Method for high temperature fuel cell system start up and shutdown

• US 7,846,599 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2008
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Inventors: Ballantine, Arne, McElroy, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Michener; Jennifer K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barcena; Carlos
• Application Number:
  US12/155,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20100028734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 429/12, 429/13, 429/14, 429/17, 429/30, 429/50, 429/408, 429/411, 429/415, 429/416, 429/418, 429/429, 429/452
• US Class Current: 429/429
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04225 during start-up
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04228 during shut-down
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04231 Purging of the reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04303 applied during shut-down
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0612 from carbon-containing material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2425 High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2495 of fuel cells of different types
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack and a PEM stack for providing power to the system in a start up or shut down operating mode and hydrogen to the fuel cell stack in a steady state operating mode.

Claims

1. A method of operating a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack, and a PEM stack, said method comprising:

operating said fuel cell stack in a steady state operating mode by;

providing a fuel inlet stream to the fuel cell stack;

providing a fuel exhaust stream from the fuel cell stack to the PEM stack; and

providing a hydrogen stream from the PEM stack to the fuel inlet stream; and

switching from the steady state operating mode to a shut down operating mode and operating said fuel cell stack in said shut down operating mode by;

providing a fuel inlet stream to the PEM stack;

providing an air stream to the PEM stack; and

providing power from the PEM stack to at least one auxiliary component of the system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel cell system further comprises a CPOx reactor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the shut down operating mode comprises providing the fuel inlet stream to the CPOx reactor and providing fuel reformate fuel inlet stream from the CPOx reactor to the PEM stack.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the steady state operating mode comprises providing power to the PEM stack to operate the PEM stack in electrolysis mode to separate hydrogen from fuel cell stack fuel exhaust stream and to provide the separated hydrogen into the fuel inlet stream.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing power from the PEM stack to said at least one auxiliary component in a start up operating mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the PEM stack is CO-tolerant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel cell stack comprises a SOFC stack or a MCFC stack.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing a purge gas from a CPOx reactor to the SOFC stack anode electrodes during the shut down operating mode to prevent the anode electrodes from oxidizing.

9. A method of operating a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack, and a PEM stack, said method comprising:

operating said fuel cell stack in a start up operating mode by;

providing a fuel inlet stream to the PEM stack;

providing an air stream to the PEM stack; and

providing power from the PEM stack to at least one auxiliary component of the system;

switching from the start up operating mode to a steady state operating mode and operating said fuel cell stack in said steady state operating mode by;

providing a fuel inlet stream to the fuel cell stack;

providing a fuel exhaust stream from the fuel cell stack to the PEM stack;

providing power to the PEM stack to operate the PEM stack in electrolysis mode to separate hydrogen from fuel cell stack exhaust stream; and

providing the separated hydrogen stream from the PEM stack to the fuel inlet stream of the fuel cell stack; and

switching from the steady state operating mode to a shut down operating mode and operating said fuel cell stack in said shut down operating mode by;

providing a fuel inlet stream to the PEM stack;

providing an air stream to the PEM stack; and

providing power from the PEM stack to the at least one auxiliary component of the system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the fuel cell system further comprises a CPOx reactor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one of start up or shut down operating modes comprises providing the fuel inlet stream to the CPOx reactor and providing fuel reformate fuel inlet stream from the CPOx reactor to the PEM stack.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the PEM stack is CO-tolerant.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the fuel cell stack comprises a SOFC stack or a MCFC stack.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a purge gas from a CPOx reactor to the SOFC stack anode electrodes during at least one of the start up or the shut down modes to prevent the anode electrodes from oxidizing.