Hot box design with a multi-stream heat exchanger and single air control
First Claim
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1. A fuel cell stack module, comprising:
- a plurality of fuel cell stacks;
an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) which is located in a heat transfer relationship with the plurality of fuel cell stacks;
a base supporting the plurality of fuel cell stacks and the ATO;
a shell removably positioned on the base; and
at least one heat exchanger located in the base, wherein the at least one heat exchanger comprises a multi-stream heat exchanger, and wherein;
the base comprises a chamber having an interior volume and an upper surface;
the ATO and the plurality of fuel cell stacks are positioned on the upper surface of the base;
the at least one heat exchanger is located in the interior volume of the base;
a fuel inlet line is connected to a first inlet of the multi-stream heat exchanger;
an air inlet line is connected to a second inlet of the multi-stream heat exchanger;
an anode exhaust line is connected to a third inlet of the multi-stream heat exchanger;
andan ATO exhaust line is connected to a fourth inlet of the multi-stream heat exchanger.
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Abstract
A fuel cell stack module includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks, an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) which is located in a heat transfer relationship with the plurality of fuel cell stacks, a base supporting the plurality of fuel cell stacks and the ATO, and at least one heat exchanger located in the base. An ATO exhaust stream and an anode exhaust stream from the fuel cell stacks heat the stack fuel and air inlet streams in a multi-stream heat exchanger.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A fuel cell stack module, comprising:
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a plurality of fuel cell stacks; an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) which is located in a heat transfer relationship with the plurality of fuel cell stacks; a base supporting the plurality of fuel cell stacks and the ATO; a shell removably positioned on the base; and at least one heat exchanger located in the base, wherein the at least one heat exchanger comprises a multi-stream heat exchanger, and wherein; the base comprises a chamber having an interior volume and an upper surface; the ATO and the plurality of fuel cell stacks are positioned on the upper surface of the base; the at least one heat exchanger is located in the interior volume of the base; a fuel inlet line is connected to a first inlet of the multi-stream heat exchanger; an air inlet line is connected to a second inlet of the multi-stream heat exchanger; an anode exhaust line is connected to a third inlet of the multi-stream heat exchanger; and an ATO exhaust line is connected to a fourth inlet of the multi-stream heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A fuel cell system, comprising:
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a plurality of fuel cell stacks; an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO); a multi-stream heat exchanger; a fuel inlet line connected to a first inlet of the heat exchanger; an air inlet line connected to a second inlet of the heat exchanger; an anode exhaust line connected to a third inlet of the heat exchanger; an ATO exhaust line connected to fourth inlet of the heat exchanger; a fuel cell stack fuel inlet connected to a first outlet of the heat exchanger; and a fuel cell stack air inlet connected to a second outlet of the heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of operating a fuel cell system, comprising:
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providing a fuel inlet stream and an air inlet stream through a multi-stream heat exchanger to a plurality of fuel cell stacks; providing an ATO fuel inlet stream and a cathode exhaust stream from the plurality of the fuel cell stacks into an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO); and providing an ATO exhaust stream from the ATO and an anode exhaust stream from the plurality of the fuel cell stacks into the multi-stream heat exchanger to heat the fuel inlet stream and the air inlet stream. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification