US 12,283,732 B2
Reactant feed and return assembly for fuel cell stacks including a nozzle structure
Annamalai Raman, Bangalore (IN); Karanpal Bhangu, Manteca, CA (US); Victor Fung, Daly City, CA (US); Nilanjana Basu, San Jose, CA (US); and Michael Petrucha, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/052,816.
Claims priority of application No. 202241006957 (IN), filed on Feb. 9, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0253606 A1, Aug. 10, 2023
Int. Cl. H01M 8/2484 (2016.01); H01M 8/04089 (2016.01); H01M 8/2425 (2016.01); H01M 8/249 (2016.01); H01M 8/12 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/2484 (2016.02) [H01M 8/04097 (2013.01); H01M 8/2425 (2013.01); H01M 8/249 (2013.01); H01M 2008/1293 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel cell stack system, comprising:
a fuel cell stack comprising an end plate having an inlet riser channel opening and an outlet riser channel opening extending through the end plate; and
a reactant feed and return assembly having an outer surface that is adjacent to the end plate of the fuel cell stack, the reactant feed and return assembly comprising:
a reactant feed opening in the reactant feed and return assembly;
a reactant exhaust opening in the reactant feed and return assembly;
a reactant feed channel within the reactant feed and return assembly in fluid communication with the reactant feed opening;
a nozzle structure located between the reactant feed channel and an opening in the outer surface of the reactant feed and return assembly, the nozzle structure having a width dimension that decreases along a direction of reactant flow through the at least one nozzle structure to the opening in the outer surface of the reactant feed and return assembly, wherein the opening in the outer surface of the reactant feed and return assembly is adjacent to the inlet riser channel opening in the end plate of the fuel cell stack, and a width of the opening in the outer surface of the reactant feed and return assembly is less than a width of the inlet riser channel opening; and
a reactant exhaust channel within the reactant feed and return assembly in fluid communication with the reactant exhaust opening.