Voltage lead jumper connected fuel cell columns

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks, and one or more devices which in operation of the system provide an azimuthal direction to one or more anode or cathode feed or exhaust fluid flows in the system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fuel cell system, comprising:
 a plurality of vertical fuel cell columns, each fuel cell column comprising at least one fuel cell stack, wherein the at least one fuel cell stack comprises a plurality of horizontal fuel cells stacked vertically;   a voltage lead jumper which electrically connects top ends of adjacent two of the plurality of vertical fuel cell columns such that the adjacent two vertical fuel cell columns form a column pair in which the columns are electrically connected in series; and   an electrical output located on a bottom end of each of the adjacent two vertical fuel cell columns;   wherein each of the plurality of vertical fuel cell columns comprises a plurality of fuel cell stacks, wherein a first fuel cell stack in a first fuel cell column is separated from an adjacent second fuel cell stack in the first fuel cell column by an anode feed/return assembly; and   wherein the plurality of vertical fuel cell columns comprise solid oxide fuel cell columns and the solid oxide fuel cell columns and the voltage lead jumper are enclosed in a housing.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electrical outputs comprise current collection rods which extend through a bottom surface of the system and are electrically connected to a power conditioning module or device.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the voltage lead jumper comprises a flexible, thermally and electrically insulating sleeve enclosing a metal or metal alloy wire. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the voltage lead jumper is located in an integrated solid oxide fuel cell and fuel processor unit. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the housing comprises a hot box, and the voltage lead jumper is located in the hot box. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the voltage lead jumper electrically connects top ends of adjacent two of the plurality of vertical fuel cell columns in the hot box; and   the electrical outputs extend through a bottom surface of the hot box and are electrically connected to a power conditioning module or device.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 a top electrical output of a first vertical fuel cell column in the column pair is electrically connected to a top electrical output of a second vertical fuel cell column in the column pair using the voltage lead jumper;   a bottom electrical output of the first vertical fuel cell column in the column pair is electrically connected to the power conditioning module or device; and   a bottom electrical output of the second vertical fuel cell column in the column pair is electrically connected to the power conditioning module or device.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of column pairs in the hot box. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of column pairs comprises the voltage lead jumper which connects a top electrical output of a first vertical fuel cell column in the column pair to a top electrical output of a second vertical fuel cell column in the column pair. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a bottom surface; and wherein the electrical outputs comprise current collection rods which extend through the bottom surface.