Solid oxide regenerative fuel cell with selective anode tail gas circulation

• US 6,924,053 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Inventors: McElroy, James Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Alejandro, Raymond
• Application Number:
  US10/394,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20040191597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 429/26, 429/21, 429/17, 429/30, 429/34, 429/12, 429/20, 429/120, 429/58, 165/6, 165/7, 961/34, 961/46, 961/50, 961/82, 962/35, 962/42, 553/091, 481/279
• US Class Current: 429/411
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04014 Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04097 with recycling of the reactants H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04156 with product water removal
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0625 in a modular combined reactor/fuel cell structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A solid oxide fuel cell system includes a solid oxide fuel cell stack and a hydrogen recovery unit connected to a fuel supply inlet conduit and to a 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.

Claims

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 toward 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 either directly connected or indirectly connected via a water supply conduit 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.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the water vapor and enthalpy recovery unit comprises an enthalpy wheel.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen recovery unit comprises an adsorption hydrogen recovery device or an electrochemical pump, which are adapted to selectively recover hydrogen but not carbon dioxide from the fuel exhaust stream.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the hydrogen recovery unit is located separately from the water vapor and enthalpy recovery unit; and

the hydrogen recovery unit is located further downstream from the water vapor and enthalpy recovery unit relative to the solid oxide fuel cell stack.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a heat exchanger connected to the fuel supply inlet conduit and to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit, wherein the heat exchanger is adapted to transfer heat from the fuel exhaust stream to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the water vapor and enthalpy recovery unit is directly connected to the fuel supply inlet conduit and to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the water vapor enthalpy recovery unit is indirectly connected via water supply conduits to the fuel supply inlet conduit and to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen recovery unit is directly connected to the fuel supply inlet conduit and to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen recovery unit is indirectly connected via hydrogen supply conduits to the fuel supply inlet conduit and to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit.

10. 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 toward 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 unit either directly connected or indirectly connected via a water supply conduit to the fuel supply inlet conduit, wherein the water vapor unit is adapted to selectively provide water vapor to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream; and

a hydrogen recovery unit connected to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit, wherein the hydrogen recovery unit is adapted to recover hydrogen from the fuel exhaust stream.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the hydrogen recovery unit comprises an adsorption hydrogen recovery device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the water vapor unit comprises a water vapor and enthalpy recovery unit which is adapted to provide enthalpy from the fuel exhaust stream to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream.

13. The system of claim 10, comprising a heat exchanger connected to the fuel supply inlet conduit and to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit, wherein the heat exchanger is adapted to transfer heat from the fuel exhaust stream to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream.

14. The system of claim 10, 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.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the hydrogen recovery unit comprises an electrochemical pump hydrogen recovery device.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the hydrogen recovery unit is located separately from the water vapor unit; and

the hydrogen recovery unit is located further downstream from the water vapor unit relative to the solid oxide fuel cell stack.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the water vapor unit is directly connected to the fuel supply inlet conduit.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the water vapor unit is indirectly connected via a water supply conduit to the fuel supply inlet conduit.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the hydrogen recovery unit is directly connected to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the hydrogen recovery unit is indirectly connected via a hydrogen supply conduit to the fuel exhaust outlet conduit.

21. A solid oxide fuel cell system, comprising:

a solid oxide fuel cell stack;

a first means for providing a hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream toward the solid oxide fuel cell stack;

a second means for removing a fuel exhaust stream from the solid oxide fuel cell stack;

a third means for selectively providing water vapor to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream; and

a fourth means for recovering hydrogen from the fuel exhaust stream.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the fourth means comprises an adsorption hydrogen recovery device.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the third means is a means for providing enthalpy from the fuel exhaust stream to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the fourth means is located separately from the third means; and

the fourth means is located further downstream from the third means relative to the solid oxide fuel cell stack.

25. The system of claim 21, further comprising a heat exchanger connected to the first and the second means, wherein the heat exchanger is adapted to transfer heat from the fuel exhaust stream to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the fourth means is a means for selectively transferring at least a portion of hydrogen from the fuel exhaust stream to the hydrocarbon fuel inlet stream.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the fourth means comprises an electrochemical pump hydrogen recovery device.