Abstract: A fuel cell column includes a stack of alternating fuel cells and interconnects, where the interconnects separate adjacent fuel cells in the stack and contain fuel and air channels which are configured to provide respective fuel and air to the fuel cells. a manifold plate containing a bottom inlet hole and a bottom outlet hole located in a bottom surface of the manifold plate, top outlet holes and top inlet holes formed in opposing sides of a top surface of the manifold plate, outlet channels fluidly connecting the top outlet holes to the bottom inlet hole, and inlet channels fluidly connecting the top inlet holes to the bottom outlet hole, and a mitigation structure configured to reduce stress applied to the stack due to at least one of a shape mismatch or coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch between the stack and the manifold plate.

Abstract: A manifold plate for a fuel cell stack includes a lower manifold portion, an upper manifold portion, a dielectric layer sandwiched between the lower manifold portion and the upper manifold portion, a bottom inlet hole and a bottom outlet hole formed in a bottom surface of the lower manifold portion, where the bottom inlet hole and the bottom outlet hole extend through the dielectric layer, top outlet holes and top inlet holes formed in opposing sides of a top surface of the upper manifold portion, outlet channels fluidly connecting the top outlet holes to the bottom inlet hole, and inlet channels fluidly connecting the top inlet holes to the bottom outlet hole.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a reactant feed and return assembly, such as an anode splitter plate (ASP), are provided for facilitating reactant feed flow in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack system. Embodiments include a reactant feed and return assembly including at least one nozzle structure along a flow path of a reactant feed to a fuel cell stack. The at least one nozzle structure may include a width dimension that decreases along the flow path of the reactant. The at least one nozzle structure of the assembly may accelerate the reactant feed as it enters the adjacent fuel cell stack and may provide the reactant feed with sufficient kinetic energy to negate the effects of an increase in viscous resistance along the reactant flow path through the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: A fuel cell column includes a stack of alternating fuel cells and interconnects, where the interconnects separate adjacent fuel cells in the stack and contain fuel and air channels which are configured to provide respective fuel and air to the fuel cells. a manifold plate containing a bottom inlet hole and a bottom outlet hole located in a bottom surface of the manifold plate, top outlet holes and top inlet holes formed in opposing sides of a top surface of the manifold plate, outlet channels fluidly connecting the top outlet holes to the bottom inlet hole, and inlet channels fluidly connecting the top inlet holes to the bottom outlet hole, and a mitigation structure configured to reduce stress applied to the stack due to at least one of a shape mismatch or coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch between the stack and the manifold plate.

Abstract: A manifold plate for a fuel cell stack includes a lower manifold portion, an upper manifold portion, a dielectric layer sandwiched between the lower manifold portion and the upper manifold portion, a bottom inlet hole and a bottom outlet hole formed in a bottom surface of the lower manifold portion, where the bottom inlet hole and the bottom outlet hole extend through the dielectric layer, top outlet holes and top inlet holes formed in opposing sides of a top surface of the upper manifold portion, outlet channels fluidly connecting the top outlet holes to the bottom inlet hole, and inlet channels fluidly connecting the top inlet holes to the bottom outlet hole.