US 11,990,652 B2
Fuel cell system heat exchanger including welded heat exchange plate and method of forming same
Jordan Cedarleaf-Pavy, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Nicholas Arcelona, Milpitas, CA (US); Matthew Mahoney, Newark, DE (US); Adrian Basharain, San Jose, CA (US); and Joshua Baime, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/231,575.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/011,339, filed on Apr. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0328238 A1, Oct. 21, 2021
Int. Cl. H01M 8/04007 (2016.01); F28F 3/02 (2006.01)
CPC H01M 8/04074 (2013.01) [F28F 3/025 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
 
1. A method of forming a fuel cell system heat exchanger, comprising:
flattening opposing ends of a corrugated heat exchange plate using a bead roller to form opposing flattened ends; and
welding the flattened ends to structural components of the fuel cell system,
wherein the flattening the opposing ends comprises overlapping corrugations at opposing ends of the corrugated heat exchange plate without overlapping the corrugations in a middle portion of the heat exchange plate located between the opposing flattened ends of the heat exchange plate; and
wherein the bead roller comprises opposing roller dies, the roller dies comprising cylindrical portions which form the flattened ends, and hemispherical portions which form a tapered transition region between the flattened ends and channels in the corrugations in the middle portion of the heat exchange plate.