous, having two portions, and providing at least two opposed discontinuities which contain at least two oppositely opposed interconnections (20 and 20') contacting the inner electrode (14), each cell (12) having only three metallic felt electrical connectors (22) which contact surrounding cells, where each row is electrically connected to the other.

Double interconnection fuel cell array

A solid oxide fuel cell generator has a plenum containing at least two rows of spaced apart, annular, axially elongated fuel cells. An electrical conductor extending between adjacent rows of fuel cells connects the fuel cells of one row in parallel with each other and in series with the fuel cells of the adjacent row.

Solid oxide fuel cell generator

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.

Disclosed is an apparatus which comprises a first enclosure for containing a first fluid, a second enclosure for containing a second fluid, a pathway between the first and second enclosures through which the first fluid can leak from the first enclosure into the second enclosure, and means for admitting into said pathway a third fluid under greater pressure than either the first fluid or the second fluid, whereby the third fluid leaks into the first and second enclosures and prevents the first and second fluids from intermixing. In particular, the apparatus is a solid oxide water electrolyzer having a multiplicity of electrically interconnected vertical tubes sealed at one end where each tube comprises a solid oxide oxygen ion conducting electrolyte sandwiched between an oxygen permeable anode on the inside of the tube and an oxygen permeable cathode on the outside of the tube, a first plenum leakably sealed to the outside of the tubes into which steam can be admitted, a second plenum leakably sealed to the outside of the tubes in gaseous communication with the inside of the tubes from which oxygen can be taken, and a third plenum inbetween the first plenum and the second plenum into which pressurized steam can be admitted.

Preventing fluids in leakable enclosures from intermixing

A continuous metal caster cooling system is provided in which water is supplied in jets from a large number of small nozzles 19 against the inner surface of rim 13 at a temperature and with sufficient pressure that the velocity of the jets is sufficiently high that the mode of heat transfer is substantially by forced convection, the liquid being returned from the cooling chambers 30 through return pipes 25 distributed interstitially among the nozzles.

Cooling system for continuous metal casting machines

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Robert Draper