Bloom Energy Corporation

Tulin Akin

Stephen Couse

Matthias Gottmann

Tad Armstrong

James Wilson

Manoj Pillai

Chung-Dee Pong

James Chang

Arne Watson Ballantine

Harald Herchen

Drew Paran

Ali Delkaninia

Kendall Lui

A method of refurbishing a singulated fuel cell stack interconnect includes scanning a first pulsed laser beam on an air side of the interconnect to vaporize seal and corrosion barrier layer residue without vaporizing a metal oxide layer located on the air side of the interconnect below the corrosion barrier layer residue, and scanning a second pulsed laser beam which is different from the first pulsed laser beam on the exposed metal oxide layer on the air side of the interconnect to reflow the metal oxide layer without removing the metal oxide layer.

Systems and methods for refurbishing fuel cell stack components

A fuel cell assembly includes a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cells, an incoming oxidizing gas flow path configured to deliver an oxidizing gas to the plurality of fuel cells, and a chromium-getter material located in the incoming oxidizing flow path. A fuel cell includes an electrolyte, a cathode electrode on a first side of the electrolyte, an anode electrode on a second side of the electrolyte, and a chromium-getter material on the cathode electrode.

Systems and methods for suppressing chromium poisoning in fuel cells

Various embodiments provide systems and methods for detecting defects in components of a fuel cell. Embodiment methods and systems for detecting a defect in an interconnect for a fuel cell system include thermally exciting the interconnect using optical radiation and/or inductive stimulation, detecting a thermal response of the interconnect, and based on the thermal response, determining the presence or absence of a defect in the interconnect, such as a lateral or through crack in the interconnect.

Flaw detection method and apparatus for fuel cell components

Systems and methods for fuel cell stack part serialization and tracking. In an embodiment, a barcode may be applied to a fuel cell stack part which may identify the fuel cell stack part. In an embodiment, the barcode may be applied as ink on a green fuel cell stack part prior to sintering. In an embodiment, a portion of a fuel cell stack part may be imaged and pattern recognition techniques may be utilized to identify the fuel cell stack part based on the unique features of fuel cell stack part. In an embodiment, portion of a fuel cell stack part may be measured to generate one or more series of unique volume/area values and one or more series of unique volume/area values may be utilized to identify the fuel cell stack part.

Serialization of fuel cell components

Methods and systems for measuring a property of a component of a fuel cell system include performing a three-dimensional optical scan of at least a portion of a surface of the component to produce a three-dimensional representation of the topography of the at least a portion of the surface and measuring at least one property of the component based on the three-dimensional representation. Further embodiments include systems and methods for measuring dimensions of a fuel cell component using a line scan imaging device and/or a matrix camera.

Optical measurement method and apparatus for fuel cell components

Various embodiments provide systems and methods for detecting defects in components of a fuel cell. Embodiment methods and systems include directing acoustic energy into the component, detecting acoustic energy from the component, analyzing a characteristic of the detected acoustic energy, and based on the analyzing, determining the presence or absence of a defect in the component.

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Tulin Akin