US 12,291,791 B2
Steam use and safety systems
Shannon Bell, San Jose, CA (US); and Jessica Mahler, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Bloom Energy Corporation, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/151,738.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/297,670, filed on Jan. 7, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0220576 A1, Jul. 13, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C25B 15/027 (2021.01); C25B 1/042 (2021.01); C25B 9/19 (2021.01); C25B 9/77 (2021.01); C25B 15/08 (2006.01)
CPC C25B 15/027 (2021.01) [C25B 1/042 (2021.01); C25B 9/19 (2021.01); C25B 9/77 (2021.01); C25B 15/087 (2021.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) system comprising:
a stack of electrolyzer cells configured to receive water or steam in combination with hydrogen;
a hydrogen conduit fluidly connected to the stack of electrolyzer cells and configured to provide external hydrogen to the stack of electrolyzer cells when the SOEC system is in startup, and to cease providing the external hydrogen to the stack of electrolyzer cells when the SOEC system is operating at steady state;
a recycle steam inlet;
a hydrogen product outlet fluidly connected to the recycle steam inlet, and configured to recycle a portion of a hydrogen and steam exhaust from the hydrogen product outlet into the recycle steam inlet when the SOEC system is operating at the steady state;
a hotbox that encloses the stack of electrolyzer cells;
an enriched air blower; and
an enriched air conduit fluidly connecting an enriched air outlet of the hotbox to the enriched air blower;
an air blower;
an air conduit fluidly connecting the air blower to an air inlet of the hotbox; and
wherein the stack of electrolyzer cells is configured to cease receiving hydrogen when the SOEC system detects a safety event, and the enriched air blower continues to operate and ventilate a cabinet of the hotbox during the safety event.