Patents by Inventor David Weingaertner

David Weingaertner 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).

  • Publication number: 20240425993
    Abstract: An electrolyzer system includes a steam generator configured to generate steam, a stack of solid oxide electrolyzer cells configured to generate a hydrogen stream using the steam received from the steam generator, and a water preheater configured to preheat water provided to the steam generator using heat extracted from oxygen exhaust output from the stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2024
    Publication date: December 26, 2024
    Inventors: David WEINGAERTNER, Andy TA, Navaneethakrishnan GOVINDARASU, Siddharth PATEL, Kim NGUYEN, Nandan JOSHI, Shannon BELL
  • Patent number: 12173418
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for electrolysis at very large scale (e.g., exceeding 100 megawatts (MW), and at gigawatt (GW) scale having a solid oxide electolyzer cell (SOEC) system including one or more SOEC columns, and one or more heat exchangers, each of the heat exchangers configured to receive input stream that is used to heat respective SOEC columns, wherein each of the heat exchangers is located along respective SOEC columns such that the input steam exiting the heat exchanger is directed towards adjacent SOEC columns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: K R Sridhar, David Weingaertner, Carlton Cottuli, Matthias Gottmann
  • Publication number: 20240379981
    Abstract: A method includes operating a fuel cell system to generate power and an anode exhaust, separating water and carbon dioxide in the anode exhaust from syngas consisting essentially of a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and providing the syngas to a syngas user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2024
    Publication date: November 14, 2024
    Inventors: David WEINGAERTNER, Martin PERRY, K.R. SRIDHAR
  • Patent number: 12136725
    Abstract: An electrolyzer system and a fuel cell system that include hydrogen blowers configured to compress hydrogen streams generated by the systems. The electrolyzer system includes a steam generator configured to generate steam, a stack of solid oxide electrolyzer cells configured to generate a hydrogen stream using the steam received from the steam generator, a hydrogen blower configured to pressurize the hydrogen stream generated by the stack, and a hydrogen processor configured to compress the pressurized hydrogen stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Weingaertner, Martin Perry
  • Patent number: 12091759
    Abstract: An electrolyzer system includes a stack of solid oxide electrolyzer cells configured receive steam and output a hydrogen exhaust and an oxygen exhaust, a supplemental steam generator configured to generate the steam provided to the stack by vaporizing water using heat extracted from the oxygen exhaust, a water preheater configured to preheat water using heat extracted from the oxygen exhaust, and a primary steam generator configured to generate the steam provided to the stack by vaporizing the water preheated by the water preheater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: David Weingaertner
  • Patent number: 12095124
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes at least one hot box including a fuel cell stack and producing an anode exhaust product, at least one hydrogen pump, at least one product conduit fluidly connecting an anode exhaust product outlet of the hot box to an inlet of the at least one hydrogen pump, a compressed hydrogen product conduit connected to a compressed hydrogen product outlet of the at least one hydrogen pump, and at least one effluent conduit connected to an unpumped effluent outlet of the at least one hydrogen pump. Additional embodiments include a fuel cell system in which the anode exhaust product stream is provided to at least one carbon dioxide pump to generate a compressed carbon dioxide product and an unpumped effluent that may be recycled to the at least one hot box of the fuel cell system. In various embodiments, the fuel cell system may use or recapture essentially all of the hydrogen content and nearly all of the carbon content of the input fuel that is provided to the fuel cell system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Weingaertner, Michael Gasda, Martin Perry
  • Publication number: 20240301565
    Abstract: An electrolyzer system includes electrolyzer cell columns each containing at least one stack of electrolyzer cells that are configured to receive a steam inlet stream and an air inlet stream, and to generate a hydrogen exhaust stream and an oxygen exhaust stream, an air recuperator heat exchanger surrounded by the electrolyzer cell columns and configured to heat the air inlet stream using the oxygen exhaust stream, a steam recuperator heat exchanger surrounded by the electrolyzer cell columns and configured to heat the steam inlet stream using the hydrogen exhaust stream, an outer column heater located radially outward of the electrolyzer cell columns and configured to radiate heat toward radially outward surfaces of the electrolyzer cell columns, and an inner column heater located radially inward of the electrolyzer cell columns, surrounding the air recuperator heat exchanger and the steam recuperator heat exchanger, and configured to radiate heat toward radially inward surfaces of the electrolyzer cell colu
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2024
    Publication date: September 12, 2024
    Inventors: Jesse DOTY, David EDMONSTON, Alejandro Carlos LAVERNIA, Mark STANTON, David WEINGAERTNER, Shannon BELL
  • Publication number: 20240297319
    Abstract: A system includes a desulfurizer vessel, a heat source configured to heat a fuel received from a fuel source to form a heated fuel, and a desulfurization catalyst located in the desulfurizer vessel and configured to catalytically adsorb sulfur species from the heated fuel and output a desulfurized fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2024
    Publication date: September 5, 2024
    Inventors: David WEINGAERTNER, Srikanth RANGANATHAN
  • Publication number: 20240282984
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a stack of fuel cells, an anode recuperator configured to heat fuel provided to the stack using anode exhaust generated by the stack, an anode exhaust distribution structure fluidly connecting a fuel outlet the stack to an anode exhaust inlet of the anode recuperator, and a reformation catalyst disposed in the anode exhaust distribution structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2024
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Inventor: David WEINGAERTNER
  • Publication number: 20240282982
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a stack of fuel cells, an anode recuperator configured to heat fuel provided to the stack using anode exhaust generated by the stack, an anode exhaust distribution structure fluidly connecting a fuel outlet the stack to an anode exhaust inlet of the anode recuperator, and a reformation catalyst disposed in the anode exhaust distribution structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2024
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Inventors: David WEINGAERTNER, Annamalai RAMAN
  • Patent number: 12043909
    Abstract: A method of operating a solid oxide electrolyzer system includes providing a water inlet stream to at least one solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC), generating a wet hydrogen product stream from the at least one SOEC, providing the wet hydrogen product stream to at least one hydrogen pump, generating a compressed hydrogen product and an unpumped effluent in the at least one hydrogen pump, and recycling at least a portion of the unpumped effluent upstream of the at least one hydrogen pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Weingaertner, Martin Perry, Michael Gasda
  • Patent number: 12027733
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO), an ATO injector configured to mix a first portion of an anode exhaust from the fuel cell stack with a cathode exhaust from the fuel cell stack and to provide a mixture of the first portion of the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust into the ATO, an anode exhaust conduit which is configured to provide the first portion of the anode exhaust into the ATO injector, and cathode exhaust conduit which is configured to provide at least a portion of the cathode exhaust from the fuel cell stack into the ATO injector. The ATO injector includes injector tubes or injection apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Edmonston, David Weingaertner, Michael Petrucha, Ivan Hartana
  • Publication number: 20240213502
    Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell system includes providing fuel and air to a stack of fuel cells located in a hotbox, operating the stack to generate an anode exhaust and a cathode exhaust, in a startup mode, providing a first amount of the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust to an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) located in the hotbox to oxidize the anode exhaust and to generate heat which is provided to the stack, and in a steady-state mode, stopping providing the anode exhaust to the ATO or providing to the ATO a second amount of the anode exhaust which is smaller than the first amount, and providing the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust outside the hotbox.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2024
    Publication date: June 27, 2024
    Inventors: David WEINGAERTNER, Michael PETRUCHA
  • Publication number: 20240204218
    Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell system includes providing an anode exhaust stream from a stack of fuel cells into an anode exhaust cooler, providing an air inlet stream into the anode exhaust cooler and heating the air inlet stream using heat extracted from the anode exhaust stream, providing a heated air inlet stream output from the anode exhaust cooler into the stack, providing a cooled anode exhaust stream at a temperature between 110° C. and 180° C. from the anode exhaust cooler into an anode recycle blower, and recycling at least a portion of the cooled anode exhaust stream into a fuel inlet stream provided into the stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2023
    Publication date: June 20, 2024
    Inventors: David WEINGAERTNER, Karen J. LEE, David EDMONSTON, Jessica MAHLER
  • Publication number: 20240204220
    Abstract: A fuel cell system and method for using a peak shaving gas, the system including: a fuel inlet configured to receive fuel from a fuel source; a catalytic partial oxidation (CPOx) reactor configured to at least partially oxidize the fuel during startup of the system; a blower configured to provide air to the CPOx reactor; a gas analyzer configured to determine a composition of fuel provided to the CPOx reactor from the fuel inlet; an oxidation catalyst configured to reduce an O2 content of fuel received from the CPOx reactor; a reforming catalyst configured to partially reform fuel received from the oxidation catalyst; and a stack of fuel cells configured to generate electricity using fuel received from the reforming catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2023
    Publication date: June 20, 2024
    Inventors: John FISHER, Jayakumar KRISHNADASS, David WEINGAERTNER, Laxmikant GIRWALKAR, Shraddesh MALVIYA
  • Patent number: 11973247
    Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell system includes providing fuel and air to a stack of fuel cells located in a hotbox, operating the stack to generate an anode exhaust and a cathode exhaust, in a startup mode, providing a first amount of the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust to an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) located in the hotbox to oxidize the anode exhaust and to generate heat which is provided to the stack, and in a steady-state mode, stopping providing the anode exhaust to the ATO or providing to the ATO a second amount of the anode exhaust which is smaller than the first amount, and providing the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust outside the hotbox.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Weingaertner, Michael Petrucha
  • Patent number: 11876257
    Abstract: A fuel cell system and method for using a peak shaving gas, the system including: a fuel inlet configured to receive fuel from a fuel source; a catalytic partial oxidation (CPOx) reactor configured to at least partially oxidize the fuel during startup of the system; a blower configured to provide air to the CPOx reactor; a gas analyzer configured to determine a composition of fuel provided to the CPOx reactor from the fuel inlet; an oxidation catalyst configured to reduce an O2 content of fuel received from the CPOx reactor; a reforming catalyst configured to partially reform fuel received from the oxidation catalyst; and a stack of fuel cells configured to generate electricity using fuel received from the reforming catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Fisher, Jayakumar Krishnadass, David Weingaertner, Laxmikant Girwalkar, Shraddesh Malviya
  • Publication number: 20240011173
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for electrolysis at very large scale (e.g., exceeding 100 megawatts (MW), and at gigawatt (GW) scale having a solid oxide electolyzer cell (SOEC) system including one or more SOEC columns, and one or more heat exchangers, each of the heat exchangers configured to receive input stream that is used to heat respective SOEC columns, wherein each of the heat exchangers is located along respective SOEC columns such that the input steam exiting the heat exchanger is directed towards adjacent SOEC columns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: KR SRIDHAR, David WEINGAERTNER, Carlton COTTULI, Matthias GOTTMANN
  • Publication number: 20230420715
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes at least one electrochemical pump separator to separate hydrogen and carbon dioxide from a fuel exhaust stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2022
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: David WEINGAERTNER, Greg YOUNG, Vijay SRIVATSAN, Michael PETRUCHA
  • Publication number: 20230378493
    Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell power system includes providing a fresh hydrogen fuel to power modules that each contain a heater and a stack of fuel cells, providing a fuel exhaust containing hydrogen and water from the stack to a condenser, removing water from the fuel exhaust to generate a recycled fuel containing dewatered hydrogen, and pressurizing and recycling the recycled fuel output from the condenser to the power modules. The removed water may be vaporized in a stack cathode exhaust.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: Jayakumar KRISHNADASS, David WEINGAERTNER, Harald HERCHEN, Brent CHELDELIN