Fuel cell stack assembly

摘要

There is provided a fuel cell stack assembly being thermally and mechanically compliant. The fuel cell stack comprises fuel feed pipe and fuel outlet pipe, a plurality of bundles of fuel cell tube sub-assemblies, the bundles being separated by an expansion gap to prevent thermal and mechanical stresses propagating from one bundle to an adjacent bundle.

主权项

1. A fuel cell stack comprising at least one fuel cell strip, each strip comprising:
a fuel feed pipe; a fuel outlet pipe; and a plurality of bundles, each bundle comprising a plurality of tube sub-assemblies, each tube sub-assembly comprising a fuel cell tube, the tube sub-assemblies being separated longitudinally by end fittings connecting adjacent tube sub-assemblies, the end fittings providing a passage for fuel; wherein one of a respective lowermost or uppermost tube sub-assembly of each bundle comprises a manifold end fitting connecting the bundle to the fuel feed pipe and the other of the respective lowermost or uppermost tube sub-assembly of each bundle comprises a manifold end fitting connecting the bundle to the fuel outlet pipe; and wherein adjacent manifold end fittings from adjacent bundles are separated by an expansion gap.