Combined heat and power system
First Claim
1. A method of initiating operation of a fuel cell system having a fuel processor for generating hydrogen from a hydrocarbon fuel, and a high temperature hydrogen fuel cell, the method comprising:
- preheating the fuel processor to perform without risk of catalyst damage and deactivation due to reasons including water condensation and CO poisoning using electric heaters and a gas burner;
preheating a fuel cell stack of said fuel cell to a first preferred temperature by electric heaters, above which water in reformate will not be condensed over high temperature membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) of said fuel cell stack to cause acid washout;
operating said fuel processor to begin hydrogen generation while feeding hydrogen back into said gas burner as required;
feeding hydrogen gas from said fuel processor at a second preferred temperature to preheat said fuel cell stack while drawing no substantial current from said fuel cell stack by operating said fuel processor under self-sustainable conditions, said second temperature being a temperature above which current can be safely drawn without damaging said high temperature MEA;
preheating said fuel cell stack to its operation temperature by stack self-preheating; and
subjecting said fuel cell to normal operation after reaching said operation temperature.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is described a combined heat and power, or cogeneration, system combining a fuel cell for generating electrical power with a thermal power source, the system comprising: a fuel processor for converting a hydrocarbon fuel into hydrogen in an output stream, the hydrogen rich output stream containing a low content of carbon monoxide; a high temperature hydrogen fuel cell system tolerant to low content of carbon monoxide of up to 5% receiving the output stream and an oxidant fluid stream; and a heat exchange system having a first module associated with the fuel processor and a second module associated with the fuel cell system connected at least in part in series to provide a thermal output.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of initiating operation of a fuel cell system having a fuel processor for generating hydrogen from a hydrocarbon fuel, and a high temperature hydrogen fuel cell, the method comprising:
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preheating the fuel processor to perform without risk of catalyst damage and deactivation due to reasons including water condensation and CO poisoning using electric heaters and a gas burner;
preheating a fuel cell stack of said fuel cell to a first preferred temperature by electric heaters, above which water in reformate will not be condensed over high temperature membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) of said fuel cell stack to cause acid washout;
operating said fuel processor to begin hydrogen generation while feeding hydrogen back into said gas burner as required;
feeding hydrogen gas from said fuel processor at a second preferred temperature to preheat said fuel cell stack while drawing no substantial current from said fuel cell stack by operating said fuel processor under self-sustainable conditions, said second temperature being a temperature above which current can be safely drawn without damaging said high temperature MEA;
preheating said fuel cell stack to its operation temperature by stack self-preheating; and
subjecting said fuel cell to normal operation after reaching said operation temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A combined heat and power, or cogeneration, system combining a fuel cell for generating electrical power with a thermal power source, the system comprising:
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a fuel processor for converting a hydrocarbon fuel into hydrogen in an output stream, the hydrogen rich output stream containing a low content of carbon monoxide;
a high temperature hydrogen fuel cell system tolerant to carbon monoxide of up to 5% receiving said output stream and an oxidant fluid stream; and
a heat exchange system having a first module associated with said fuel processor and a second module associated with said fuel cell system connected at least in part in series to provide a thermal output. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification