Patents by Inventor Stefan Megel

Stefan Megel 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: 20230178761
    Abstract: An apparatus can include a housing, a plurality of electrochemical devices disposed within the housing, and a heat exchanger disposed within the housing. The heat exchanger can be faced with an oxidant-containing gas outlet surface of at least one of the plurality of electrochemical devices. The electrochemical devices can include a stack of solid oxide fuel cells, a battery, or a solid oxide electrolyzer cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Claire LOE, Yuto TAKAGI, Brian P. FELDMAN, John D. PIETRAS, Stefan MEGEL, Jens SCHNETTER, Mihails KUSNEZOFF
  • Patent number: 11557775
    Abstract: An apparatus can include a housing, a plurality of electrochemical devices disposed within the housing, and a heat exchanger disposed within the housing. The heat exchanger can be faced with an oxidant-containing gas outlet surface of at least one of the plurality of electrochemical devices. The electrochemical devices can include a stack of solid oxide fuel cells, a battery, or a solid oxide electrolyzer cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignees: SAINT-GOBAIN CERAMICS & PLASTICS, INC., FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E. V.
    Inventors: Claire Loe, Yuto Takagi, Brian P. Feldman, John D. Pietras, Stefan Megel, Jens Schnetter, Mihails Kusnezoff
  • Publication number: 20210194021
    Abstract: An apparatus can include a housing, a plurality of electrochemical devices disposed within the housing, and a heat exchanger disposed within the housing. The heat exchanger can be faced with an oxidant-containing gas outlet surface of at least one of the plurality of electrochemical devices. The electrochemical devices can include a stack of solid oxide fuel cells, a battery, or a solid oxide electrolyzer cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Claire LOE, Yuto Takagi, Brian P. Feldman, John D. Pietras, Stefan Megel, Jens Schnetter, Mihails Kusnezoff
  • Publication number: 20190393522
    Abstract: An electrochemical assembly can include an electrochemical device and a heat exchanger disposed within a housing. In an embodiment, the heat exchanger can be disposed in a gas outlet chamber. In another embodiment, the heat exchanger can be at least partially embedded in a wall of the gas outlet chamber. The heat exchanger can be configured to transfer a heat from an outlet gas to an inlet gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: Brian P. Feldman, John D. Pietras, Yuto Takagi, Stefan Megel, Jens Schnetter, Mihails Kusnezoff
  • Patent number: 10411274
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement of electrochemical cells and also to the uses thereof. The electrochemical cells are arranged one above another and are in electrically conducting communication with one another. In this arrangement they form repeating units which in each case are formed of at least one interconnector, in which apertures for gas passage are formed, an electrochemical cell, which is formed of a cathode, an electrolyte and an anode, and contact elements on the anode side and on the cathode side, and are arranged one above another. The area of the individual planar electrochemical cells is in each case smaller than the area of the individual interconnectors, and the electrolytes finish flush in each case with a plane of a surface of the respective interconnector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Stefan Megel, Lutz Schadt, Mihails Kusnezoff, Jochen Schilm, Nikolai Trofimenko
  • Publication number: 20180083297
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement of electrochemical cells and also to the uses thereof. The electrochemical cells are arranged one above another and are in electrically conducting communication with one another. In this arrangement they form repeating units which in each case are formed of at least one interconnector, in which apertures for gas passage are formed, an electrochemical cell, which is formed of a cathode, an electrolyte and an anode, and contact elements on the anode side and on the cathode side, and are arranged one above another. The area of the individual planar electrochemical cells is in each case smaller than the area of the individual interconnectors, and the electrolytes finish flush in each case with a plane of a surface of the respective interconnector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Applicant: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Stefan MEGEL, Lutz SCHADT, Mihails KUSNEZOFF, Jochen SCHILM, Nikolai TROFIMENKO
  • Patent number: 7897289
    Abstract: The invention relates to stackable high-temperature fuel cells which are combined to form so-called fuel cell stacks and also can be connected to each other electrically conductively in series and/or in parallel. According to the set object, such high-temperature fuel cells are intended to form an electrically conductive connection between a cathode and an interconnector which, even at temperatures above 800° C. and also in the oxidising atmosphere prevailing during operation of fuel cells, have a sufficiently high electrical conductivity, a chemically and mechanically adequate strength or stability. The high-temperature fuel cells according to the invention are connected, on the anode-side, to a fuel supply and, on the cathode-side, to an oxidant supply. The cathode is connected electrically conductively by means of at least one resilient contact element to an interconnector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Peter Otschik, Klaus Eichler, Stefan Megel
  • Publication number: 20100062290
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for testing the leak-tightness of a fuel cell stack comprising the steps of operating the fuel cell stack using defined gas supply rates, a defined modification of at least one gas supply rate, detecting at least one cell or cell group voltage and analysing the variation in time of the at least one cell or cell group voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: Staxera GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Reinert, Björn Erik Mai, Jeremy Lawrence, Stefan Megel
  • Publication number: 20070190391
    Abstract: The invention relates to stackable high-temperature fuel cells which are combined to form so-called fuel cell stacks and also can be connected to each other electrically conductively in series and/or in parallel. According to the set object, such high-temperature fuel cells are intended to form an electrically conductive connection between a cathode and an interconnector which, even at temperatures above 800° C. and also in the oxidising atmosphere prevailing during operation of fuel cells, have a sufficiently high electrical conductivity, a chemically and mechanically adequate strength or stability. The high-temperature fuel cells according to the invention are connected, on the anode-side, to a fuel supply and, on the cathode-side, to an oxidant supply. The cathode is connected electrically conductively by means of at least one resilient contact element to an interconnector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Inventors: Peter Otschik, Klaus Eichler, Stefan Megel