Title of Invention	AN IMPROVED COMPRESSIVE AND FLEXIBLE SEAL MEANS
Abstract	The present invention relates to sealing design and methods for isolation of fluids in a device by the application of compressive forces. The device may use multiple gases or liquids at various parts, which are required to be isolated by incorporating adequate sealing between various functional sub parts of the device. One of the non-limiting examples of such devices is the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) built for its use in stacks and systems for generating electric power from controlled supply of fuel gas and air. This particular innovation deals with the performance improvement of the conventional compressive seal materials by novel designs using very fine or nano particles in strategic locations to arrest the leakage of the fluids. The device may use multiple gases or liquids at various parts, which are required to be isolated by incorporating adequate sealing between various functional sub-parts of the device. One of the non-limiting examples of such devices is the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) built for its use in stacks and systems for generating electric power from controlled supply of fuel gas and air. For SOFC and many other devices such as syngas generators, membrane reactors, etc., different gaseous streams internal to the device at the elevated temperatures must be kept separate from each other.

Title of Invention

AN IMPROVED COMPRESSIVE AND FLEXIBLE SEAL MEANS

Abstract

The present invention relates to sealing design and methods for isolation of fluids in a device by the application of compressive forces. The device may use multiple gases or liquids at various parts, which are required to be isolated by incorporating adequate sealing between various functional sub parts of the device. One of the non-limiting examples of such devices is the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) built for its use in stacks and systems for generating electric power from controlled supply of fuel gas and air. This particular innovation deals with the performance improvement of the conventional compressive seal materials by novel designs using very fine or nano particles in strategic locations to arrest the leakage of the fluids. The device may use multiple gases or liquids at various parts, which are required to be isolated by incorporating adequate sealing between various functional sub-parts of the device. One of the non-limiting examples of such devices is the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) built for its use in stacks and systems for generating electric power from controlled supply of fuel gas and air. For SOFC and many other devices such as syngas generators, membrane reactors, etc., different gaseous streams internal to the device at the elevated temperatures must be kept separate from each other.

Full Text	-2- Field of the invention: The present invention relates to an improved seal means for isolation of fluids in a device by the application of compressive forces. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved compressive and flexible seal means capable of adequately sealing the components of a planner SOFC device. Background of the invention: Devices such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have huge potential for use in power generation with much higher efficiency than the conventional devices. SOFC can work at a high efficiency with variety of fuels such as Hydrogen, natural gas, coal gas, LPG, bio fuels etc, and cause a minimal environment impact (air and noise). However the commercial acceptability and wide use of such efficient device is delimited due to non availability of cheaper and reliable seals which can withstand repeated thermal cycles typically encountered during its operations. In addition, performance of the available seals is plagued by very high operational leak rates in severe (oxidizing, reducing, and humid) environments. Sealing of planner SOFCs to separate the air and fuel particularly in power plants, represents a significant technical challenge. In planar SOFCs, a plurality of seals attach the cell to an interconnect and/or metal frames, including sealing of all possible leakage points. Such Seals are expected to function properly in harsh environments at elevated temperatures. The SOFC stacks experience multiple thermal cycles (perhaps thousands of cycles for some applications) during their lifetime service in stationary or applications. As a result, thermal cycle stability is considered a top priority for SOFC sealant development. -3- Both rigid and compressive seals are developed in the art for SOFCs. The most common approach is to use rigid glass or glass-ceramic seals, the properties of which can be tailored specifically for use in SOFCs through variation of the glass composition. However, these rigid seals are inherently brittle, and they permanently seal the parts preventing re-use of once dissembled parts and have more stringent requirements to comply with, for example, cracking and thermal expansion matching. On the other hand, the compressive seals are not rigidly fixed to the other SOFC components, so that an exact match of thermal expansion is not required. The individual cells are allowed to expand and contract freely while heating/cooling during thermal cycling and routine operation. The compressive allows a wide range of interconnect materials to select form. Although mica-based compressed seals are known, they however exhibit an increased leak rate due to thermal damages in an environment of continued thermal cycling at high operating temperatures up to about 850°C. The thermal damages generally result from fragmentation, cleavage, micro-stress fractures and similar damages to the microstructure of the mica substrate matrix, and introduces leak paths or void spaces those are continuous in three dimensions. US patent application Sr. No. 10/134072 filed Apr 27, 2002 demonstrated that by adding additional compliant interlayers (glass or metal) to mica based seals the leak rates can be reduced substantially. Further US patent publication No. US 2004/0048137 Al dated March 11, 2004 described a seal composed of compliant interlayers (glass or metal) and a sealing (gasket) member layer composed of mica that is infiltrated with a glass forming material, which more effectively reduces leaks within the seal. -4- US patent No. US 7197912 Bl dated Apr 3, 2007 entitled "Gas sensor seal and method of producing same" described the use of talc powder pack, which serves as a leak resistant seal. One common example of such seal pack is the "sand seal" typically used for gas sealing of wagons of high temperature tunnel kiln used widely in ceramic industries. Since these powders are generally about thousand times bigger than the gas molecules to be sealed, the seals are not so effective, and misfit for the devices under consideration in this application. US patent No. US 7210220 B2 dated Mayl, 2007 entitled "Apparatus for and method of forming seals in fuel cells and fuel stacks" discloses a method of injection of seal materials into a groove network. However the seal material is then cured to form the seal, thus will finally act as rigid seal only. US patent No. US 7198303 B2 dated Apr3, 2007 entitled "Exhaust pipe joint and seal" described a sealing method by which powder materials are used along with wire or wire mesh to form a composite and then compressed to form a seal. Since these powders are substantially bigger than the gas molecules to be sealed, the seals are not so effective in the context of the devices such as herein described in this patent application. Objects of the invention: It is therefore an object of this invention to propose an improved compressive and flexible seal means capable of adequately sealing the components of a planner SOFC device with superior thermal cycle stability. Another object of the invention is to propose an improved compressive and flexible seal means capable of adequately sealing the components of a planner SOFC device with superior thermal cycle stability, in which nano powder materials are employed. -5- Still another object of this invention is to propose an improved compressive and flexible seal means capable of adequately sealing the components of a planner SOFC device with superior thermal cycle stability, in which varying degree of adhesion bonding of very fine or nano powder materials coating is employed between the mating surfaces. Yet another object of the invention is to propose an improved compressive and flexible seal means capable of adequately sealing the components of a planner SOFC device with superior thermal cycle stability, in which the scratch lines, pores, fractures, cleavages, interstices, leak path, voids, on the matting surfaces of the components are filled with the coated materials. A further object of the invention is to propose propose an improved compressive and flexible seal means capable of adequately sealing the components of a planner SOFC device with superior thermal cycle stability in which means are provided to allow absorption of stresses generated during the use of the device. A still further object of the invention is to propose propose an improved compressive and flexible seal means capable of adequately sealing the components of a planner SOFC device with superior thermal cycle stability, in which the nano particles under compressive force of the device get compacted to produce an adequate sealing to the device. SUMMARY OF INVENTION Accordingly, there is provided an improved compressive and flexible seal means adaptable in particular to planner solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) devices, the SOFC device comprises a top sealing component , and a bottom sealing component which are intended to be joined so as to isolate the gas present in a first and second compartments of the device, the seal means comprising at least one first sealing gasket member disposed in contact with the first compartment, at least one second sealing gasket member placed in -6- contact with the second compartment, and a powder pack composed of nano particles interposed between the at least one first and second sealing gasket members . The device may use multiple gases or liquids at varioujs parts, which are required to be isolated by incorporating adequate sealing between various functional sub- parts of the device. One of the non-limiting examples of such devices is the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) built for its use in stacks and systems for generating electric power from controlled supply of fuel gas and air. For SOFC and may other devices such as synagas generators, membrane reactors, etc., different gaseous streams internal to the device at the elevated temperatures must be kept separate from each other. In a preferred embodiment, the seal means may comprise compressive seal member gaskets such as mica and continuous bulk of nano powder materials enclosing at least one or more sides of the compressive member gasket. The internal mating parts of the device at least some of them, are coated with a layer of very fine or nano materials and subjected to processing conditions such that the scratch lines, pores, fractures, cleavages, interstices, leak path, voids, on the mating surfaces of the components are filled with the coated materials. At least some part of the bulk powder comprising of very fine or nano particles deposited arc loosely bonded to make use of the flexible and movable nature of the powder assembly for filling the voids including absorption of the stress generated during the use of the device. This enhances the healing of voids, crack, flows whenever created either in the bulk or on the other member of the seal assembly. The bulk of the powder pack comprising of nano particle exists between the compressive seal member gaskets and the sealing parts, which under compressive force of the device gets compacted to deliver adequate sealing to the device. -7- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS: FIGURE 1 shows a schematic perspective end view of a first, a second, and a third embodiment of an improved compressive and flexible seal means adaptable in particular to planner SOFC device according to the invention. Figure-2- shows a fourth embodiment of a seal means according to the invention. Figure-3- shows a fifth embodiment of a seal means according to the invention. DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As shown in figure 1, a top sealing component (10) and a bottom sealing component (20) of the device are required to be joined by the seal means of the invention so as to isolate the gas present in a first compartment (30) indicated in the left hand side of the drawing from the gas present in a second compartment (40) indicated in the right hand side of the figure. The seal means comprises a first sealing gasket member (50) in contact with the first compartment (30), a second sealing gasket member (60) in contact with the second compartment 40, and a powder pack composed of very fine or nano particles (70) interposed between the first and second sealing gasket members (50,60). The nano particles (70) are disposed and contained between the top and bottom components (10,20) of the device. In a second embodiment, a bottom surface (10) and a top surface (20) of the device which are adjacent to the first sealing member, nano particle and the second sealing member ( 50, 70, 60) are coated with fine layers (11, 21) of nano materials of thickness ranging from 20 nm to 1 micron. -8- In a third embodiment both the top and bottom surfaces of sealing gasket members (50,60) are coated with fine layers (51, 52, 61, 62) of nano materials (70) of thickness ranging from 20 nm to 1 micron. In a fourth embodiment as shown in FIGURE 2 all the four surfaces of the top and bottom sealing component (50,60) are coated with fine layers (51, 52, 53, 54, 61, 62, 63, 64) of nano materials (70) of thickness ranging from 20 nm to 1 micron. In a fifth embodiment as shown in FIGURE 3, projections (11,21) are provided on the surfaces of the mating parts in contact with the bulk powder containing regions. The projected parts (11,21) extends inside the powder pack region and helps compaction of it with application of relatively small compressive force acting on the sealing means. -9- We Claim: 1. An improved compressive and flexible seal means adaptable in particular to planner solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) devices, the SOFC device comprises a top sealing component (10), and a bottom sealing component (20) which are intended to be joined so as to isolate the gas present in a first and second compartments (30,40) of the device, the seal means comprising: - at least one first sealing gasket member (50) disposed in contact with the first compartment (30); - at least one second sealing gasket member (60) placed in contact with the second compartment (40); and - a powder pack composed of nano particles (70) interposed between the at least one first and second sealing gasket members (50,60). 2. An improved compressive and flexible seal means adaptable in particular to planner solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) devices, the SOFC device comprises a top sealing component (10), and a bottom sealing component (20) which are intended to be joined so as to isolate the gas present in a first and second compartments (30,40) of the device, the seal means comprising: - a plurality of first sealing gasket member (50) contactably disposed along the first compartment (30); - a plurality of second sealing gasket member (60) touchingly disposed along the second compartment (40); -10- - a plurality of powder pack composed of nano particles (70); wherein the top and bottom surfaces of the device adjacent to the first sealing gasket members (50), the second sealing gasket members (60), and the powder packs (70) are coated with fine layers (11,21) of nano particles of thickness ranging from 20nm to 1 micron. 3. The sealing means as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the top and bottom surfaces of the first and second sealing gasket members (50,60) are coated with layers (51,52,61,62) of nano particles (70) of the thickness ranging between 20nm to 1 micron. 4. The sealing means as claimed in claims 1 to 3, wherein all the four surfaces of members (50,60) are coated with layers (51 to 54,61 to 64) of nano particles (70) of thickness ranging from 20 nm to 1 micron. 5. The sealing means as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein projections (11,21) are provided on the mating components of the SOFC device which are in contact with the majority of the powder packs (70) so that the projections (11,21) extend through the powder packs (70) to reduce the acting compression force on the sealing means. 6. An improved compressive and flexible seal means adaptable in particular to planner solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) devices, as substantially described and illustrated herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention relates to sealing design and methods for isolation of fluids in a device by the application of compressive forces. The device may use multiple gases or liquids at various parts, which are required to be isolated by incorporating adequate sealing between various functional sub parts of the device. One of the non-limiting examples of such devices is the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) built for its use in stacks and systems for generating electric power from controlled supply of fuel gas and air. This particular innovation deals with the performance improvement of the conventional compressive seal materials by novel designs using very fine or nano particles in strategic locations to arrest the leakage of the fluids. The device may use multiple gases or liquids at various parts, which are required to be isolated by incorporating adequate sealing between various functional sub-parts of the device. One of the non-limiting examples of such devices is the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) built for its use in stacks and systems for generating electric power from controlled supply of fuel gas and air. For SOFC and many other devices such as syngas generators, membrane reactors, etc., different gaseous streams internal to the device at the elevated temperatures must be kept separate from each other.

Full Text

-2-
Field of the invention:
The present invention relates to an improved seal means for isolation of fluids in a
device by the application of compressive forces. More particularly, the invention
relates to an improved compressive and flexible seal means capable of adequately
sealing the components of a planner SOFC device.
Background of the invention:
Devices such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have huge potential for use in
power generation with much higher efficiency than the conventional devices.
SOFC can work at a high efficiency with variety of fuels such as Hydrogen, natural
gas, coal gas, LPG, bio fuels etc, and cause a minimal environment impact (air
and noise). However the commercial acceptability and wide use of such efficient
device is delimited due to non availability of cheaper and reliable seals which can
withstand repeated thermal cycles typically encountered during its operations. In
addition, performance of the available seals is plagued by very high operational
leak rates in severe (oxidizing, reducing, and humid) environments.
Sealing of planner SOFCs to separate the air and fuel particularly in power plants,
represents a significant technical challenge. In planar SOFCs, a plurality of seals
attach the cell to an interconnect and/or metal frames, including sealing of all
possible leakage points. Such Seals are expected to function properly in harsh
environments at elevated temperatures. The SOFC stacks experience multiple
thermal cycles (perhaps thousands of cycles for some applications) during their
lifetime service in stationary or applications. As a result, thermal cycle stability is
considered a top priority for SOFC sealant development.

-3-
Both rigid and compressive seals are developed in the art for SOFCs. The most
common approach is to use rigid glass or glass-ceramic seals, the properties of
which can be tailored specifically for use in SOFCs through variation of the glass
composition. However, these rigid seals are inherently brittle, and they
permanently seal the parts preventing re-use of once dissembled parts and have
more stringent requirements to comply with, for example, cracking and thermal
expansion matching.
On the other hand, the compressive seals are not rigidly fixed to the other SOFC
components, so that an exact match of thermal expansion is not required. The
individual cells are allowed to expand and contract freely while heating/cooling
during thermal cycling and routine operation. The compressive allows a wide range
of interconnect materials to select form.
Although mica-based compressed seals are known, they however exhibit an
increased leak rate due to thermal damages in an environment of continued
thermal cycling at high operating temperatures up to about 850°C. The thermal
damages generally result from fragmentation, cleavage, micro-stress fractures
and similar damages to the microstructure of the mica substrate matrix, and
introduces leak paths or void spaces those are continuous in three dimensions.
US patent application Sr. No. 10/134072 filed Apr 27, 2002 demonstrated that by
adding additional compliant interlayers (glass or metal) to mica based seals the
leak rates can be reduced substantially. Further US patent publication No. US
2004/0048137 Al dated March 11, 2004 described a seal composed of compliant
interlayers (glass or metal) and a sealing (gasket) member layer composed of
mica that is infiltrated with a glass forming material, which more effectively
reduces leaks within the seal.

-4-
US patent No. US 7197912 Bl dated Apr 3, 2007 entitled "Gas sensor seal and
method of producing same" described the use of talc powder pack, which serves
as a leak resistant seal. One common example of such seal pack is the "sand
seal" typically used for gas sealing of wagons of high temperature tunnel kiln
used widely in ceramic industries. Since these powders are generally about
thousand times bigger than the gas molecules to be sealed, the seals are not so
effective, and misfit for the devices under consideration in this application.
US patent No. US 7210220 B2 dated Mayl, 2007 entitled "Apparatus for and
method of forming seals in fuel cells and fuel stacks" discloses a method of
injection of seal materials into a groove network. However the seal material is
then cured to form the seal, thus will finally act as rigid seal only.
US patent No. US 7198303 B2 dated Apr3, 2007 entitled "Exhaust pipe joint and
seal" described a sealing method by which powder materials are used along with
wire or wire mesh to form a composite and then compressed to form a seal. Since
these powders are substantially bigger than the gas molecules to be sealed, the
seals are not so effective in the context of the devices such as herein described
in this patent application.
Objects of the invention:
It is therefore an object of this invention to propose an improved compressive and
flexible seal means capable of adequately sealing the components of a planner
SOFC device with superior thermal cycle stability.
Another object of the invention is to propose an improved compressive and flexible
seal means capable of adequately sealing the components of a planner SOFC
device with superior thermal cycle stability, in which nano powder materials are
employed.

-5-
Still another object of this invention is to propose an improved compressive and
flexible seal means capable of adequately sealing the components of a planner
SOFC device with superior thermal cycle stability, in which varying degree of
adhesion bonding of very fine or nano powder materials coating is employed
between the mating surfaces.
Yet another object of the invention is to propose an improved compressive and
flexible seal means capable of adequately sealing the components of a planner
SOFC device with superior thermal cycle stability, in which the scratch lines, pores,
fractures, cleavages, interstices, leak path, voids, on the matting surfaces of the
components are filled with the coated materials.
A further object of the invention is to propose propose an improved compressive
and flexible seal means capable of adequately sealing the components of a planner
SOFC device with superior thermal cycle stability in which means are provided to
allow absorption of stresses generated during the use of the device.
A still further object of the invention is to propose propose an improved
compressive and flexible seal means capable of adequately sealing the
components of a planner SOFC device with superior thermal cycle stability, in
which the nano particles under compressive force of the device get compacted to
produce an adequate sealing to the device.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Accordingly, there is provided an improved compressive and flexible seal means
adaptable in particular to planner solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) devices, the SOFC
device comprises a top sealing component , and a bottom sealing component
which are intended to be joined so as to isolate the gas present in a first and
second compartments of the device, the seal means comprising at least one first
sealing gasket member disposed in contact with the first compartment, at least
one second sealing gasket member placed in

-6-
contact with the second compartment, and a powder pack composed of nano
particles interposed between the at least one first and second sealing gasket
members .
The device may use multiple gases or liquids at varioujs parts, which are required
to be isolated by incorporating adequate sealing between various functional sub-
parts of the device. One of the non-limiting examples of such devices is the solid
oxide fuel cell (SOFC) built for its use in stacks and systems for generating electric
power from controlled supply of fuel gas and air. For SOFC and may other devices
such as synagas generators, membrane reactors, etc., different gaseous streams
internal to the device at the elevated temperatures must be kept separate from
each other.
In a preferred embodiment, the seal means may comprise compressive seal
member gaskets such as mica and continuous bulk of nano powder materials
enclosing at least one or more sides of the compressive member gasket. The
internal mating parts of the device at least some of them, are coated with a layer
of very fine or nano materials and subjected to processing conditions such that the
scratch lines, pores, fractures, cleavages, interstices, leak path, voids, on the
mating surfaces of the components are filled with the coated materials. At least
some part of the bulk powder comprising of very fine or nano particles deposited
arc loosely bonded to make use of the flexible and movable nature of the powder
assembly for filling the voids including absorption of the stress generated during
the use of the device. This enhances the healing of voids, crack, flows whenever
created either in the bulk or on the other member of the seal assembly. The bulk
of the powder pack comprising of nano particle exists between the compressive
seal member gaskets and the sealing parts, which under compressive force of the
device gets compacted to deliver adequate sealing to the device.

-7-
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:
FIGURE 1 shows a schematic perspective end view of a first, a second, and a
third embodiment of an improved compressive and flexible seal means adaptable
in particular to planner SOFC device according to the invention.
Figure-2- shows a fourth embodiment of a seal means according to the invention.
Figure-3- shows a fifth embodiment of a seal means according to the invention.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As shown in figure 1, a top sealing component (10) and a bottom sealing
component (20) of the device are required to be joined by the seal means of the
invention so as to isolate the gas present in a first compartment (30) indicated in
the left hand side of the drawing from the gas present in a second compartment
(40) indicated in the right hand side of the figure.
The seal means comprises a first sealing gasket member (50) in contact with the
first compartment (30), a second sealing gasket member (60) in contact with the
second compartment 40, and a powder pack composed of very fine or nano
particles (70) interposed between the first and second sealing gasket members
(50,60). The nano particles (70) are disposed and contained between the top and
bottom components (10,20) of the device.
In a second embodiment, a bottom surface (10) and a top surface (20) of the
device which are adjacent to the first sealing member, nano particle and the
second sealing member ( 50, 70, 60) are coated with fine layers (11, 21) of nano
materials of thickness ranging from 20 nm to 1 micron.

-8-
In a third embodiment both the top and bottom surfaces of sealing gasket
members (50,60) are coated with fine layers (51, 52, 61, 62) of nano materials
(70) of thickness ranging from 20 nm to 1 micron.
In a fourth embodiment as shown in FIGURE 2 all the four surfaces of the top
and bottom sealing component (50,60) are coated with fine layers (51, 52, 53, 54,
61, 62, 63, 64) of nano materials (70) of thickness ranging from 20 nm to 1
micron.
In a fifth embodiment as shown in FIGURE 3, projections (11,21) are provided
on the surfaces of the mating parts in contact with the bulk powder containing
regions. The projected parts (11,21) extends inside the powder pack region and
helps compaction of it with application of relatively small compressive force acting
on the sealing means.

-9-
We Claim:
1. An improved compressive and flexible seal means adaptable in particular to
planner solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) devices, the SOFC device comprises a
top sealing component (10), and a bottom sealing component (20) which
are intended to be joined so as to isolate the gas present in a first and
second compartments (30,40) of the device, the seal means comprising:
- at least one first sealing gasket member (50) disposed in contact with the
first compartment (30);
- at least one second sealing gasket member (60) placed in contact with the
second compartment (40); and
- a powder pack composed of nano particles (70) interposed between the at
least one first and second sealing gasket members (50,60).
2. An improved compressive and flexible seal means adaptable in particular to
planner solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) devices, the SOFC device comprises a
top sealing component (10), and a bottom sealing component (20) which are
intended to be joined so as to isolate the gas present in a first and second
compartments (30,40) of the device, the seal means comprising:
- a plurality of first sealing gasket member (50) contactably disposed along
the first compartment (30);
- a plurality of second sealing gasket member (60) touchingly disposed along
the second compartment (40);

-10-
- a plurality of powder pack composed of nano particles (70); wherein the top
and bottom surfaces of the device adjacent to the first sealing gasket
members (50), the second sealing gasket members (60), and the powder
packs (70) are coated with fine layers (11,21) of nano particles of thickness
ranging from 20nm to 1 micron.
3. The sealing means as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the top and bottom
surfaces of the first and second sealing gasket members (50,60) are coated
with layers (51,52,61,62) of nano particles (70) of the thickness ranging
between 20nm to 1 micron.
4. The sealing means as claimed in claims 1 to 3, wherein all the four surfaces
of members (50,60) are coated with layers (51 to 54,61 to 64) of nano
particles (70) of thickness ranging from 20 nm to 1 micron.
5. The sealing means as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein
projections (11,21) are provided on the mating components of the SOFC
device which are in contact with the majority of the powder packs (70) so
that the projections (11,21) extend through the powder packs (70) to reduce
the acting compression force on the sealing means.
6. An improved compressive and flexible seal means adaptable in particular to
planner solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) devices, as substantially described and
illustrated herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to sealing design and methods for isolation of
fluids in a device by the application of compressive forces. The device may
use multiple gases or liquids at various parts, which are required to be
isolated by incorporating adequate sealing between various functional sub
parts of the device. One of the non-limiting examples of such devices is the
solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) built for its use in stacks and systems for
generating electric power from controlled supply of fuel gas and air. This
particular innovation deals with the performance improvement of the
conventional compressive seal materials by novel designs using very fine or
nano particles in strategic locations to arrest the leakage of the fluids.
The device may use multiple gases or liquids at various parts, which are
required to be isolated by incorporating adequate sealing between various
functional sub-parts of the device. One of the non-limiting examples of such
devices is the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) built for its use in stacks and
systems for generating electric power from controlled supply of fuel gas and
air. For SOFC and many other devices such as syngas generators, membrane
reactors, etc., different gaseous streams internal to the device at the elevated
temperatures must be kept separate from each other.

Documents:

http://ipindiaonline.gov.in/patentsearch/GrantedSearch/viewdoc.aspx?id=0o6GaADkNh0gE/lprfAVnQ==&loc=wDBSZCsAt7zoiVrqcFJsRw==

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Patent Number

270635

Indian Patent Application Number

550/KOL/2008

PG Journal Number

02/2016

Publication Date

08-Jan-2016

Grant Date

05-Jan-2016

Date of Filing

19-Mar-2008

Name of Patentee

BHARAT HEAVY ELECTRICALS LIMITED

Applicant Address

REGIONAL OPERATIONS DIVISION (ROD), PLOT NO: 9/1 DJBLOCK, 3RD FLOOR, KARUNAMOYEE, SALT LAKE CITY, KOLKATA-700091 BHEL HOUSE, SIRI FORT, NEW DELHI- 110049

Inventors:

#	Inventor's Name	Inventor's Address
1	SANKU VIJAYAKUMAR	CTI, BHEL, BANGALORE-560 012
2	RATHINDRA NATH DAS	CTI, BHEL, BANGALORE-560 012
3	CHENGALA DAMODARA MADHUSOODANA	CTI, BHEL, BANGALORE-560 012

PCT International Classification Number

E21B4/00

PCT International Application Number

N/A

PCT International Filing date

PCT Conventions:

#	PCT Application Number	Date of Convention	Priority Country
1			NA