SOFC hot box components
View Patent ↗Various hot box fuel cell system components are provided, such as heat exchangers, steam generator and other components.
1. A cathode recuperator uni-shell comprising a monolithic assembly comprising a single cylindrical corrugated fin plate; a top enclosure comprising a finger plate; and a bottom enclosure comprising a finger plate, wherein the finger plates comprise finger shaped extensions consisting of finger plate extensions which only cover every other corrugation of the cylindrical corrugated fin plate;
wherein the cathode recuperator uni-shell is configured so that a first fluid flows on one side of the single cylindrical corrugated fin plate and a second fluid flows on an opposite side of the single cylindrical corrugated fin plate.
2. The cathode recuperator uni-shell of claim 1 , wherein the finger shaped extensions of the top enclosure are offset one corrugation from the finger shaped extensions of the bottom enclosure.
3. The cathode recuperator uni-shell of claim 2 ,
wherein the top enclosure and the bottom enclosure are configured to force the first fluid and the second fluid to make a non-zero angle turn before flowing along the single cylindrical corrugated fin plate.
4. The cathode recuperator uni-shell of claim 3 , wherein the non-zero angle turn comprises a turn of about 90 degrees from radial flow direction to an axial flow direction with respect to the cathode recuperator uni-shell having a cylindrical shape.
5. The cathode recuperator uni-shell of claim 1 , further comprising a steam generator located above the cathode recuperator uni-shell.
6. The cathode recuperator uni-shell of claim 5 , wherein the steam generator is located between an inner lid and an outer lid of the cathode recuperator uni-shell or in an exit plenum of the cathode recuperator.
7. The cathode recuperator uni-shell of claim 5 , wherein the steam generator comprises a steam generator coil, the steam generator coil is in fluid communication with a cathode exhaust outlet of the cathode recuperator to allow conversion of water to steam in the coil using heat of a stack cathode exhaust stream exiting the outlet of the cathode recuperator.
8. The cathode recuperator uni-shell of claim 7 , wherein the steam generator coil is supported by a baffle plate.