Patents by Inventor Matti NOPONEN

Matti NOPONEN 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: 20240088409
    Abstract: A temperature control system is disclosed for solid oxide cells, a cell including a fuel side, an oxygen rich side, and an electrolyte element, and the system including a repetitious unit structure for the solid oxide cells. The system includes a fuel flow field plate structure for fuel, an oxidant flow field plate structure for oxidant, electric contacting structures for the fuel and the oxidant and a temperature control fluid structure located in the flow field plate separately between the fuel flow field plate structure and the oxidant flow field plate structure. The temperature control system includes sealing structures to prevent leakages, and controls operation temperature in the solid oxide cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: Elcogen Oy
    Inventor: Matti NOPONEN
  • Patent number: 11626609
    Abstract: A contacting arrangement of solid oxide cells is disclosed, each solid oxide cell having at least two flow field plates to arrange gas flows in the cell, and an active electrode structure, which has an anode side, a cathode side, and an electrolyte element between the anode side and the cathode side. The contacting arrangement includes a gasket structure to perform sealing functions in the solid oxide cell and a contact structure located between the flow field plates and the active electrode structure, the contact structure being at least partly a gas permeable structure configured and adapted according to structures of the flow field plates and according to the active electrode structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: ELCOGEN OY
    Inventor: Matti Noponen
  • Patent number: 10777824
    Abstract: An input reactant flow guiding arrangement for a solid oxide electrolyzer cell includes a flow distribution area and a flow outlet area, each on the flow field plate. The arrangement guides input reactant flow to the flow distribution area from sides of the electrolyzer cell, and turns at least one of the input reactant feed flow and the input reactant outlet flow to equalize flow distribution on an electrolyte element. A reactant flow adjusting structure with flow restriction orifices has at least one geometrical shape for adjusting homogenously at least one of the input reactant feed flow and input reactant outlet flow over an electrolyte element based on a flow functional effect of the at least one geometrical shape of the flow adjusting structure, the flow adjusting structure having flow restriction orifices of definable height and a gasket structure having at least partly an elliptical shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: ELCOGEN OY
    Inventors: Matti Noponen, Olli Himanen, Jari Pennanen
  • Patent number: 10559836
    Abstract: A fuel flow guiding arrangement is disclosed for a solid oxide fuel cell wherein the arrangement is configured for guiding oxygen rich side gas to and from an electrolyte element. The arrangement includes a flow field plate for each cell to arrange flows in the cell, a flow distribution area on the flow field plate, and a flow outlet area on the flow field plate. The arrangement can guide fuel feed flow to the flow distribution area from sides of a fuel cell, and can turn at least one of the fuel feed flow on the flow distribution area and fuel outlet flow on the flow outlet area to equalize flow distribution on the electrolyte element. A fuel flow adjusting structure can essentially homogenously adjust at least one of the fuel feed flow and fuel outlet flow over the electrolyte element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: ELCOGEN OY
    Inventors: Matti Noponen, Olli Himanen, Jari Pennanen
  • Patent number: 10535883
    Abstract: A protection arrangement including the first coating and another coating on metal structure of solid oxide cells, each solid oxide cell having at least two fuel cell structure plates made of metal to arrange gas flows in the cell, and an active electrode structure, which includes an anode side, a cathode side, and an electrolyte element between the anode side and the cathode side. The protection arrangement can include: a first metal oxide coating on a metallic structure in a first thermal spraying coating process of a liquid precursor being from at least one of nitrates and acetates based substances fed into thermal flame; and at least one other metal oxide coating formed at least partly simultaneously with the first coating process on the previously deposited metal oxide coating from a liquid precursor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: ELCOGEN OY
    Inventors: Jouni Puranen, Matti Noponen
  • Patent number: 10056624
    Abstract: A sealing arrangement of solid oxide cell stacks is disclosed. The sealing arrangement includes a gasket structure between a flow field plate and an electrolyte element, and between flow field plates of repetitious structures, with first sealing layers being in contact with the flow field plate and the gasket structure, the first sealing layers being overlaid over a selected area of the flow field plate and over a selected area of the gasket structure according to corrosion minimization criteria and on the basis of sealing function criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: ELCOGEN OY
    Inventors: Matti Noponen, Pauli Torri
  • Publication number: 20180205094
    Abstract: A protection arrangement of solid oxide cells, each solid oxide cell having at least two fuel cell structure plates made of metal to arrange gas flows in the cell, and an active electrode structure, which includes an anode side, a cathode side, and an electrolyte element between the anode side and the cathode side. The protection arrangement can include: a first material coating on a metallic structure in a first thermal spraying coating process of liquid precursor being from at least one of nitrates and acetates based substances fed into thermal flame; and at least one other coating formed at least partly simultaneously with the first coating process on a previously deposited coating from liquid precursor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Applicant: Elcogen Oy
    Inventors: Jouni Puranen, Matti Noponen
  • Publication number: 20180019482
    Abstract: An input reactant flow guiding arrangement for a solid oxide electrolyzer cell includes a flow distribution area and a flow outlet area, each on the flow field plate. The arrangement guides input reactant flow to the flow distribution area from sides of the electrolyzer cell, and turns at least one of the input reactant feed flow and the input reactant outlet flow to equalize flow distribution on an electrolyte element. A reactant flow adjusting structure with flow restriction orifices has at least one geometrical shape for adjusting homogenously at least one of the input reactant feed flow and input reactant outlet flow over an electrolyte element based on a flow functional effect of the at least one geometrical shape of the flow adjusting structure, the flow adjusting structure having flow restriction orifices of definable height and a gasket structure having at least partly an elliptical shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Applicant: Elcogen Oy
    Inventors: Matti NOPONEN, Olli HIMANEN, Jari PENNANEN
  • Patent number: 9673463
    Abstract: A control arrangement in a fuel cell system for producing electricity with fuel cells, the fuel cell system including means for recirculating fuel through the anode sides of the fuel cells, and at least one system controller in a control processor for controlling the operation of the fuel cell system. The control arrangement includes means for performing a substantially asynchronous chemical reaction rates calculation process of at least one of fuel composition and fuel flow rate to accomplish information in a substantially iterative process on at least recirculation ratio of the fuel recirculation through anodes and means for generating, in a substantially synchronous process with the system controller process, fuel utilization (FU) information and Carbon formation information by utilizing the latest available recirculation ratio information provided by said asynchronous process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: CONVION OY
    Inventors: Matti Noponen, Kim Åström
  • Publication number: 20170125826
    Abstract: A sealing arrangement of solid oxide cell stacks is disclosed. The sealing arrangement includes a gasket structure between a flow field plate and an electrolyte element, and between flow field plates of repetitious structures, with first sealing layers being in contact with the flow field plate and the gasket structure, the first sealing layers being overlaid over a selected area of the flow field plate and over a selected area of the gasket structure according to corrosion minimization criteria and on the basis of sealing function criteria.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Applicant: ELCOGEN OY
    Inventors: Matti NOPONEN, Pauli TORRI
  • Publication number: 20170047606
    Abstract: A contacting arrangement of solid oxide cells is disclosed, each solid oxide cell having at least two flow field plates to arrange gas flows in the cell, and an active electrode structure, which has an anode side, a cathode side, and an electrolyte element between the anode side and the cathode side. The contacting arrangement includes a gasket structure to perform sealing functions in the solid oxide cell and a contact structure located between the flow field plates and the active electrode structure, the contact structure being at least partly a gas permeable structure configured and adapted according to structures of the flow field plates and according to the active electrode structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicant: ELCOGEN OY
    Inventor: Matti NOPONEN
  • Publication number: 20160344057
    Abstract: An assembly arrangement of solid oxide cells in a fuel cell system or in an electrolyzer cell system is disclosed which includes cells arranged at least to four angles and at least one cell stack formation. At least one substantially plain attachment side of each at least four angled stack formation includes at least one geometrically deviating attachment surface structure in the otherwise substantially plain side between at least two corners of the at least four angled stack formation. At least one flow restriction structure restricts air flows in the cell system to be mounted against the geometrically deviating attachment surface structure of each stack formation to attach at least one cell stack formation in the assembly arrangement. An electrical insulation is arranged to the attachment of the flow restriction structure and the stack formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Applicant: Elcogen Oy
    Inventor: Matti NOPONEN
  • Publication number: 20160308225
    Abstract: A fuel flow guiding arrangement is disclosed for a solid oxide fuel cell wherein the arrangement is configured for guiding oxygen rich side gas to and from an electrolyte element. The arrangement includes a flow field plate for each cell to arrange flows in the cell, a flow distribution area on the flow field plate, and a flow outlet area on the flow field plate. The arrangement can guide fuel feed flow to the flow distribution area from sides of a fuel cell, and can turn at least one of the fuel feed flow on the flow distribution area and fuel outlet flow on the flow outlet area to equalize flow distribution on the electrolyte element. A fuel flow adjusting structure can essentially homogenously adjust at least one of the fuel feed flow and fuel outlet flow over the electrolyte element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Applicant: Elcogen Oy
    Inventors: Matti NOPONEN, Olli HIMANEN, Jari PENNANEN
  • Publication number: 20160248108
    Abstract: A control arrangement in a fuel cell system for producing electricity with fuel cells, the fuel cell system including means for recirculating fuel through the anode sides of the fuel cells, and at least one system controller in a control processor for controlling the operation of the fuel cell system. The control arrangement includes means for performing a substantially asynchronous chemical reaction rates calculation process of at least one of fuel composition and fuel flow rate to accomplish information in a substantially iterative process on at least recirculation ratio of the fuel recirculation through anodes and means for generating, in a substantially synchronous process with the system controller process, fuel utilization (FU) information and Carbon formation information by utilizing the latest available recirculation ratio information provided by said asynchronous process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Applicant: CONVION OY
    Inventors: Matti NOPONEN, Kim ASTROM