High temperature seal
View Patent ↗A high temperature seal including an aerogel gasket disposed between two or more components of a high temperature fuel cell system.
1. A fuel cell system comprising:
a high temperature fuel cell contained in a housing;
a fuel intake for providing fuel to said fuel cell;
an oxygen intake for providing oxygen to said fuel cell;
an exhaust path for exhaust from said fuel cell; and
a first aerogel seal disposed between said fuel cell and said housing.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising aerogel seals. disposed between said housing and either said fuel intake, oxygen intake or exhaust path.
3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising aerogel seals disposed between said housing and each of said fuel intake, oxygen intake or exhaust path.
4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising aerogel seals disposed at said fuel intake, oxygen intake or exhaust path.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said aerogel seal is made from aerogel that was pulverized and reconstituted.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said seal seals an anode chamber within said housing.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said seal prevents fuel from escaping said anode chamber to intermingle with an oxidant in a cathode chamber within said housing.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second aerogel seal providing a seal between said housing and electrical interconnections running from said fuel cell to an exterior of said housing.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein said fuel cell has a cylindrical shape and said first aerogel seal comprises an annular gasket disposed around said cylindrical fuel cell.
10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a flange gasket comprising aerogel.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein said flange gasket is disposed around a said intake or exhaust path of said housing.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first aerogel seal comprises a perimeter gasket comprising aerogel.
13. A fuel cell system comprising:
a high temperature fuel cell contained in a housing;
a fuel intake extending through said housing for providing fuel to said fuel cell;
an oxygen intake extending through said housing for providing oxygen to said fuel cell;
an exhaust path extending through said housing for exhausting exhaust from said fuel cell; and
a seal comprising aerogel disposed between components of said system within said housing.