Co-production of hydrogen and electricity in a high temperature electrochemical system

• US 7,482,078 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Inventors: Finn, John E., Sridhar, K. R., Gottmann, Matthias, McElroy, James F., Mitlitsky, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): Alejandro; Raymond
• Application Number:
  US10/446,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20040202914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,070 Days
• Field of Search: 429/19, 429/25, 429/17, 429/34, 429/16, 429/33, 429/30, 429/22, 429/9, 205/637
• US Class Current: 429/418
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0205 containing a reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0283 containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0405 Purification by membrane separation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/043 Regenerative adsorption process in two or more beds, one for adsorption, the other for regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0475 the impurity being carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/067 the reforming process taking place in the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1241 Natural gas or methane
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/148 involving a recycle stream to the feed of the process for making hydrogen or synthesis gas
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/34 by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/342 with the aid of electrical means, electromagnetic or mechanical vibrations, or particle radiations
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/48 followed by reaction of water vapour with carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/093 Coal
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0969 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1646 integrated with a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/463 in stationary fluidised beds
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/02 Hydrogen or oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1293 Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/147 Fuel cells with molten carbonates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04022 Heating by combustion
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04208 : Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04753 : of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04761 : of fuel cell exhausts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0491 : of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0494 : of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0612 : from carbon-containing material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0625 : in a modular combined reactor/fuel cell structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0637 : Direct internal reforming at the anode of the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0662 : Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/186 : by electrolytic decomposition of the electrolytic solution or the formed water product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/00 : Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A high temperature electrochemical system, such as a solid oxide fuel cell system, generates hydrogen and optionally electricity in a fuel cell mode. At least a part of the generated hydrogen is separated and stored or provided to a hydrogen using device. A solid oxide regenerative fuel cell system stores carbon dioxide in a fuel cell mode. The system generates a methane fuel in an electrolysis mode from the stored carbon dioxide and water by using a Sabatier subsystem. Alternatively, the system generates a hydrogen fuel in an electrolysis mode from water alone.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a fuel cell subsystem, comprising;

a solid oxide fuel cell stack;

a carbon containing fuel source;

a hydrogen separator which comprises a separated hydrogen output and a tail gas output, wherein the separator separates at least a portion of hydrogen from a fuel side exhaust stream of the fuel cell stack while the fuel cell stack operates in a fuel cell mode; and

a hydrogen storage/use subsystem located outside of the fuel cell subsystem, wherein the hydrogen storage/use subsystem is one-way connected to the fuel cell subsystem via the separated hydrogen output of the hydrogen separator, and wherein the hydrogen storage/use subsystem stores at least a portion of hydrogen received from the hydrogen separator or provides at least a portion of hydrogen received from the hydrogen separator to a hydrogen using device or itself uses at least a portion of the hydrogen received from the hydrogen separator;

further comprising a fuel reformer which is operatively connected to the carbon containing fuel source and to the fuel cell stack, and which is adapted to reform a carbon and bound hydrogen containing fuel provided from the carbon containing fuel source and to provide a carbon containing and free hydrogen containing fuel to a fuel inlet of the fuel cell stack;

wherein the fuel reformer is thermally integrated with the fuel cell stack.