Patents Assigned to FuelCell Energy, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11949130
    Abstract: An end cell assembly for a fuel cell stack includes an end plate and at least two inactive anode parts disposed adjacent to the end plate. Each inactive anode part comprises a nickel foam anode disposed directly above an anode current collector and a separator sheet disposed 5 above the nickel foam anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Chao-Yi Yuh, Lawrence Novacco, Ling Chen, Ramakrishnan Venkataraman
  • Patent number: 11949135
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a first fuel cell including a first anode and a first cathode, wherein the first anode is configured to output a first anode exhaust gas; a first oxidizer configured to receive the first anode exhaust gas and air from a first air supply, to react the first anode exhaust gas and the air in a preferential oxidation reaction, and to output an oxidized gas; a second fuel cell configured to act as an electrochemical hydrogen separator, the second fuel cell including: a second anode configured to receive the oxidized gas from the first oxidizer and to output a second anode exhaust gas, and a second cathode configured to output a hydrogen stream; and a condenser configured to receive the second anode exhaust gas and to separate water and CO2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: FuelCell Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Hossein Ghezel-Ayagh
  • Patent number: 11909082
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cells that each contain a plurality of fuel electrodes and air electrodes. The system includes a fuel receiving unit connected to the fuel cell stack, which receives a hydrocarbon fuel from a fuel supply. The system includes a fuel exhaust processing unit fluidly coupled to the fuel cell stack by a slip stream, where the fuel exhaust processing unit processes fuel exhaust from the fuel cell stack, and the slip stream is fluidly connected to an exhaust stream flowing from the fuel cell stack. The fuel processing unit removes a first portion of carbon dioxide (CO2) from fuel exhaust within the slip stream, outputs the first portion of CO2 in a first stream, and outputs a second portion of CO2 remaining from the fuel exhaust in the slip stream into a second stream, which includes hydrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: FuelCell Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony Leo, Stephen Jolly, James Kim
  • Patent number: 11888187
    Abstract: Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) are operated to provide enhanced CO2 utilization. This can increase the effective amount of carbonate ion transport that is achieved. The enhanced CO2 utilization is enabled in part by operating an MCFC under conditions that cause transport of alternative ions across the electrolyte. The amount of alternative ion transport that occurs during enhanced CO2 utilization can be mitigated by using a more acidic electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company, FuelCell Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Abdelkader Hilmi, Timothy A. Barckholtz, Jonathan Rosen, Heather A. Elsen, Gabor Kiss, Carl A. Willman, Chao-Yi Yuh, Hossein Ghezel-Ayagh, Timothy C. Geary
  • Patent number: 11888199
    Abstract: An elevated target amount of electrolyte is used to initially fill a molten carbonate fuel cell that is operated under carbon capture conditions. The increased target electrolyte fill level can be achieved in part by adding additional electrolyte to the cathode collector prior to start of operation. The increased target electrolyte fill level can provide improved fuel cell performance and lifetime when operating a molten carbonate fuel cell at high current density with a low-CO2 content cathode input stream and/or when operating a molten carbonate fuel cell at high CO2 utilization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company, FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Rosen, Heather A. Elsen, Gabor Kiss, William A. Lamberti, William C. Horn, Anding Zhang, Timothy C. Geary, Adam Franco, Abdelkader Hilmi
  • Patent number: 11804608
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell. The fuel cell includes an anode having an anode inlet configured to receive anode feed gas, and an anode outlet configured to output anode exhaust. The fuel cell further includes a cathode having a cathode inlet and a cathode outlet. The fuel cell system further includes an anode blower configured to receive the anode exhaust and output a higher-pressure anode exhaust. The fuel cell system further includes an anode blower recycle line configured to receive a portion of the higher-pressure anode exhaust downstream from the anode blower and to output the portion of the higher-pressure anode exhaust upstream from the anode blower. The fuel cell system further includes a first valve disposed in the blower recycle line, the first valve configured to open when the anode of the fuel cell is under-pressurized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Daly, Jeffrey Brown, Matthew Crowley, Robert S. Fournier, William J. Snyder, Fred C. Jahnke
  • Patent number: 11779982
    Abstract: An edge leveler for leveling an edge of a plate includes a plurality of first rollers and a plurality of second rollers. The plurality of first rollers and the plurality of second rollers are cooperatively arranged to receive only a first edge of a plate between the plurality of first rollers and the plurality of second rollers to straighten the first edge relative to the rest of the plate. The edge leveler is configured to slidably couple to a track and to slide along the track to straighten the first edge of the plate while the plate is stationary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin Aldrich, Carson Payne, Steve Rulli, Marc Gizzie, Steve Ayres
  • Patent number: 11749815
    Abstract: A caulk composition includes: at least one powder component and at least one binder component. The powder component is a ball-milled powder component comprising ceria, zirconia, alumina, or a combination thereof. The powder component is a heat-treated powder component that has been heated to a temperature of at least 1500° C. The powder component is present in a concentration range of 65 wt % to 75 wt % of the caulk composition. The powder component has a particle size distribution of 95% less than 25 ?m and 90% greater than 1 ?m. The binder component is present in a concentration range of 25 wt % to 35 wt % of the caulk composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew T. Snider, Chao-yi Yuh
  • Patent number: 11742508
    Abstract: A reforming element for a molten carbonate fuel cell stack and corresponding methods are provided that can reduce or minimize temperature differences within the fuel cell stack when operating the fuel cell stack with enhanced CO2 utilization. The reforming element can include at least one surface with a reforming catalyst deposited on the surface. A difference between the minimum and maximum reforming catalyst density and/or activity on a first portion of the at least one surface can be 20% to 75%, with the highest catalyst densities and/or activities being in proximity to the side of the fuel cell stack corresponding to at least one of the anode inlet and the cathode inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignees: EXXONMOBIL TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING COMPANY, FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Everett J. O'Neal, Lu Han, Carla S. Pereira, Rodrigo F. Blanco Gutierrez, Timothy M. Healy, Carl A. Willman, Hossein Ghezel-Ayagh, Frank J. Dobek, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11710836
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell having an anode and a cathode configured to output cathode exhaust. The fuel cell is configured to generate waste heat. The fuel cell system further includes a reformer configured to partially reform a feed gas using the waste heat and output a hydrogen-containing stream. The fuel cell system further includes a reformer-electrolyzer-purifier (“REP”) having an REP anode configured to receive a first portion of the hydrogen-containing stream and an REP cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: FuelCell Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Fred C. Jahnke, Matthew Lambrech
  • Patent number: 11698230
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a heat exchanger includes: providing a porous material that has a porosity of about 30% to about 80%; forming an oxide layer on a surface of the porous material by heat treating the porous material at a temperature in a range of 600° C. to 900° C. for a time period in a range of 8 hours to 12 hours in air; and integrating the porous material into a cold side flow passage of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Lambrech, Joseph M. Daly, Andrew Skok, Kazim Naqvi, Dennis Farrenkopf, Ling Chen, Allen Adriani
  • Patent number: 11695122
    Abstract: A layered cathode structure for a molten carbonate fuel cell is provided, along with methods of forming a layered cathode and operating a fuel cell including a layered cathode. The layered cathode can include at least a first cathode layer and a second cathode layer. The first cathode layer can correspond to a layer that is adjacent to the molten carbonate electrolyte during operation, while the second cathode layer can correspond to a layer that is adjacent to the cathode collector of the fuel cell. The first cathode layer can be formed by sintering a layer that includes a conventional precursor material for forming a cathode, such as nickel particles. The second cathode layer can be formed by sintering a layer that includes a mixture of particles of a conventional precursor material and 1.0 vol % to 30 vol % of particles of a lithium pore-forming compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignees: ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company, FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Abdelkader Hilmi, Gabor Kiss, Rodrigo F. Blanco Gutierrez, Timothy C. Geary, Ethan L. Demeter, Chao-Yi Yuh
  • Patent number: 11664519
    Abstract: A module assembly is provided including a fuel cell stack assembly, a heat exchanger, and a housing enclosing the fuel cell stack assembly and the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is configured to receive process gas from an external source and output said process gas to the fuel cell stack assembly, and configured to receive process gas from the fuel cell stack assembly and output said process gas. A fuel cell power plant is provided including a module assembly with a first end, a racking structure configured to hold the module assembly, balance of plant equipment, and ducting configured to provide fluid communication between the balance of plant equipment and the first end of the module assembly. The module assembly and the racking structure are configured such that the module assembly may be removed from the racking structure in a direction away from the first end of the module assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignees: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY, FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Keith E. Davis, Frank Hershkowitz, Lu Han, Clay R. Sutton, Paul J. Rubas
  • Patent number: 11619167
    Abstract: An energy storage system includes: a reformer configured to receive natural gas and steam and to output reformed natural gas; a combustion turbine configured to output heated sweep gas; and a molten carbonate electrolyzer cell (“MCEC”) including: an MCEC anode, and an MCEC cathode configured to receive the heated sweep gas from the combustion turbine. The energy storage system is configured such that: when no excess power is available, the combustion turbine receives the reformed natural gas from the reformer, and when excess power is available, the MCEC operates in a hydrogen-generation mode in which the MCEC anode receives the reformed natural gas from the reformer, and outputs MCEC anode exhaust that contains hydrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: FuelCell Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred C. Jahnke
  • Patent number: 11616248
    Abstract: Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) are operated at elevated pressure to provide increased operating voltage and/or enhanced CO2 utilization with a cathode input stream having a low CO2 content. It has been discovered that increasing the operating pressure of a molten carbonate fuel cell when using a low CO2-content cathode input stream can provide unexpectedly large increases in operating voltage while also reducing or minimizing the amount of alternative ion transport and/or enhancing CO2 utilization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignees: EXXONMOBIL TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING COMPANY, FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Rosen, Eric B. Shen, Timothy C. Geary
  • Patent number: 11600836
    Abstract: Disclosed here is a supported catalyst comprising a thermally stable core, wherein the thermally stable core comprises a metal oxide support and nickel disposed in the metal oxide support, wherein the metal oxide support comprises at least one base metal oxide and at least one transition metal oxide or rare earth metal oxide mixed with or dispersed in the base metal oxide. Optionally the supported catalyst can further comprise an electrolyte removing layer coating the thermally stable core and/or an electrolyte repelling layer coating the electrolyte removing layer, wherein the electrolyte removing layer comprises at least one metal oxide, and wherein the electrolyte repelling layer comprises at least one of graphite, metal carbide and metal nitride. Also disclosed is a molten carbonate fuel cell comprising the supported catalyst as a direct internal reforming catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: FuelCell Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Jin-Yun Wang, Mohammad Farooque, Ramakrishnan Venkataraman, Chao-Yi Yuh, April Corpuz
  • Patent number: 11545684
    Abstract: A system for capturing carbon dioxide in flue gas includes a fuel cell assembly including at least one fuel cell including a cathode portion configured to receive, as cathode inlet gas, the flue gas generated by the flue gas generating device or a derivative thereof, and to output cathode exhaust gas and an anode portion configure to receive an anode inlet gas and to output anode exhaust gas, a fuel cell assembly voltage monitor configured to measure a voltage across the fuel cell assembly, and a controller configured to receive the measured voltage across the fuel cell assembly from the fuel cell assembly voltage monitor, determine an estimated carbon dioxide utilization of the fuel cell assembly based on the measured voltage across the fuel cell assembly, and reduce the carbon dioxide utilization of the fuel cell assembly when the determined estimated carbon dioxide utilization is above a predetermined threshold utilization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: FuelCell Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Michael Daly, Stephen Jolly, Ramakrishnan Venkataraman, Eric Nuhfer
  • Patent number: 11541350
    Abstract: An EHS system includes a EHS cell having an anode, a cathode, and a cooling plate disposed proximate at least one of the anode or the cathode, the cooling plate configured to receive water and configured to output steam or a mixture of water and steam. The system further includes a liquid-vapor separator (LVS) configured to receive the steam or the mixture of water and steam from the cooling plate and to separate water and steam. The LVS is configured to output water to the cooling plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: FuelCell Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Fred C. Jahnke, Matthew Lambrech
  • Patent number: 11508981
    Abstract: A power production system includes a flue gas generator configured to generate a flue gas that includes carbon dioxide and oxygen; a fuel supply; a fuel cell assembly that includes: a cathode section configured to receive the flue gas generated by the flue gas generator, and output cathode exhaust, and an anode section configured to receive fuel from the fuel supply, and output anode exhaust that contains hydrogen and carbon dioxide; a methanator configured to receive the anode exhaust, convert at least a portion of the hydrogen in the anode exhaust to methane, and output methanated anode exhaust; a chiller assembly configured to cool the methanated anode exhaust to a predetermined temperature so as to liquefy carbon dioxide in the methanated anode exhaust; and a gas separation assembly configured to receive the cooled methanated anode exhaust and separate the liquefied carbon dioxide from residual fuel gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: FuelCell Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred C. Jahnke
  • Patent number: 11495819
    Abstract: A molten carbonate fuel cell assembly includes a cathode electrode; an anode electrode; an electrolyte matrix disposed between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode; a cathode current collector abutting the cathode electrode; and a first electrolyte composition stored in the cathode electrode, the first electrolyte composition comprising a first mixture of a eutectic Li/Na carbonate electrolyte doped with one or more additive materials, wherein the one or more additive materials comprise one or more of SrO, BaCO3, BaO, SrCO3, and combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: FuelCell Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Abdelkader Hilmi, Ethan Demeter