Ceres Intellectual Property Company Limited

Tomasz Domanski

Paul Barnard

Alan Hadleigh Robertson

Andrew Ballard

Lee Rees

Martin Schmidt

Eren Erturk

Jon Harman

Stephen Phillip

Mark Selby

Matthew Harrington

Euan Freeman

Oliver John Postlethwaite

Simone Stefano Dozio

Alan Robertson

Adam Brunton

Diana Duarte

Jonathan Tunbridge

Jonathan Harman

Ameir Alexander Mahgoub

Christopher James Nobbs

Chris Nobbs

Colin Bennett

The present invention relates to an improved metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit, fuel cell stacks, fuel cell stack assemblies, and methods of manufacture.

Solid oxide fuel cell unit

A stack of rectangular, planar electrochemical cell units (), each cell unit () comprising at least one first fluid mid-port () that is disposed midway along its length within or between one or more active cell chemistry regions () and is in fluid communication with a first fluid volume of the cell unit (). The first fluid mid-ports () of the respective cell units () align to form at least one first fluid mid-passageway extending in the stack direction. The stack is configured such that, in each first fluid volume, first fluid flow paths () extend across the one or more active cell chemistry regions () between the at least one first fluid mid-port () and each respective opposed cell end.

Cell unit and cell stack

The present invention is concerned with an improved fuel cell stack assembly comprising a metal base plate on which is mounted at least one fuel cell stack and a metal end plate, each stack comprising at least one fuel cell stack layer that comprises at least one fuel cell and at least one electrically insulating compression gasket, wherein a skirt is attached to the base and end plates enclosing the stack and is under tension therebetween so as to maintain a compressive force through the stack, thereby obviating the need for tie-bars.

Fuel cell stack assembly

The present invention is concerned with an improved fuel cell stack assembly () comprising a metal base plate () on which is mounted at least one fuel cell stack () and a metal end plate (), each stack comprising at least one fuel cell stack layer () that comprises at least one fuel cell () and at least one electrically insulating compression gasket (), wherein a skirt () is attached to the base and end plates enclosing the stack and is under tension therebetween so as to maintain a compressive force through the stack, thereby obviating the need for tie-bars.

An alignment dowel comprises a body extending along a longitudinal axis, the body comprising a plurality of resilient vanes that extend generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and an actuator portion. The stack has openings of a predetermined diameter. The vanes are arranged around the longitudinal axis so as to extend along the axis and project radially outwards to define an outer diameter of the body. The actuator portion is operable to move the vanes between a collapsed configuration in which the outer diameter is smaller than the predetermined diameter, and an expanded configuration in which the outer diameter of the body is greater than in the collapsed configuration. A stack assembly jig, comprises a tool base on which a stack of components can be positioned. The tool base has guide holes that are no smaller than the predetermined diameter and are positioned to correspond to the position of the openings in the stack. A base plate carries an array of alignment dowels arranged to correspond to the positions of the guide holes. The base plate is moveable relative to the tool base such that the alignment dowels can project through the guide holes and into the component openings. The actuators are operable to align the components in the stack. A method for aligning components of a cell stack using an alignment dowel, comprises arranging cells adjacent one another in a stack, wherein the cells have internal alignment features, wherein each alignment feature includes an engaging surface with which the alignment dowel is configured to engage and disengage when located within said alignment feature; and locating the alignment dowel in the alignment features in the collapsed configuration and operating the actuator to move the alignment dowel to the expanded configuration to align the cells.

Alignment apparatus and methods of alignment

A fuel cell stack assembly apparatus comprising a base and a stack alignment feature extending generally perpendicular to said base for aligning ferritic fuel cell units stacked against it into a fuel cell stack assembly, wherein each fuel cell unit comprises a respective first alignment feature complimentary in shape to said stack alignment feature. Other features include a magnetic abutment extending generally perpendicular to said base for attracting the plurality of fuel cell units towards the stack alignment feature, and an alignment slider slidable generally perpendicular to said base for aligning ferritic fuel cell units stacked against the stack alignment feature. A method of using the assembly apparatus comprises stacking fuel cell units upon each other on the base with their respective first alignment features against the stack alignment feature, and attracted towards the same by virtue of the magnetic force of the at magnetic abutment.

Fuel cell stack assembly apparatus and method

Metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit and its method of manufacture

Growing community of inventors

West Sussex, United Kingdom

Tomasz Domanski