US 12,347,910 B2
Fuel cell power plant with a racked fuel cell module
Keith E. Davis, Southbury, CT (US); Frank Hershkowitz, Basking Ridge, NJ (US); Lu Han, Beaumont, TX (US); Clay R. Sutton, Pittstown, NJ (US); and Paul J. Rubas, Milford, NJ (US)
Assigned to EXXONMOBIL TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING COMPANY, Spring, TX (US); and FUELCELL ENERGY, INC., Danbury, CT (US)
Filed by EXXONMOBIL TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING COMPANY, Annandale, NJ (US); and FUELCELL ENERGY, INC., Danbury, CT (US)
Filed on Apr. 19, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/136,699.
Application 18/136,699 is a division of application No. 16/695,368, filed on Nov. 26, 2019, granted, now 11,664,519.
Prior Publication US 2024/0047725 A1, Feb. 8, 2024
Int. Cl. H01M 8/247 (2016.01); H01M 8/04014 (2016.01); H01M 8/04089 (2016.01); H01M 8/04701 (2016.01); H01M 8/2475 (2016.01); H01M 8/2483 (2016.01); H01M 8/2484 (2016.01); H01M 8/249 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/2475 (2013.01) [H01M 8/04014 (2013.01); H01M 8/04089 (2013.01); H01M 8/04708 (2013.01); H01M 8/2483 (2016.02); H01M 8/2484 (2016.02); H01M 8/249 (2013.01); H01M 2250/10 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel cell power plant system comprising:
a fuel cell module assembly having a first end and comprising, a plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies and a housing enclosing the fuel cell stack assemblies and a heat exchanger, wherein the fuel cell stack assemblies are oriented horizontally and the fuel cell stack assemblies have a plurality of fuel cells stacked horizontally,
a racking structure configured to, during an installed mode, hold a plurality of fuel cell module assemblies, including the fuel cell module assembly, wherein the racking structure during an installed mode holds multiple rows of fuel cell module assemblies and multiple columns of fuel cell module assemblies,
and
ducting configured to, during the installed mode, provide fluid communication between a cathode manifold and the first end of the module assembly,
wherein the fuel cell module assembly and the racking structure are configured such that, during a removal mode, the module assembly is removable from the racking structure in a direction away from the first end of the module assembly, wherein the housing is shaped to allow the fuel cell module assembly to be installed or removed horizontally from or into the racking structure, the racking structure being configured to hold multiple fuel cell module assemblies in a stacked relationship.