SOLID OXIDE CELL ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A solid oxide cell assembly includes a housing that further includes a base plate, a cover and one or more side walls. one or more solid oxide cell stacks are positioned on the base plate. at least one radiant heater element is positioned inside the housing and is configured to emit radiant heat onto the one or more solid oxide cell stacks. the at least one radiant heater element is formed as one of a heating tube and a heating plate and comprises a plurality of separately controllable segments each comprising separate power connections. The solid oxide cell assembly is further formed as a high temperature electrolysis cell assembly.

Claims

1-7. (canceled)

8. A solid oxide cell assembly, comprising: a housing including, a base plate, a cover, and one or more side walls; one or more solid oxide cell stacks positioned on the base plate; and at least one radiant heater element positioned inside the housing and configured to emit radiant heat onto the one or more solid oxide cell stacks, wherein the at least one radiant heater element is formed as one of a heating tube and a heating plate, wherein the at least one radiant heater element comprises of a plurality of separately controllable segments each comprising separate power connections, and wherein the solid oxide cell assembly is formed as a high temperature electrolysis cell assembly (SOEC).

9. The solid oxide cell assembly according to claim 8, wherein the one or more solid oxide cell stacks are disposed as a solid oxide cell stack series circuit comprising a plurality of rows adjacent to one another, and wherein one of the at least one radiant heater element is assigned for each solid oxide cell stack.

10. The solid oxide cell assembly according to claim 8, further comprising at least one heat transferor positioned in the housing.

11. The solid oxide cell assembly according to claim 8, further comprising at least one heat transferor positioned on a flange.

12. The solid oxide cell assembly according to claim 10, wherein an interaction between the at least one radiant heater element and the at least one heat transferor increases system efficiency.

13. The solid oxide cell assembly according to claim 8, wherein the at least one radiant heater element is integrated into one of the one or more side walls.

14. The solid oxide cell assembly according to claim 8, wherein the at least one radiant heater element is fixed to at least one of the one or more side walls and the base plate.

15. The solid oxide cell assembly according to claim 8, wherein the at least one radiant heater element is integrated into one or more ceramic plates.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In the following, exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail, with reference to the drawings enclosed in the description of figures, wherein these are intended to explain the invention and are not to be interpreted as limiting. In the figures:

[0035] FIG. 1 schematically depicts a top down view of an embodiment of a solid oxide cell arrangement having a solid oxide cell stack and a lateral radiant heater element;

[0036] FIG. 2 schematically depicts a top down view of an embodiment of a solid oxide cell arrangement having two solid oxide cell stacks and two lateral radiant heater elements;

[0037] FIG. 3 schematically depicts a top down view of an embodiment of a solid oxide cell arrangement having two solid oxide cell stacks and three lateral as well as central radiant heater elements;

[0038] FIG. 4 schematically depicts a top down view of an embodiment of a solid oxide cell arrangement having three solid oxide cell stacks and three lateral as well as central radiant heater elements;

[0039] FIG. 5 schematically depicts s top down view of an embodiment of a solid oxide cell arrangement having four solid oxide cell stacks with throughflow of two cell stacks each, and two lateral radiant heater elements;

[0040] FIG. 6 illustrates a process diagram of an embodiment of a solid oxide cell arrangement having a solid oxide cell stack and a radiant heater element in combination with two heat transferors;

[0041] FIG. 7 illustrates a process diagram of another embodiment of a solid oxide cell arrangement having a solid oxide cell stack and a radiant heater element in combination with two heat transferors;

[0042] FIG. 8 illustrates a process diagram of an embodiment of a solid oxide cell arrangement having a solid oxide cell stack, a radiant heater element in combination with two heat transferors, and an additional convective, electric gas heater on the H2 media side;

[0043] FIG. 9 illustrates a process diagram of an embodiment of a solid oxide cell arrangement having a solid oxide cell stack and a radiant heater element in combination with three heat transferors;

[0044] FIG. 10 illustrates a process diagram of an embodiment of a solid oxide cell arrangement having a solid oxide cell stack and a radiant heater element in combination with three heat transferors and a divided exhaust air stream;

[0045] FIG. 11a illustrates a process diagram of an embodiment of a solid oxide cell arrangement with a radiant heater element, heat transferors arranged centrally in the gas processing unit, and an electric pre-heater;

[0046] FIG. 11b illustrates a process diagram of an embodiment of a solid oxide cell arrangement with only conventional, electric pre-heaters and heat transferors arranged centrally in the gas processing unit;

[0047] FIG. 12a illustrates a process diagram of an embodiment of a solid oxide cell arrangement with two separate radiant heater elements heat transferors arranged decentrally in the cell stack module and an electric pre-heater;

[0048] FIG. 12b illustrates a process diagram of an embodiment of a solid oxide cell arrangement with only conventional, electric pre-heaters and heat transferors arranged decentrally in the cell stack module; and

[0049] FIG. 13 schematically depicts a top down view of an embodiment of a solid oxide cell arrangement having a solid oxide cell stack and a lateral radiant heater element divided into radiant heater segments.

[0050] Functionally equivalent components are labeled with the same reference signs in the following description of the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a solid oxide cell arrangement or assembly 1 in a housing 2. The solid oxide cell arrangement 1 consists of a solid oxide cell stack 31 having a radiant heater element 41 mounted laterally on the housing 2.

[0052] The radiant heater element 41 that is mounted laterally on the housing 2 serves for heating up the solid oxide cell stack 31. The lateral mounting provides good access to the solid oxide cell stack 31 and/or to the radiant heater element 41. The radiant heater element 41 can be formed as a heating tube or heating plate, wherein this is fixed to hang from above and/or on side walls and/or stands on the base plate or can be integrated in ceramic plates.

[0053] Air enters the solid oxide cell stack 31 via the media supply on the O2 electrode side 71. The consumed air is led away via the media discharge on the O2 electrode side 81. The combustion gas is fed to the H2 electrode side 91 via the media supply. Excess combustion gas and water are led away via the media discharge on the H2 electrode side 101.

[0054] In FIG. 2 , two solid oxide cell stacks 31, 32 are provided as solid oxide cell stack series circuit. Two laterally mounted radiant heater elements 41, 42 are used, respectively. There is one media supply per cell stack 31, 32 on each of the O2 electrode side 71, 72 and the H2 electrode side 91, 92. The media discharge on the O2 electrode side 81 takes place in a stream; the media discharge on the H2 electrode side 101, 102 takes place separately, respectively.

[0055] FIG. 3 differs from FIG. 2 in that aside from the two laterally mounted radiant heater elements 41, 43, there is also a centrally mounted radiant heater element 42.

[0056] In FIG. 4, three solid oxide cell stacks 31, 32, 33 are wired together. A radiant heater element 41 and two centrally-installed radiant heater elements 42, 43 are mounted laterally on the housing 2. Media supply and discharge take place separately per cell stack.

[0057] In FIG. 5, flow takes place through two cell stacks 3 jointly. The cell stacks 31, 32 as well as the cell stacks 33, 34 respectively have a media supply on the O2 electrode side 71, 72 and a shared media discharge on the O2 electrode side 81. The media supply and discharge on the H2 electrode side take place separately per cell stack, respectively. There are two laterally mounted radiant heater elements 41, 42.

[0058] As described in the above exemplary embodiments on the arrangement of radiant heater elements 4 in solid oxide cell arrangements 1, one radiant heater element 4 can be assigned to each solid oxide cell stack 3. In such a case, individual radiant heater elements 4 can be installed either centrally on solid oxide cell stacks 3 between the individual rows and/or mounted laterally, as previously described. The solid oxide cell stacks 3 can be heated up across their entire area in this manner via the radiant heater elements 4. Since the radiant heater elements 4 can consist of a plurality of separately controllable segments with separate power connections for the respective radiant heater segments, thermal imbalances can be avoided.

[0059] Process diagrams of a solid oxide cell arrangement 1 are shown in FIGS. 6 - 10. Various possibilities for combining radiant heater elements 4 with heat exchangers 6 are highlighted in the process diagrams.

[0060] In FIG. 6, a radiant heater element 41 is combined with two heat transferors 61, 62 in a solid oxide cell arrangement 1. A solid oxide cell stack 31 is warmed via the radiant heater element 41. Heat transferors are installed on the O2 electrode side 61 and a heat transferor is installed on the H2 electrode side 62. Air enters the solid oxide cell stack 31 via the media supply on the O2 electrode side 71. The consumed air is led away via the media discharge on the O2 electrode side 81. The combustion gas is fed to the H2 electrode side 91 via the media supply. Excess combustion gas and water are led away via the media discharge on the H2 electrode side 101.

[0061] With the heat transferors on the O2 electrode side 61, the media supply on the O2 electrode side 71 is warmed via the media discharge on the O2 electrode side 81. Accordingly, with the heat transferor on the H2 electrode side 62, the media supply on the H2 electrode side 91 warmed via the media discharge on the H2 electrode side 101. This increases the system efficiency.

[0062] The heat transferors 61, 62 can be mounted either directly in the housing 2 below the solid oxide cell stack 31, or laterally flanged onto the inlets and outlets of the housing 2. Heat losses are minimized by accommodating the heat transferors 61, 62 directly in the housing 2. The pipe lines are as short as possible and all elements are accommodated in the housing 2, which is thermally insulated, in an assembly.

[0063] In FIG. 7, as in FIG. 6, a radiant heater element 41 is combined with two heat transferors 61, 62 in a solid oxide cell arrangement 1. A solid oxide cell stack 31 is warmed via the radiant heater element 41. Solely the media flow guidance is varied by the heat transferors 61, 62.

[0064] In FIG. 8 there is a solid oxide cell arrangement 1, wherein an additional convective, electric gas heater 51 was installed on the side of the media supply on the H2 electrode side 91.

[0065] The installation of such a convective, electric gas heater 5 is possible in all variants of the combination of radiant heater elements 4 with heat transferors 3, but should no longer be strictly necessary according to the novel solid oxide cell arrangement 1.

[0066] In FIG. 9, a radiant heater element 41 is combined with three heat transferors 61, 62, 63. The media discharge of the O2 electrode side 81 flows through two heat transferors 61, 62, and therefore heats both the media supply on the O2 electrode side 71 as well as the media supply on the H2 electrode side 91.

[0067] In FIG. 10, as in FIG. 9, a radiant heater element 41 is combined with three heat transferors 61, 62, 63. The O2 exhaust air flow, which is guided out of the solid oxide cell stack 31 has been additionally split into two sub-flows.

[0068] A plurality of additional variants is possible with the combination of radiant heater elements 4 with heat transferors 6 in solid oxide cell arrangements 1. Both the number and position of radiant heater elements 4 for heating up the solid oxide cell stack 3, as well as the number and position of heat transferors 6, as well as additionally the media supply and discharge on the electrode sides can vary, for example, can be split in the case of the media supply and discharge.

[0069] FIG. 11a illustrates a process diagram of a solid oxide cell arrangement with a radiant heater element 41, heat transferors 61, 62 arranged centrally in the gas processing unit 11, and an electric pre-heater 51. FIG. 11b illustrates a process diagram of a solid oxide cell arrangement with only conventional, electric pre-heaters 51, 52, and heat transferors 61, 62 arranged centrally in the gas processing unit 11.

[0070] It is evident from the two process diagrams how the technical plant structure for the operation of solid oxide cells changes when radiant heater elements 4 are used with central arrangement of the heat transferors 6.

[0071] FIG. 12a illustrates a process diagram of a solid oxide cell arrangement 1 with two separate radiant heater elements 41, 42, heat transferors 61, 62 arranged decentrally in the cell stack module 12, and an electric pre-heater 51. FIG. 12b illustrates and a process diagram of a solid oxide cell arrangement with only conventional, electric pre-heaters 51, 52, and heat transferors 61, 62 arranged decentrally in the cell stack module 12.

[0072] It is evident from the two process diagrams how the technical plant structure for the operation of solid oxide cells changes when radiant heater elements 4 are used with decentral arrangement of the heat transferors 6.

[0073] The differences in the technical plant structure for the operation of solid oxide cells with central and decentral arrangement of the heat transferors 6 is evident from the comparison of FIGS. 11a-b and 12a-b.

[0074] FIG. 13 shows a solid oxide cell arrangement 1 according to FIG. 1. Here, the radiant heater element 41 consists of a plurality of radiant heater segments 411, 412, 413, 414, 415.

List of Reference Signs

[0075] 1 Solid oxide cell arrangement 71 Media supply O2 electrode side 1 [0076] 2 Housing 72 Media supply O2 electrode side 2 [0077] 3 Solid oxide cell stack 73 Media supply O2 electrode side 3 [0078] 31 Solid oxide cell stack 1 81 Media discharge O2 electrode side 1 [0079] 32 Solid oxide cell stack 2 82 Media discharge O2 electrode side 2 [0080] 33 Solid oxide cell stack 3 83 Media discharge O2 electrode side 3 [0081] 34 Solid oxide cell stack 4 91 Media supply H2 electrode side 1 [0082] 4 Radiant heater element 92 Media supply H2 electrode side 2 [0083] 41 Radiant heater element 1 93 Media supply H2 electrode side 3 [0084] 411 Segment 1 of radiant heater element 1 101 Media discharge H2 electrode side 1 [0085] 412 Segment 2 of radiant heater element 1 102 Media discharge H2 electrode side 2 [0086] 413 Segment 3 of radiant heater element 1 103 Media discharge H2 electrode side 3 [0087] 414 Segment 4 of radiant heater element 1 11 Gas processing unit [0088] 415 Segment 5 of radiant heater element 1 12 Cell stack module [0089] 42 Radiant heater element 2 [0090] 43 Radiant heater element 3 [0091] 5 Convective, electric gas heater [0092] 51 Convective, electric gas heater 1 [0093] 52 Convective, electric gas heater 2 [0094] 6 Heat transferrer [0095] 61 Heat transferrer 1 [0096] 62 Heat transferrer 2 [0097] 63 Heat transferrer 3