US 12,438,168 B2
Fuel cell stack grounding through an impedance creating element
Prasad Pmsvvsv, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Arne Ballantine, Palo Alto, CA (US); Adil A. Ashary, San Jose, CA (US); David Edmonston, Soquel, CA (US); Michael Petrucha, Santa Clara, CA (US); Tad Armstrong, Burlingame, CA (US); and Matthias Gottmann, Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Assigned to BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 8, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/504,665.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/696,475, filed on Jul. 11, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0020964 A1, Jan. 16, 2020
Int. Cl. H01M 8/04664 (2016.01); H01M 8/04537 (2016.01); H01M 8/12 (2016.01); H01M 8/2425 (2016.01); H01M 8/2465 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/04679 (2013.01) [H01M 8/04559 (2013.01); H01M 8/2425 (2013.01); H01M 8/2465 (2013.01); H01M 2008/1293 (2013.01); H01M 2200/103 (2013.01); H01M 2200/106 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel cell system, comprising:
a plurality of fuel cell segments, each segment having a plurality of fuel cells and each segment comprises:
a positive terminal having a positive voltage with respect to ground; and
a negative terminal;
at least one impedance creating component electrically connecting the negative terminal of each segment to ground, the at least one impedance creating component configured to decrease a surge current through the segments in response to the surge current; and
ceramic side baffles are located adjacent to the fuel cell segments;
wherein the negative terminal is configured during operation to have a potential that is substantially 0 V with respect to ground; and
wherein the system is configured to maintain the potential of the negative terminal at substantially 0 V with respect to ground to decrease corrosion of the ceramic side baffles by at least one of alkali or alkali earth ions.