Patents Assigned to Bloom Energy Corporation
  • Patent number: 11205794
    Abstract: A roof cap assembly for a fuel cell system includes a housing, and a cover assembly disposed on the housing and configured to move between a first position and a second position. The cover assembly includes a cover including a first opening and a second opening, and a door connected to the cover and configured to selectively open and close the second opening. When the cover assembly is in the first position, the door closes the second opening, such that the reaction exhaust and the cabinet exhaust are directed through the first opening. When the cover assembly is in the second position, the door opens the second opening, such that the cabinet exhaust is directed through first opening and the reaction exhaust is directed through the second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Trevisan, Gilbert Richards, Arne Ballantine, Jessica Mahler, Ross Parker, Zachary Odenheimer
  • Patent number: 11196068
    Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell system includes providing an anode exhaust from a fuel cell stack to a water injector, supplying water to the water injector, and injecting the water from the water injector into the anode exhaust to vaporize the water and generate a humidified anode exhaust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Weingaertner, Ivan Hartana, David Edmonston, Michael Petrucha, Martin Perry
  • Patent number: 11196104
    Abstract: Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) may include testing various voltages and currents, storing and sending the data to an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyzer (EISA) network, where the data may be compared to historical data to determine a battery event as a user action recommendation may provide preferred operating use of a device battery in response correlation of EIS test results and comparison for similarities of EIS test results. Historical EIS test data may be stored in an EISA network with a server configured to receive EIS test results from battery-operated devices, correlate received EIS test data to historical EIS test data, and provide recommendations on battery use and/or maintenance to the battery-operated device based on the correlation results. Analyzing EIS test data and sending recommendations on battery use and/or maintenance service may be provided on a subscription basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Arne Ballantine, John Cronin, Joseph Bodkin
  • Patent number: 11169217
    Abstract: Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) data collected over a period of time for a large number of batteries and different types of batteries, may be collected and analyzed to generate or refine a learned database of EIS waveforms and induction responses to perform in-situ analysis of the battery and suggest optimal time for charging the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Arne Ballantine, John Cronin, Joseph Bodkin
  • Patent number: 11150208
    Abstract: Various embodiments may provide an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyzer (EISA) chip for a microelectromechanical system (MEMS). In various embodiments, the EISA chip may perform an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) test on a battery and may gather sensor data associated with a battery from sensors on the MEMS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Arne Ballantine, John Cronin, Joseph Bodkin
  • Patent number: 11133511
    Abstract: A buffer layer between an interconnect and an electrolyte of a solid oxide fuel cell, the buffer layer having a gradient in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), wherein the buffer layer minimizes electrolyte damage due to a difference in CTE between the interconnect and electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mosul K. Premkumar, Vijay Radhakrishnan, Rahul Kulkarni, Padiadpu Shankara Anantha
  • Patent number: 11128147
    Abstract: A system and method of provided power to one or more electrical loads of an electrical load module is provided. The electrical load module includes an alternating current (AC) power input port, a direct current (DC) power input port, a power distribution device, a first power supply device, a second power supply device, and a first electrical load component. The power distribution device is electrically coupled to the AC power input port via a first connector and the DC power input port via a second connection. The first electrical load component is coupled to the first power supply device and the second power supply device. The first power supply device and the second power supply device are configured to provide power to the first electrical load component and a feed from an alternative power source system is directly connected to the DC power input port of the electrical load module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Arne Ballantine, Ranganathan Gurunathan, Rajesh Gopinath, Carl Cottuli
  • Patent number: 11092652
    Abstract: Various embodiments manage a fuel cell IT grid system to maintain fuel cell temperatures above a threshold temperature. The system may include power modules each including a fuel cell, DC/DC converters each connected to a power module, a DC power bus connected to the DC/DC, IT loads each connected to the DC power bus, a load balancing load connected to the DC power bus, and a control device connected to a first power module. The control device may determine whether a temperature of the first power module exceeds the temperature threshold, determine whether an electrical power output of the power modules exceeds an electrical power demand of the IT loads in response to the temperature exceeding the temperature threshold, and direct excess electrical power output to the load balancing load in response to the electrical power output exceeding the electrical power demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Carl Cottuli
  • Patent number: 11088382
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack and inspection method, the fuel cell stack including fuel cells disposed in a stack and interconnects disposed between the fuel cells. Each fuel cell includes an electrolyte, an anode disposed on a first side of the electrolyte, a cathode disposed on an opposing second side of an electrolyte, and a witness mark disposed on the first side of the electrolyte. Each interconnect includes first ribs disposed on air side of the interconnect and at least partially defining oxidant channels, and second ribs disposed on an opposing fuel side of the interconnect and at least partially defining fuel channels. The witness mark of each fuel cell is visible from outside of the stack when the cathode directly faces the air side of an adjacent interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Raphael Quiazon, Arne Ballantine
  • Patent number: 11081704
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes fuel cells disposed in a stack and separated by interconnects, a cathode recuperator configured to heat air provided to the stack using reaction exhaust provided from the stack, a steam generator configured to receive the reaction exhaust from the cathode recuperator and generate steam using the reaction exhaust, a hot box housing the stack, cathode recuperator, and steam generator, and a Cr filter including a porous metal and configured to remove Cr vapor species from the reaction exhaust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Adil Ashary, Martin Perry, David Weingaertner, Richard Dole, Ivan Hartana, Emad El Batawi
  • Patent number: 11063283
    Abstract: A fuel cell system and method of operating, the system including a fuel cell stack configured to generate electricity and anode exhaust, a mixer configured to mix fuel received from a fuel source with steam and the anode exhaust, a low-temperature pre-reformer configured to at least partially reform fuel received from the mixer at a temperature of less than about 420° C., and an anode recuperator configured to heat fuel received from the low-temperature pre-reformer using the anode exhaust and to provide the fuel to the fuel cell stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: David Weingaertner
  • Patent number: 11043688
    Abstract: A power module system includes a plurality of vertically stacked power modules. The plurality of vertically stacked power modules include at least two vertical stacks. A shared exhaust plenum is located between the at least two vertical stacks of power modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Arne Ballantine, Jessica Mahler, Ross Parker, Gilbert Richards, Barry Sharpe, Sean Dunn, Santi Lara, John O'Toole, David Trevisan, Carl Cottuli, David Weingaertner, Daniel Baynes
  • Patent number: 11031614
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks or columns, each fuel cell stack or column containing a plurality of fuel cells, and at least one pressure drop tool located in a fuel path of at least one first fuel cell stack or column but not in a fuel path of at least one second fuel cell stack or column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Natarajan Ramanan, Martin Perry, Yashas Keshav, Michael Petrucha, Nilanjana Basu
  • Patent number: 11012254
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments may provide for the selective enablement and disablement of tags, such as control/process tags, in controller area network (CAN) networks, such as power generation systems, including fuel cell systems connected by a CAN bus. The selective enablement and disablement of tags, such as control/process tags, according to the various embodiments may enable management of CAN traffic such that CAN bandwidth may not be exceeded in CAN networks, such as fuel cell systems connected by a CAN bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jayanth Moodliar, Ali Zargari, Aditi Akula
  • Patent number: 11001915
    Abstract: A method of making a metal alloy includes providing a molten metal alloy containing chromium, cerium and at least one of iron and nickel and providing an oxidizing gas and a reducing gas into the molten metal alloy to at least partially preferentially oxidize the cerium to ceria. The metal alloy may an iron or nickel based metal alloy which contains both cerium and ceria and at least 15 wt % Cr. The metal alloy may be used to form a balance of plant component for a fuel cell system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Adil A. Ashary
  • Patent number: 10989760
    Abstract: A method includes selecting a test waveform to inject from a first DC converter to at least one first DC power source other than a fuel cell, determining a first resulting ripple that will be generated in response to injecting the test waveform onto the battery, determining at least one offset waveform to inject from at least one second DC converter to at least one second DC power source to generate one or more second ripples which cancel the first resulting ripple, injecting the test waveform from the first DC converter to the at least one first DC power source, injecting the at least one offset waveform from the at least one second DC converter to the at least one second DC power source, and determining a characteristic of the first DC power source based at least in part on the impedance response of the first DC power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Arne Ballantine, Ranganathan Gurunathan, Anilkumar Vishnuvarjula, Chockkalingam Karuppaiah
  • Patent number: 10978726
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrolyte composition includes zirconia stabilized with scandia, and at least one of magnesia, zinc oxide, indium oxide, and gallium oxide, and optionally ceria in addition to the oxides above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David N. Miller, Cristian Savaniu, John T S Irvine, Tad Armstrong
  • Patent number: 10962492
    Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring and/or estimating a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of a component of a fuel cell system. A CTE measurement technique includes securing a measurement member over a surface of the component via a seal having a melting point, heating the seal above its melting point of the seal, cooling the component, measurement member and seal to a second temperature below the melting point of the seal, and determining the CTE of the component based on the change in the span of the measurement member after cooling. A fuel cell component characterization technique includes measuring an electrical resistivity (ER), conductivity (EC), resistance or conductance of the component, measuring at least one additional property of the component which, together with ER, EC, resistance or conductance, correlates to the CTE of the component, and sorting the component based on the measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Cheng-Yu Lin, Daniel Darga, Michael Groesch, Harald Herchen, Vijay Srivatsan
  • Patent number: 10957921
    Abstract: One method of operating a fuel cell system including splitting a cathode exhaust from one or more fuel cell stacks in the system into a majority cathode exhaust stream comprising more than 50% of the cathode exhaust and a first cathode exhaust bypass stream, providing the majority cathode exhaust stream to an inlet of an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) containing a catalyst and providing the first cathode bypass stream downstream of the catalyst such that it bypasses the catalyst. Another method includes providing an air inlet stream to the SOFC system via a main air inlet, providing the air inlet stream from the main air inlet to a cathode recuperator, and providing a cooling medium to a heat exchanger to cool the cathode recuperator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Weingaertner, Michael Petrucha, David Edmonston, Yashas Keshav, Nilanjana Basu, Martin Perry
  • Patent number: 10950875
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell system and method, the system including a hotbox containing a fuel cell stack, a fuel supply configured to provide a fuel to the fuel cell stack, and a blower configured to provide air to the fuel cell stack. During a shutdown operation, the blower is configured to cool the fuel cell stack at a rate ranging from about 0.75° C./min to about 3.0° C./min, until the temperature of the fuel cell stack is reduced to a temperature at which oxidation of anodes of the fuel cell stack is substantially prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Vijay Radhakrishnan, Manoj Pillai, Tad Armstrong, Padiadpu Shankara Anantha