Patents by Inventor Michael Gasda

Michael Gasda 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).

  • Patent number: 11916263
    Abstract: A cross-flow interconnect and a fuel cell stack including the same, the interconnect including fuel inlets and outlets that extend through the interconnect adjacent to opposing first and second peripheral edges of the interconnect; an air side; and an opposing fuel side. The air side includes an air flow field including air channels that extend in a first direction, from a third peripheral edge of the interconnect to an opposing fourth peripheral edge of the interconnect; and riser seal surfaces disposed on two opposing sides of the air flow field and in which the fuel inlets and outlets are formed. The fuel side includes a fuel flow field including fuel channels that extend in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, between the fuel inlets and outlets; and a perimeter seal surface surrounding the fuel flow field and the fuel inlets and outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Gasda, Vijay Srivatsan, Robert M. Hintz, Swaminathan Venkataraman, Padiadpu Shankara Anantha, Emad El Batawi, Cheng-Yu Lin, Sagar Mainkar, Gilbert Richards, Jonathan Scholl
  • Patent number: 11870121
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Gasda, Robert Hintz, Karanpal Bhangu, Siddharth Patel, Harald Herchen, Victor Silva, Thuy Thanh Muhl, Tyler Dawson, David Edmonston, Tad Armstrong
  • Publication number: 20230307665
    Abstract: A method of making an interconnect for an electrochemical cell stack includes providing the interconnect, and creep flattening the interconnect prior to placing the interconnect into the electrochemical cell stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2022
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Michael GASDA, Sachin PARHAR, Cheng-Yu LIN, Victor FUNG, Amit NAWATHE, Brian THERAULT, Manoj PILLAI
  • Publication number: 20230238546
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes stacked solid oxide fuel cells, interconnects disposed between the fuel cells, and dielectric layers disposed on the interconnects and including a first glass-containing component and a corrosion barrier material. Optionally, the dielectric layers may cover only a portion of the interconnect riser seal surfaces which are covered by riser seals. Additionally or alternatively, the fuel cell stack may include an electrolyte reinforcement layer on the electrolyte of the solid oxide fuel cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Michael GASDA, Patrick NIKONG, Emad EL BATAWI, Chockkalingam KARUPPAIAH, Allyson ELLEGOOD, Madhuri NALLABOLU, Thuy Thanh MUHL
  • Publication number: 20230231172
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, a fuel inlet conduit configured to provide a fuel to a fuel inlet of the fuel cell stack, an electrochemical pump separator containing an electrolyte, a cathode, and a carbon monoxide tolerant anode, a fuel exhaust conduit that operatively connects a fuel exhaust outlet of the fuel cell stack to an anode inlet of the electrochemical pump separator, and a product conduit which operatively connects a cathode outlet of the electrochemical pump separator to the fuel inlet conduit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2023
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Chockkalingam KARUPPAIAH, Michael GASDA, Arne BALLANTINE, Martin PERRY, Andy TA, Kyle KEKELIS, Srikanth RANGANATHAN
  • Patent number: 11664521
    Abstract: A fuel cell system column includes a first terminal plate connected to a first electrical output of the column, a second terminal plate connected to a second electrical output of the column, at least one first fuel cell stack located in a middle portion of the column between the first terminal plate and the second terminal plate, and at least one electrical connection which is electrically connected to the middle portion of the column and which is configured to provide a more uniform fuel utilization across the first column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tad Armstrong, Harald Herchen, David Weingaertner, Rajan Surve, Matthias Gottmann, Prasad Pmsvvsv, Ranganathan Gurunathan, Arne Ballantine, Michael Gasda, Tyler Dawson, Chockkalingam Karuppaiah
  • Publication number: 20230155143
    Abstract: A fuel cell interconnect includes fuel ribs disposed on a first side of the interconnect and a least partially defining fuel channels, and air ribs disposed on an opposing second side of the interconnect and at least partially defining air channels. The fuel channels include central fuel channels disposed in a central fuel field and peripheral fuel channels disposed in peripheral fuel fields disposed on opposing sides of the central fuel field. The air channels include central air channels disposed in a central air field and peripheral air channels disposed in peripheral air fields disposed on opposing sides of the central air field. At least one of the central fuel channels or the central air channels has at least one of a different cross-sectional area or length than at least one of the respective peripheral fuel channels or the respective peripheral air channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2022
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Michael GASDA, Cheng-Yu LIN, Ling-Hsiang CHEN, Harald HERCHEN, Ian RUSSELL, Tad ARMSTRONG
  • Publication number: 20230155157
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2022
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Michael GASDA, Robert HINTZ, Karanpal BHANGU, Siddharth PATEL, Harald HERCHEN, Victor SILVA, Thuy Thanh MUHL, Tyler DAWSON, David EDMONSTON, Tad ARMSTRONG
  • Publication number: 20230146574
    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: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2022
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: David WEINGAERTNER, Michael GASDA, Martin PERRY
  • Patent number: 11616249
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, a fuel inlet conduit configured to provide a fuel to a fuel inlet of the fuel cell stack, an electrochemical pump separator containing an electrolyte, a cathode, and a carbon monoxide tolerant anode, a fuel exhaust conduit that operatively connects a fuel exhaust outlet of the fuel cell stack to an anode inlet of the electrochemical pump separator, and a product conduit which operatively connects a cathode outlet of the electrochemical pump separator to the fuel inlet conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chockkalingam Karuppaiah, Michael Gasda, Arne Ballantine, Martin Perry, Andy Ta, Kyle Kekelis, Srikanth Ranganathan
  • Publication number: 20220349076
    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: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: David WEINGAERTNER, Martin PERRY, Michael GASDA
  • Publication number: 20220278341
    Abstract: A cross-flow interconnect and a fuel cell stack including the same, the interconnect including fuel inlets and outlets that extend through the interconnect adjacent to opposing first and second peripheral edges of the interconnect; an air side; and an opposing fuel side. The air side includes an air flow field including air channels that extend in a first direction, from a third peripheral edge of the interconnect to an opposing fourth peripheral edge of the interconnect; and riser seal surfaces disposed on two opposing sides of the air flow field and in which the fuel inlets and outlets are formed. The fuel side includes a fuel flow field including fuel channels that extend in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, between the fuel inlets and outlets; and a perimeter seal surface surrounding the fuel flow field and the fuel inlets and outlets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2022
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Inventors: Michael GASDA, Vijay SRIVATSAN, Robert M. HINTZ, Swaminathan VENKATARAMAN, Padiadpu Shankara ANANTHA, Emad EL BATAWI, Cheng-Yu LIN, Sagar MAINKAR, Gilbert RICHARDS, Jonathan SCHOLL
  • Patent number: 11355762
    Abstract: A cross-flow interconnect and a fuel cell stack including the same, the interconnect including fuel inlets and outlets that extend through the interconnect adjacent to opposing first and second peripheral edges of the interconnect; an air side; and an opposing fuel side. The air side includes an air flow field including air channels that extend in a first direction, from a third peripheral edge of the interconnect to an opposing fourth peripheral edge of the interconnect; and riser seal surfaces disposed on two opposing sides of the air flow field and in which the fuel inlets and outlets are formed. The fuel side includes a fuel flow field including fuel channels that extend in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, between the fuel inlets and outlets; and a perimeter seal surface surrounding the fuel flow field and the fuel inlets and outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Gasda, Vijay Srivatsan, Robert M. Hintz, Swaminathan Venkataraman, Padiadpu Shankara Anantha, Emad El Batawi, Cheng-Yu Lin, Sagar Mainkar, Gilbert Richards, Jonathan Scholl
  • Publication number: 20210257645
    Abstract: A fuel cell system column includes a first terminal plate connected to a first electrical output of the column, a second terminal plate connected to a second electrical output of the column, at least one first fuel cell stack located in a middle portion of the column between the first terminal plate and the second terminal plate, and at least one electrical connection which is electrically connected to the middle portion of the column and which is configured to provide a more uniform fuel utilization across the first column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Tad ARMSTRONG, Harald HERCHEN, David WEINGAERTNER, Rajan SURVE, Matthias GOTTMANN, Prasad PMSVVSV, Ranganathan GURUNATHAN, Arne BALLANTINE, Michael GASDA, Tyler DAWSON, Chockkalingam KARUPPAIAH
  • Publication number: 20200303758
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, a fuel inlet conduit configured to provide a fuel to a fuel inlet of the fuel cell stack, an electrochemical pump separator containing an electrolyte, a cathode, and a carbon monoxide tolerant anode, a fuel exhaust conduit that operatively connects a fuel exhaust outlet of the fuel cell stack to an anode inlet of the electrochemical pump separator, and a product conduit which operatively connects a cathode outlet of the electrochemical pump separator to the fuel inlet conduit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Chockkalingam KARUPPAIAH, Michael GASDA, Arne BALLANTINE, Martin PERRY, Andy TA, Kyle KEKELIS, Srikanth RANGANATHAN
  • Patent number: 10763533
    Abstract: An interconnect for a fuel cell stack includes an interconnect body having an air surface having air flow channels and ribs and a fuel surface having fuel flow channels and ribs, an electrically conductive contact layer located on the air surface of the interconnect, the electrically conductive contact layer containing at least one of Co and Mn, and a corrosion barrier layer containing zirconium silicate and magnesium aluminosilicate crystals located over the electrically conductive contact layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Emad El Batawi, Sanchit Khurana, Michael Gasda, Tad Armstrong
  • Patent number: 10749188
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) includes a solid oxide electrolyte with a zirconia-based ceramic, an anode electrode, and a cathode electrode that includes a ceria-based ceramic component and an electrically conductive component. Another SOFC includes a solid oxide electrolyte containing a zirconia-based ceramic, an anode electrode, and a cathode electrode that includes an electrically conductive component and an ionically conductive component, in which the ionically conductive component includes a zirconia-based ceramic containing scandia and at least one of ceria, ytterbia and yttria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andres Leming, Emad El Batawi, Michael Gasda, Tad Armstrong, James Wilson
  • Patent number: 10680251
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell, system including the same, and method of using the same, the fuel cell including an electrolyte disposed between an anode and a cathode. The anode includes a first layer including a metallic phase and a ceramic phase, and a second layer including a metallic phase. The metallic phase of the second layer includes a metal catalyst and a dopant selected from Al, Ca, Ce, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Nb, Pr, Ti, V, W, or Zr, any oxide thereof, or any combination thereof. The second layer may also include a ceramic phase including ytterbia-ceria-scandia-stabilized zirconia (YCSSZ).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Gasda, Emad El Batawi, Tad Armstrong, Vijay Radhakrishnan, Jonathan Scholl
  • Patent number: 10615444
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) includes a cathode electrode, a solid oxide electrolyte and an anode electrode containing a first portion having a cermet containing a nonzero volume percent of a nickel containing phase and a nonzero volume percent of a ceramic phase and a second portion having a cermet containing a nonzero volume percent of a nickel containing phase and a nonzero volume percent of a ceramic phase, such that the first portion is located between the electrolyte and the second portion. The SOFC is an electrolyte-supported SOFC and the first portion of the anode electrode contains a lower ratio of the nickel containing phase to the ceramic phase than the second portion of the anode electrode. The first portion of the anode electrode has a porosity of 5-30 volume percent and the second portion of the anode electrode has a porosity of 31-60 volume percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Gasda, Chockkalingam Karuppaiah, Tad Armstrong, Vijay Radhakrishnan, Emad El Batawi
  • Patent number: 10553879
    Abstract: A method of making an interconnect for a solid oxide fuel cell stack includes providing a chromium alloy interconnect and providing a nickel mesh in contact with a fuel side of the interconnect. Formation of a chromium oxide layer is reduced or avoided in locations between the nickel mesh and the fuel side of the interconnect. A Cr—Ni alloy or a Cr—Fe—Ni alloy is located at least in the fuel side of the interconnect under the nickel mesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Emad El Batawi, Andres Leming, Shailendra Parihar, Michael Gasda