High temperature fuel cell system and method of operating same
First Claim
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1. A solid oxide fuel cell system, comprising:
- a solid oxide fuel cell stack; and
a reformer adapted to reform a hydrocarbon fuel to a hydrogen containing reaction product and to provide the reaction product to the stack;
wherein the reformer is adapted to be heated by at least one of a stack cathode exhaust, a combustor which is thermally integrated with the reformer, and at least one of radiative and convective heating from the stack across a gap between the stack and the reformer.
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Abstract
A high temperature fuel cell stack system, such as a solid oxide fuel cell system, with an improved balance of plant efficiency includes a thermally integrated reformer, combustor and the fuel cell stack.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A solid oxide fuel cell system, comprising:
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a solid oxide fuel cell stack; and
a reformer adapted to reform a hydrocarbon fuel to a hydrogen containing reaction product and to provide the reaction product to the stack;
wherein the reformer is adapted to be heated by at least one of a stack cathode exhaust, a combustor which is thermally integrated with the reformer, and at least one of radiative and convective heating from the stack across a gap between the stack and the reformer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A solid oxide fuel cell system, comprising:
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a solid oxide fuel cell stack;
a first means for reforming a hydrocarbon fuel to a hydrogen containing reaction product and for providing the reaction product to the stack; and
a second means for heating the first means using at least one of a stack cathode exhaust, a heat from a combustion reaction, and at least one of radiative and convective heating from the stack. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A solid oxide fuel cell system, comprising:
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a solid oxide fuel cell stack;
a reformer which is adapted to reform a hydrocarbon fuel to a hydrogen containing reaction product and to provide the reaction product to the stack; and
a combustor which shares at least one wall with the reformer. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of operating a solid oxide fuel cell system, comprising:
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providing a hydrocarbon fuel and water vapor into a reformer;
reforming the hydrocarbon fuel in the reformer to form a hydrogen containing reaction product;
providing the reaction product into a solid oxide fuel cell stack during steady state operation of the stack; and
heating the reformer during steady state operation of the stack using at least one of a stack cathode exhaust, a combustor which is thermally integrated with the reformer and at least one of radiative and convective heat generated by the stack. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification