A STACK OF INTERMEDIATE TEMPERATURE, METAL-SUPPORTED, SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL UNITS

Abstract

A stack (1) of intermediate temperature, metal-supported, solid oxide fuel cell units (10), each unit comprising a metal support substrate (12), a spacer (22) and an interconnect (30) that each have compression bolt holes (34), fuel inlet port (33), fuel outlet port (32) and air outlet (17) therein, wherein bolt voids (34) are formed by aligning the bolt holes and a further void (17) by aligning the air outlets, and the voids are vented, for example, to the environment or further void to prevent the build-up of fuel, moisture or ions.

Claims

1. A stack of intermediate temperature metal supported, solid oxide fuel cell units arranged in a stack, wherein each fuel cell unit comprises a metal support substrate with electrochemically active layers, a spacer and an interconnect, wherein the metal support substrate, the spacer and the interconnect have bolt holes for compression bolts of the stack, at least one fuel inlet port and at least one fuel outlet port for fuel entry and exit into and out of the cell unit, and at least one air outlet, wherein bolt voids are formed within the stack by the alignment of the respective bolt holes for the compression bolts in the stack and a further void by the alignment of the respective air outlets, and wherein the voids for the compression bolts each are vented.

2. The stack of claim 1, further comprising gaskets between neighbouring fuel cell units in the stack, the gaskets having: a) at least one fuel port aligning with either a fuel outlet chimney or a fuel inlet chimney in the cell units located either side thereof, and b) at least one bolt hole aligning with bolt holes for the compression bolt in the cell units either side thereof.

3. (canceled)

4. The stack of claim 2, wherein there are at least two bolt holes for compression bolts at each end of the cell unit.

5. The stack of claim 4, wherein the gaskets vent all the bolt voids for the compression bolts.

6. The stack of claim 5, wherein the gaskets each have two bolt holes.

7. The stack of claim 5, wherein the gaskets provide the venting by their bolt holes comprising a slot in a side thereof out to an outer edge of the gasket.

8. The stack of claim 2, having two or more fuel outlet ports for each cell unit, wherein the relevant gaskets therefor also have two or more fuel outlet ports.

9. The stack of claim 1, wherein at least some of the cell units have vents for their bolt holes.

10. The stack of claim 1, wherein at least some of the bolt voids are vented to the environment surrounding the stack.

11. The stack of claim 1, wherein at least some of the bolt voids are vented into an air outlet of the stack.

12. A gasket comprising at least one fuel port for fuel passage and two bolt holes for bolts, wherein the fuel port for fuel passage has a full perimeter wall whereas the two bolt holes have slots within their perimeter wall, breaking their periphery, the slots extending from the perimeter wall to the outer wall of the gasket, the two bolt holes thus being vented.

13. The gasket of claim 12, wherein the at least one fuel port for fuel passage is a central fuel port for fuel passage with the two bolt holes on either side thereof.

14. The gasket of claim 12, wherein the at least one fuel port for fuel passage is a pair of fuel ports at either end of the gasket.

15. The gasket of claim 14, wherein the two ends of the gasket are spaced apart by an arm that is thinner than the ends of the gasket.

16. The gasket of claim 14, wherein the two bolt holes are located on respective ends of the gasket.

17. The gasket of claim 14, wherein the two bolt holes are located inward of the pair of fuel ports for fuel passage on the ends of the arm.

18. The gasket of claim 12, wherein the at least one fuel port for fuel passage is generally square or rectangular.

19. The gasket of claim 12, wherein the slots of the bolt holes extend parallel to one another.

20. The gasket of claim 12, wherein the slots of the bolt holes both extend along a straight line extending between the two bolt holes.

21. (canceled)

22. The gasket of claim 12, wherein the bolt holes are generally circular and the slots of the bolt holes both extend along a straight line extending between the centres of the two generally circular bolt holes.

23. (canceled)

Description

[0042] These and other features of the present invention will now be described in further detail, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0043] FIG. 1 shows in exploded form a prior art stack arrangement as per the above mentioned PCT application;

[0044] FIG. 2 shows in exploded form the arrangement of a cell unit within the stack;

[0045] FIG. 3 shows in schematic form an arrangement of a stack showing the opposing form of the interconnects of the fuel cell units within the stack, and the gaskets between the fuel cell units;

[0046] FIG. 4 shows a partial schematic section through the fuel cell units, fuel outlet chimney, bolt void and bolt of a form of fuel cell stack;

[0047] FIG. 5 shows the H.sub.2 (hydrogen) diffusion from an enclosed tie bar volume;

[0048] FIG. 6 shows a separate inlet gasket from the fuel cell stack assembly of the above mentioned PCT application;

[0049] FIGS. 7 and 8 show an inlet gasket for the present invention for the fuel entry end of the cell unit;

[0050] FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show an outlet gasket for the present invention, but for locating at the fuel exit end of the cell unit;

[0051] FIG. 11 shows the gaskets positioned on an interconnect of a cell unita further cell unit then sits thereon with its electrochemically active layers sitting on the interconnect of the shown cell unit;

[0052] FIG. 12 shows the cell unit of FIG. 11, but with the gaskets removed and the weld line illustrated; and,

[0053] FIG. 13 shows the cell unit in which the substrate, spacer and interconnect have vented bolt holes.

[0054] Referring first of all to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, these have already been described above and thus no further discussion will be provided in this section. This general arrangement is an arrangement of fuel cell assembly 5 that can benefit from making use of the present invention.

[0055] Referring next to FIG. 4, there can be seen a schematic arrangement for a fuel cell stack assembly 5 that can also use the inventionwithout dummy cell units 8. It shows multiple cell units 10 in a stack 1, capped with an earthed top end plate 4 with an electrical insulation gasket 6, usually made of mica, between the top end plate 4 and the stack 1. A bolt 2 (usually four, as in FIG. 1) and nut 3 (again usually fourto correspond with the bolts 2) then compresses the whole lot together, with gaskets 38 between the fuel cell units 10, and between the top fuel cell unit 10 and the electrical insulation gasket 6. In this arrangement air can flow through an air channel 23 above each fuel cell unit 10 (FIGS. 3 and 4) and out through its air outlet 17 (a larger air chimney through the stack 1 as shown more clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2, and 11 and 12).

[0056] Fuel instead flows through a fuel channel 31 defined by the spacer and dimples/troughs above, and thus inside each fuel cell unit 10 from the fuel inlet chimney 33, through the fuel inlet port 33b of the spacer 22 to the fuel outlet ports 32b of the spacer 22 and then out through the stack's fuel outlet chimney 32.

[0057] As can be seen in FIG. 4, the bolt 2 extends through the bolt void 34 without touching the sides of the voidi.e. without touching the cell units 10. This prevents the bolt 2 from earthing the fuel cell stack 1. A gap 35 is shown in FIG. 4. It is an area into which hydrogen and ions were tending to leak in the prior art non-vented bolt voids.

[0058] Referring next to FIG. 6, an example of the inlet gaskets 38i of the prior art is shown. As can be seen, the gasket 38i has two bolt holes 34i located either side of a fuel port 33i. Referring to FIG. 1, this gasket 38i can be seen approximately at the bottom of the middle cell unit of the drawing. It is arranged such that the two bolts 2 thread through the bolt holes 34i of inlet gasket with the fuel port 33i of inlet gasket, together with the fuel inlet ports 33i, 33a,b,c of the various cell units and the other gaskets, thus also producing a fuel inlet chimney 33 or fuel manifold along the stack. As there is no venting in these gaskets 38, or in the fuel cell units 10, in the fuel cell assembly of FIG. 1, the above-mentioned hydrogen and ion build-up can occur.

[0059] Referring next to FIGS. 7 and 8, a similar inlet gasket 38i is shown, albeit with a different external shape, which inlet gasket 38i still has the two bolt holes 34i and the fuel port 33i in the middle, but this time the two bolt holes 34i of inlet gasket are slotted to the surrounding environment by two slots 39one for each bolt hole 34i. Thus, when these inlet gaskets 38i are stacked with the respective fuel cell units 10, the bolt void 34 formed by the bolt holes 34i of the inlet gaskets 38i and the fuel cell units 10 is now vented to allow diffusion of any hydrogen build-up out of the bolt void 34 and into the surrounding environment. For this stack 1, the surrounding environment is air surrounding the stack.

[0060] This inlet gasket 38i has a length of about 45 mm and a width of about 21 mm. It is between 0.5 and 0.9 mm thick. Other thicknesses can be used where needed to accommodate higher or lower bumps or ridges 40 in the interconnect 30. Likewise, widths and lengths can be adjusted depending upon the size or shape of the cell units and the location of the bolt holes 34 and fuel inlet ports 33.

[0061] The bolt holes 34 preferably have a diameter of about 8.5 mm for receiving an M8 boltor a bolt 2 having approximately an 8 mm diameter. The gap 35 is thus around 0.25 mm on each side of the bolt. The gap 35 can thus be kept small. Larger or smaller gaps might also be provided. Furthermore, larger or smaller holes might be used for larger or smaller bolts 2.

[0062] The fuel inlet port 33 is preferably generally rectangular, as shownpreferably around 14 mm by 11 mm, or having a cross sectional area of around 160 mm2. This provides enough area for the fuel transmission into the fuel cell unit. Smaller or larger fuel inlet ports 33 may be provided instead, and would be preferred for stacks requiring lower or higher fuel delivery volumes.

[0063] The slots may be 1-2 mm wide, usually 1.4-1.8 mm wide and preferably the slots 39 are around 1.6 mm wide. For the given space around the bolt 2, this has been found adequate for dispersal of hydrogen and ions. The slot 39 can be wider or narrower for increasing or slowing dispersal rates, or if more or less hydrogen and ions need dispersal.

[0064] Generally useful sizes of inlet gaskets 38i for the fuel input end of the fuel cell unit 10 will have no greater than twice these dimensions, and no less than half these dimensions, although they are sized to fit the size of the cell unit, and as such can be of any appropriate size given the fuel cells.

[0065] Referring next to FIGS. 9 and 10, the outlet gasket 38o for the fuel exit end of the stack 1 is instead shown. This outlet gasket 38o also has two bolt holes 34o, but this time positioned inward of two fuel ports 32o. Furthermore, the outlet gasket 38o has a more elongated form with an arm 43 connecting two ends (the arm 43 being thinner in plan than the ends), the arm 43 bridging, in use, behind the air outlet 17 of the two fuel cell units 10 against which it will be fitted, one of which is shown in FIG. 11.

[0066] FIG. 11 also shows the outlet gasket 38o overlying the other end of the fuel cell unit 10. Like the inlet gasket 38i of the invention, this outlet gasket 38o has slots 39 for venting the bolt holes 34o of outlet gasket, but this time for venting into the air outlet 17.

[0067] Although the gaskets 38i,o in FIGS. 6 to 10 are shown to have the slots 39 for venting their bolt holes 34i,o, as previously discussed it is possible instead or in addition for the fuel cell units 10 to have vents for their bolt holes 34a,b,c. See FIG. 13 for such an embodiment. In that embodiment, the metal support substrate 12, the spacer 22 and the interconnect 30 all comprise slots 39 in the respective bolt voids 34 at the fuel outlet end of the cell, in the same manner as the outlet gaskets 38o are provided with slots 39 in the previous embodiment, thus providing venting from the bolt voids 34 to the atmosphere. It is to be appreciated, however, that it is interchangeable as to where the slots might be providedthey need not be in each component, nor in just one set of the components, but they may be in any selection of components in a given stack, at either or both ends (fuel inlet end and/or fuel outlet end). For example, in one embodiment the spacer 22 comprises the slots 39 for venting the bolt voids 34 whereas the bolt holes 34a of the interconnect and the bolt holes 34c of the substrate comprise a full perimeter wall, i.e. no slots.

[0068] Returning to the first embodiment, the outlet gaskets 38o of this embodiment have a length of about 110 mm and a width of about 27 mm. It is between 0.5 and 0.9 mm thick. Other thicknesses can be used, e.g. where needed to accommodate higher or lower bumps or ridges 40 in the interconnect 30. Likewise, widths and lengths can be adjusted, e.g. depending upon the location of the bolt holes 34o of the outlet gaskets and the fuel ports 32o of the outlet gaskets.

[0069] The bolt holes 34o of the outlet gasket preferably have a diameter of about 8.5 mm for receiving an M8 boltor a bolt 2 having approximately an 8 mm diameter. The gap 35 between the bolt holes and the bolt is thus again about 0.25 mm (on either side of the bolt). Larger or smaller gaps 35, or larger or smaller holes of outlet gasket 34o, might be used, e.g. for larger or smaller bolts 2.

[0070] The fuel ports 32o of the outlet gaskets are each preferably around 10 mm by 8 mm, or have a cross sectional area of around 80 mm2. As there are two, they can be half the size of the single fuel ports 32i of the inlet gaskets. This provides enough area for the fuel transmission out of the fuel cell unit 10. Smaller or larger fuel ports 32o of the outlet gaskets may be preferred, e.g. for lower or higher fuel delivery volumes.

[0071] The slots 39 are around 1.6 mm wide. For the given space around the bolt 2, this has been found adequate for dispersal of hydrogen and ions. The slot 39 can be wider or narrower for increasing or slowing dispersal rates, or if more or less hydrogen and ions need dispersal.

[0072] Generally useful sizes for the outlet gasket 38o for the fuel output end of the fuel cell unit 10 will have no greater than twice these dimensions, and no less than half these dimensions, although they are sized to fit the size of the cell unit, as with the gaskets at the inlet end.

[0073] Referring finally to FIG. 5, the speed of hydrogen diffusion out of each bolt void's 34 volume, once the slots 39 are provided in the gaskets 38, is approximately shown. As can be seen, within half a second of entry into the bolt void's 34 volume, substantially all hydrogen has already diffused out of the bolt void's 34 volume. As a consequence, it is clear that the slots, or venting, minimise the risk of hydrogen build-up and thus the environment within the bolt void 34 is no longer susceptible to combustion or arcing (shorting) between the bolts 2 and the fuel cell units 10 (i.e. across the gap 35 therebetween).

[0074] Ideally the gap 35 is maintained during assembly of a stack at a distance of no less than 0.1 mm throughout the length of the stack 1.

[0075] The present invention has hereby been disclosed purely by way of example.

[0076] Modifications in detail may be made to the invention within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

[0077] Reference signs are incorporated in the description solely to ease its understanding, and are not limiting the scope of the claims. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments only, and other embodiments will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0078] 1Stack [0079] 2Bolt [0080] 3Nut [0081] 4End plate [0082] 5Fuel cell stack assembly [0083] 6Insulation gasket [0084] 8Dummy cell unit [0085] 10Cell unit [0086] 12Metal support substrate [0087] 14Electrochemically active layers [0088] 15Channel [0089] 16Channel [0090] 17Air outlet [0091] 17aAir outlet of interconnect [0092] 17bAir outlet of spacer [0093] 17cAir outlet of substrate [0094] 22Spacer [0095] 23Air channel [0096] 30Interconnect [0097] 31Fuel channel [0098] 32Fuel outlet chimney [0099] 32aFuel outlet port of interconnect [0100] 32bFuel outlet port of spacer [0101] 32cFuel outlet port of substrate [0102] 32oFuel port of outlet gasket [0103] 33Fuel inlet chimney [0104] 33aFuel inlet port of interconnect [0105] 33bFuel inlet port of spacer [0106] 33cFuel inlet port of substrate [0107] 33iFuel port of inlets gasket [0108] 34Bolt void [0109] 34aBolt hole of interconnect [0110] 34bBolt hole of spacer [0111] 34cBolt hole of substrate [0112] 34iBolt hole of inlet gasket [0113] 34oBolt hole of outlet gasket [0114] 35Gap [0115] 36Holes (Substrate) [0116] 38Gaskets [0117] 38iInlet Gasket [0118] 38oOutlet Gasket [0119] 39Slot [0120] 40Lumps or bumps, ridges or troughs [0121] 42Indentations or grooves [0122] 43Arm [0123] 90Weld line