Patents by Inventor Ram Ramanan
Ram Ramanan has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9941525Abstract: Various hot box fuel cell system components are provided, such as heat exchangers, steam generator and other components.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 2015Date of Patent: April 10, 2018Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATIONInventors: Martin Perry, Navaneetha Krishnan, Nilanjana Basu, Ram Ramanan
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Patent number: 9673457Abstract: Various embodiments include interconnects and/or end plates having features for reducing stress in a fuel cell stack. In embodiments, an interconnect/end plate may have a window seal area that is recessed relative to the flow field to indirectly reduce stress induced by an interface seal. Other features may include a thicker protective coating and/or larger uncoated area of an end plate, providing a recessed portion on an end plate for an interface seal, and/or recessing the fuel hole region of an interconnect relative to the flow field to reduce stress on the fuel cell. Further embodiments include providing intermittent seal support to minimize asymmetric seal loading and/or a non-circular seal configuration to reduce stress around the fuel hole of a fuel cell.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2013Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATIONInventors: Vijay Srivatsan, Michael Groesch, Daniel Darga, Matthias Gottmann, Ram Ramanan, Paturi Balaji Narasimha Prasad, Ramesha Guntanur, Ananda Sundararajan, Sachin Parhar
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Patent number: 9368810Abstract: Various embodiments include interconnects and/or end plates having features for reducing stress in a fuel cell stack. In embodiments, an interconnect/end plate may have a window seal area that is recessed relative to the flow field to indirectly reduce stress induced by an interface seal. Other features may include a thicker protective coating and/or larger uncoated area of an end plate, providing a recessed portion on an end plate for an interface seal, and/or recessing the fuel hole region of an interconnect relative to the flow field to reduce stress on the fuel cell. Further embodiments include providing intermittent seal support to minimize asymmetric seal loading and/or a non-circular seal configuration to reduce stress around the fuel hole of a fuel cell.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2013Date of Patent: June 14, 2016Assignee: Bloom Energy CorporationInventors: Daniel Darga, Vijay Srivatsan, Matthias Gottmann, Ram Ramanan, Paturi Balaji Narasimha Prasad, Ramesha Guntanur
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Patent number: 9142845Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for fuel cell stack heat treatment. An eductor may be used to recycle air into the air inlet stream or to recycle fuel into the fuel inlet stream. An eductor may also be used to exhaust air away from the furnace. The stack heat treatment may include stack sintering or conditioning. The conditioning may be conducted without using externally supplied hydrogen.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2013Date of Patent: September 22, 2015Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATIONInventors: Matthias Gottmann, Stephen Couse, James McElroy, Ryan Hallum, Jakob Hilton, Kurt Risic, Ram Ramanan, Michael Gasda
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Patent number: 9141923Abstract: A fuel cell fleet has a plurality of fuel cell systems each connected to a data server. The data server may be configured to obtain operational data from of the plurality of fuel cell systems. An efficiency controller operably connected to the data server and is configured to predict an efficiency and a power output of the fleet from the operational data and optimize the efficiency of the fleet to minimize the fleet fuel consumption while maintaining a desired fleet output power. The efficiency may be determined by a ratio of the fleet output current or output power to the fleet fuel consumption.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2012Date of Patent: September 22, 2015Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATIONInventors: James Smith, David Weingaertner, Pramod Vachhani, Brent Miller, Ram Ramanan, Arne Ballantine, Swaminathan Venkataraman, Deepak Shukla
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Publication number: 20150140457Abstract: Various hot box fuel cell system components are provided, such as heat exchangers, steam generator and other components.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2015Publication date: May 21, 2015Inventors: Martin PERRY, Navaneetha KRISHNAN, Nilanjana BASU, Ram RAMANAN
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Patent number: 8968943Abstract: Various hot box fuel cell system components are provided, such as heat exchangers, steam generator and other components.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2012Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: Bloom Energy CorporationInventors: Martin Perry, Vlad Kalika, David Weingaertner, Ananda Sundararajan, Navaneetha Krishnan, Nilanjana Basu, Ram Ramanan, Virpaul Bains, William David Lyle
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Publication number: 20140127603Abstract: Various embodiments include interconnects and/or end plates having features for reducing stress in a fuel cell stack. In embodiments, an interconnect/end plate may have a window seal area that is recessed relative to the flow field to indirectly reduce stress induced by an interface seal. Other features may include a thicker protective coating and/or larger uncoated area of an end plate, providing a recessed portion on an end plate for an interface seal, and/or recessing the fuel hole region of an interconnect relative to the flow field to reduce stress on the fuel cell. Further embodiments include providing intermittent seal support to minimize asymmetric seal loading and/or a non-circular seal configuration to reduce stress around the fuel hole of a fuel cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2013Publication date: May 8, 2014Applicant: Bloom Energy CorporationInventors: Paturi Balaji Narasimha Prasad, Ramesha Guntanur, Ananda Sundararajan, Ram Ramanan, Daniel Darga
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Publication number: 20140127604Abstract: Various embodiments include interconnects and/or end plates having features for reducing stress in a fuel cell stack. In embodiments, an interconnect/end plate may have a window seal area that is recessed relative to the flow field to indirectly reduce stress induced by an interface seal. Other features may include a thicker protective coating and/or larger uncoated area of an end plate, providing a recessed portion on an end plate for an interface seal, and/or recessing the fuel hole region of an interconnect relative to the flow field to reduce stress on the fuel cell. Further embodiments include providing intermittent seal support to minimize asymmetric seal loading and/or a non-circular seal configuration to reduce stress around the fuel hole of a fuel cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2013Publication date: May 8, 2014Applicant: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATIONInventors: Daniel Darga, Vijay Srivatsan, Matthias Gottmann, Ram Ramanan, Paturi Balaji Narasimha Prasad, Ramesha Guntanur
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Publication number: 20140127602Abstract: Various embodiments include interconnects and/or end plates having features for reducing stress in a fuel cell stack. In embodiments, an interconnect/end plate may have a window seal area that is recessed relative to the flow field to indirectly reduce stress induced by an interface seal. Other features may include a thicker protective coating and/or larger uncoated area of an end plate, providing a recessed portion on an end plate for an interface seal, and/or recessing the fuel hole region of an interconnect relative to the flow field to reduce stress on the fuel cell. Further embodiments include providing intermittent seal support to minimize asymmetric seal loading and/or a non-circular seal configuration to reduce stress around the fuel hole of a fuel cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2013Publication date: May 8, 2014Applicant: Bloom Energy CorporationInventors: Vijay Srivatsan, Michael Groesch, Daniel Darga, Matthias Gottmann, Ram Ramanan, Paturi Balaji Narasimha Prasad, Ramesha Guntanur, Ananda Sundararajan, Sachin Parhar
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Publication number: 20140089055Abstract: A fuel cell fleet has a plurality of fuel cell systems each connected to a data server. The data server may be configured to obtain operational data from of the plurality of fuel cell systems. An efficiency controller operably connected to the data server and is configured to predict an efficiency and a power output of the fleet from the operational data and optimize the efficiency of the fleet to minimize the fleet fuel consumption while maintaining a desired fleet output power. The efficiency may be determined by a ratio of the fleet output current or output power to the fleet fuel consumption.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2012Publication date: March 27, 2014Applicant: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATIONInventors: James SMITH, David WEINGAERTNER, Pramod VACHHANI, Brent MILLER, Ram RAMANAN, Arne BALLANTINE, Swaminathan VENKATARAMAN, Deepak SHUKLA
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Publication number: 20130252119Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for fuel cell stack heat treatment. An eductor may be used to recycle air into the air inlet stream or to recycle fuel into the fuel inlet stream. An eductor may also be used to exhaust air away from the furnace. The stack heat treatment may include stack sintering or conditioning. The conditioning may be conducted without using externally supplied hydrogen.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2013Publication date: September 26, 2013Applicant: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATIONInventors: Matthias Gottmann, Stephen Couse, James McElroy, Ryan Hallum, Jakob Hilton, Kurt Risic, Ram Ramanan, Michael Gasda
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Publication number: 20120196195Abstract: Various hot box fuel cell system components are provided, such as heat exchangers, steam generator and other components.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2012Publication date: August 2, 2012Applicant: Bloom Energy CorporationInventors: Martin Perry, Vlad Kalika, David Weingaertner, Ananda Sundararajan, Navaneetha Krishman, Nilanjana Basu, Ram Ramanan, Virpaul Bains, William David Lyle