Bloom Energy has filed a patent for a method of making an interconnect for an electrochemical cell stack. The method involves providing the interconnect and creep flattening it before placing it into the cell stack. GlobalData’s report on Bloom Energy gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Bloom Energy, Polymer electrolyte fuel cells was a key innovation area identified from patents. Bloom Energy's grant share as of September 2023 was 43%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Method of making an interconnect for an electrochemical cell stack
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230307665A1) describes a method for making an interconnect for an electrochemical cell stack. The method involves providing the interconnect and then creep flattening it before placing it into the cell stack. Creep flattening is conducted at an elevated temperature under a load, with the temperature ranging from 920°C to 1100°C and the load ranging from 100 to 500 pounds. The creep flattening process can last for 4 to 60 hours. Additionally, the method includes conducting the creep flattening in an oxidizing ambient, which results in the interconnect being oxidized during the process.
Further steps in the method involve removing a metal oxide from the surface of the interconnect and forming a coating on the air-side ribs of the interconnect. The coating can be made of either lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM) or (Mn, Co)3O4 spinel (MCO). An initial oxidation of the interconnect is performed before the creep flattening process, and the metal oxide removal and coating formation occur after the creep flattening. The air-side ribs of the interconnect have riser seal surfaces that are recessed with respect to the top surface of the coating on the tips of the ribs.
The interconnect itself is made of a chromium alloy containing 3 to 6 weight percent iron, 0 to 1 weight percent yttrium, and 94 to 97 weight percent chromium. It has a density of at least 6.5 grams per cubic centimeter and is formed using a powder metallurgy method. The interconnect also has fuel inlets and outlets, an air side with air flow fields and ribs, and a fuel side with fuel flow fields and ribs. The coating made of LSM or MCO is located on the air-side ribs but not on the riser seal surfaces.
The patent also describes an electrochemical cell stack that includes multiple interconnects, electrochemical cells in contact with the air-side ribs of the interconnects, and glass or glass-ceramic seals between the cells and the riser seal surfaces of the adjacent interconnects. The electrochemical cells can be either solid oxide fuel cells or solid oxide electrolyzer cells.
In summary, the patent outlines a method for making an interconnect for an electrochemical cell stack, including the steps of creep flattening, oxidizing, removing metal oxide, and forming a coating. The interconnect is made of a specific chromium alloy and has fuel inlets and outlets, air flow fields, and a coating on the air-side ribs. The patent also describes an electrochemical cell stack that incorporates these interconnects and includes solid oxide fuel cells or solid oxide electrolyzer cells.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
