Solid oxide fuel cell generator

Patent · 01 January 1993

OSTI ID:868729

Draper, Robert ^[1]; George, Raymond A ^[2]; Shockling, Larry A ^[3]

---

1. Churchill Boro, PA
2. Pittsburgh, PA
3. Plum Borough, PA

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.

• Research Organization: National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV
• DOE Contract Number: AC21-80ET17089
• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp. (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5200279
• OSTI ID: 868729
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/429/
apart
array
axially
axially elongated
barrier
buffer
cell
cell generator
cells
chamber
chambers
define
electrochemical
electrochemical cell
electrochemical cells
elongated
elongated electrochemical
engaging
flowing
fuel
fuel cell
fuel cells
fuel gas
gas
gas leak
gas leakage
gases
gases flowing
generator
generator chamber
housing
intermediate
intermediate buffer
leakage
leaked
oxidant
oxidant gas
oxide
oxide fuel
pair
permitted
preheated
reentrain
reintroduction
solid
solid oxide
spaced
spaced apart
supported
tubes
tubesheets
tubular
walls