Solid oxide regenerative fuel cell with selective anode tail gas circulation
First Claim
1. A solid oxide fuel cell system, comprising:
- a solid oxide fuel cell stack;
a fuel supply inlet conduit adapted to provide a hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream into the solid oxide fuel cell stack;
a fuel exhaust outlet conduit adapted to remove a fuel exhaust stream from the solid oxide fuel cell stack;
a water vapor and enthalpy recovery unit operatively connected to the fuel supply inlet conduit and to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit, wherein the water vapor and enthalpy recovery unit is adapted to selectively transfer at least a portion of water vapor and heat from the fuel exhaust stream to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream; and
a hydrogen recovery unit connected to the fuel supply inlet conduit and to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit, wherein the hydrogen recovery unit is adapted to selectively transfer at least a portion of hydrogen from the fuel exhaust stream to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A solid oxide fuel cell system includes a solid oxide fuel cell stack, a fuel supply inlet conduit adapted to provide a hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream into the solid oxide fuel cell stack and a fuel exhaust outlet conduit adapted to remove a fuel exhaust stream from the solid oxide fuel cell stack. The system also includes a water vapor and enthalpy recovery unit operatively connected to the fuel supply inlet conduit and to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit. The water vapor and enthalpy recovery unit is adapted to selectively transfer at least a portion of water vapor and heat from the fuel exhaust stream to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream. The system also includes a hydrogen recovery unit connected to the fuel supply inlet conduit and to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit. The hydrogen recovery unit is adapted to selectively transfer at least a portion of hydrogen from the fuel exhaust stream to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A solid oxide fuel cell system, comprising:
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a solid oxide fuel cell stack;
a fuel supply inlet conduit adapted to provide a hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream into the solid oxide fuel cell stack;
a fuel exhaust outlet conduit adapted to remove a fuel exhaust stream from the solid oxide fuel cell stack;
a water vapor and enthalpy recovery unit operatively connected to the fuel supply inlet conduit and to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit, wherein the water vapor and enthalpy recovery unit is adapted to selectively transfer at least a portion of water vapor and heat from the fuel exhaust stream to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream; and
a hydrogen recovery unit connected to the fuel supply inlet conduit and to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit, wherein the hydrogen recovery unit is adapted to selectively transfer at least a portion of hydrogen from the fuel exhaust stream to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A solid oxide fuel cell system, comprising:
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a solid oxide fuel cell stack;
a fuel supply inlet conduit adapted to provide a hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream into the solid oxide fuel cell stack;
a fuel exhaust outlet conduit adapted to remove a fuel exhaust stream from the solid oxide fuel cell stack; and
a fuel exhaust processing subsystem operatively connected to the fuel supply inlet conduit and to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit, wherein the fuel exhaust processing subsystem comprises;
a carbon dioxide scrubbing unit, wherein the carbon dioxide scrubbing unit is adapted to remove at least a portion of carbon dioxide present in the fuel exhaust stream to form a scrubbed fuel exhaust stream;
a water vapor recovery unit, wherein the water vapor recovery unit is adapted to transfer at least a portion of water vapor from the scrubbed fuel exhaust stream to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream; and
a hydrogen recovery unit, wherein the hydrogen recovery unit is adapted to transfer at least a portion of hydrogen from the scrubbed fuel exhaust stream to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of operating a solid oxide fuel cell system, comprising:
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providing a hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream into a solid oxide fuel cell stack;
removing fuel exhaust stream from the solid oxide fuel cell stack;
recovering at least a portion of water vapor and heat from the fuel exhaust stream;
providing the at least a portion of the recovered water vapor and heat into the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream being provided into the solid oxide fuel cell stack;
recovering at least a portion of hydrogen from the fuel exhaust stream; and
separately providing the at least a portion of the recovered hydrogen into the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream being provided into the solid oxide fuel cell stack. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of operating a solid oxide fuel cell system, comprising:
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providing a hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream into a solid oxide fuel cell stack;
removing a fuel exhaust stream from the solid oxide fuel cell stack;
removing at least a portion of carbon dioxide present in the fuel exhaust stream to form a scrubbed fuel exhaust stream; and
providing at least a portion of the scrubbed fuel exhaust stream into the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification