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: 20200212459
    Abstract: A fuel cell system including power modules including fuel cells, and an exhaust flue connected to the power modules. The exhaust flue includes an outer duct configured to receive relatively cool cabinet exhaust from the power modules, and an inner duct disposed inside of the outer duct and configured to receive relatively hot reaction exhaust from the power modules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Arne BALLANTINE, Jessica MAHLER, Swaminathan VENKATARAMAN, Martin PERRY, David WEINGAERTNER, Samuel JUDAY, Christian DACO
  • Publication number: 20200168922
    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: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: David WEINGAERTNER, Michael PETRUCHA, David EDMONSTON, Yashas KESHAV, Nilanjana BASU, Martin PERRY
  • Publication number: 20200168935
    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: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventor: David WEINGAERTNER
  • Publication number: 20200161671
    Abstract: Various systems and methods disclosed herein may include a fuel cell system that may dynamically respond to changes in steam concentration in the fuel cell system. The fuel cell system may include a fuel cell stack that produces an anode exhaust stream, an anode recycle blower that receives the anode exhaust stream and outputs an anode recycle stream, and a humidity sensor configured to measure the steam concentration of the anode recycle stream. The fuel cell system may also include a master controller configured to receive steam concentration measurement from the humidity sensor and control the operation of the anode recycle blower and/or other components based on the steam concentration measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Arne Ballantine, Jayakumar Krishnadass, David Weingaertner, Andrew James Hall, Venkat V. Ramani
  • Publication number: 20200119370
    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: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Publication date: April 16, 2020
    Inventors: Adil Ashary, Martin Perry, David Weingaertner, Richard Dole, Ivan Hartana, Emad El Batawi
  • Publication number: 20200099076
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a first fuel conduit configured to receive fuel from a fuel source, a reactor fluidly connected to the first fuel conduit and configured to selectively oxidize sulfur species in fuel received from the first fuel conduit, and fuel cells configured to generate power using fuel containing oxidized sulfur species received from the reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: David WEINGAERTNER, Emad EL BATAWI, Chockkalingam KARUPPAIAH, Arne BALLANTINE
  • Publication number: 20200091531
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a hot box, a stack of fuel cells disposed in the hot box, and a desulfurization subsystem. The desulfurization subsystem may include a sulfur adsorption reactor containing a metal oxide, such as ZnO, configured to adsorb sulfur species from fuel, a first fuel conduit configured to provide fuel to the reactor, and a second fuel conduit configured to receive fuel from the reactor. The desulfurization subsystem may be configured to heat the reactor to an operating temperature ranging from about 200° C. to about 450° C., using heat generated in the hot box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: David Weingaertner, Emad El Batawi
  • Patent number: 10581090
    Abstract: Various systems and methods disclosed herein may include a fuel cell system that may dynamically respond to changes in steam concentration in the fuel cell system. The fuel cell system may include a fuel cell stack that produces an anode exhaust stream, an anode recycle blower that receives the anode exhaust stream and outputs an anode recycle stream, and a humidity sensor configured to measure the steam concentration of the anode recycle stream. The fuel cell system may also include a master controller configured to receive steam concentration measurement from the humidity sensor and control the operation of the anode recycle blower and/or other components based on the steam concentration measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Arne Ballantine, Jayakumar Krishnadass, David Weingaertner, Andrew James Hall, Venkat V. Ramani
  • Patent number: 10547071
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling a fuel cell system. An anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) receives air and fuel exhaust streams from one or more fuel cell stacks of the fuel cell system. The one or more fuel cell stacks provide current to one or more loads. An ATO temperature signal is used to control at least one of a fuel inlet flow to the one or more fuel cell stacks or the current provided to the one or more loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Higdon, David Weingaertner, Ali Zargari, Suthitham Kusolasak
  • Publication number: 20190305335
    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: March 21, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: John FISHER, Jayakumar KRISHNADASS, David WEINGAERTNER, Laxmikant GIRWALKAR, Shraddesh MALVIYA
  • Publication number: 20190190053
    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: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    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
  • Publication number: 20190140288
    Abstract: Various systems and methods disclosed herein may include a fuel cell system that may dynamically respond to changes in steam concentration in the fuel cell system. The fuel cell system may include a fuel cell stack that produces an anode exhaust stream, an anode recycle blower that receives the anode exhaust stream and outputs an anode recycle stream, and a humidity sensor configured to measure the steam concentration of the anode recycle stream. The fuel cell system may also include a master controller configured to receive steam concentration measurement from the humidity sensor and control the operation of the anode recycle blower and/or other components based on the steam concentration measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventors: Arne Ballantine, Jayakumar Krishnadass, David Weingaertner, Andrew James Hall, Venkat V. Ramani
  • Publication number: 20190062870
    Abstract: A method of selectively removing scandium from a scandium and fluoride-containing feed material includes providing the scandium-containing feed material, acid leaching the scandium-containing feed material with at least one acid in a presence of at least one of an aluminum or iron containing salt to form a scandium containing stream, and purifying the scandium containing stream to form a scandium compound end product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Lunzhi LIAO, David WEINGAERTNER, Christopher Jeffrey HARTLEY
  • Publication number: 20180191007
    Abstract: Various hot box fuel cell system components are provided, such as heat exchangers, steam generator and other components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Martin Perry, David Weingaertner, Nilanjana Basu, Michael Petrucha, William David Lyle, Navaneetha Krishnan, Matthias Gottmann
  • Patent number: 9799902
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided integrating an annular pre-reformer as part of an anode recuperator of a fuel cell system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Weingaertner, Vlad Kalika, Martin Perry
  • Publication number: 20170301934
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling a fuel cell system. An anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) receives air and fuel exhaust streams from one or more fuel cell stacks of the fuel cell system. The one or more fuel cell stacks provide current to one or more loads. An ATO temperature signal is used to control at least one of a fuel inlet flow to the one or more fuel cell stacks or the current provided to the one or more loads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: David HIGDON, David WEINGAERTNER, Ali ZARGARI, Suthitham KUSOLASAK
  • Patent number: 9780392
    Abstract: Various hot box fuel cell system components are provided, such as heat exchangers, steam generator and other components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Martin Perry, David Weingaertner, Nilanjana Basu, Michael Petrucha, William David Lyle, Navaneetha Krishnan, Matthias Gottmann
  • Patent number: 9680175
    Abstract: A fuel cell system comprises at least one fuel cell stack, a CPOX reactor, and a conduit for providing a fuel stream to the at least one fuel cell stack through the CPOX reactor during both a start up and a steady state modes of operation of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Swaminathan Venkataraman, David Weingaertner, Vlad Kalika
  • Patent number: 9673464
    Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell system includes characterizing the fuel or fuels being provided into the fuel cell system, characterizing the oxidizing gas or gases being provided into the fuel cell system, and calculating at least one of the steam:carbon ratio, fuel utilization and oxidizing gas utilization based on the step of characterization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Weingaertner, Arne Ballantine, Swaminathan Venkataraman
  • Patent number: 9520602
    Abstract: Various hot box fuel cell system components are provided, such as heat exchangers, steam generator and other components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Swaminathan Venkataraman, Vlad Kalika, David Weingaertner