Fuel cell system operated on liquid fuels
First Claim
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1. A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a fuel cell stack;
a heavy hydrocarbon fuel source;
a fractionator configured to separate light ends from heavy ends of a heavy hydrocarbon fuel provided from the heavy hydrocarbon fuel source;
a fuel reformer, wherein the fuel reformer is thermally integrated with the fuel cell stack by thermal conduction through a thermally conductive material such that heat resulting from a reaction in the fuel cell stack drives a net endothermic reaction in the fuel reformer, wherein the thermal conduction excludes heat provided from a cathode exhaust conduit of the fuel cell stack to the fuel reformer;
a burner or catalytic reactor;
a conduit feeding the light ends from the fractionator to the fuel reformer;
a conduit feeding a reformed fuel from the fuel reformer to the fuel cell stack;
a conduit feeding a first portion of an anode exhaust stream from the fuel cell stack to the burner or catalytic reactor;
a conduit recycling a second portion of the anode exhaust stream into a fuel inlet stream without purification of the anode exhaust stream; and
a conduit feeding the heavy ends from the fractionator to the burner or catalytic reactor.
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Abstract
A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, a heavy hydrocarbon fuel source, and a fractionator configured to separate light ends from heavy ends of a heavy hydrocarbon fuel provided from the heavy hydrocarbon fuel source.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A fuel cell system, comprising:
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a fuel cell stack; a heavy hydrocarbon fuel source; a fractionator configured to separate light ends from heavy ends of a heavy hydrocarbon fuel provided from the heavy hydrocarbon fuel source; a fuel reformer, wherein the fuel reformer is thermally integrated with the fuel cell stack by thermal conduction through a thermally conductive material such that heat resulting from a reaction in the fuel cell stack drives a net endothermic reaction in the fuel reformer, wherein the thermal conduction excludes heat provided from a cathode exhaust conduit of the fuel cell stack to the fuel reformer; a burner or catalytic reactor; a conduit feeding the light ends from the fractionator to the fuel reformer; a conduit feeding a reformed fuel from the fuel reformer to the fuel cell stack; a conduit feeding a first portion of an anode exhaust stream from the fuel cell stack to the burner or catalytic reactor; a conduit recycling a second portion of the anode exhaust stream into a fuel inlet stream without purification of the anode exhaust stream; and a conduit feeding the heavy ends from the fractionator to the burner or catalytic reactor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 9)
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5. A fuel cell system, comprising:
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a fuel cell stack; a first means for separating light ends from heavy ends of a heavy hydrocarbon fuel; a second means for reforming fuel, wherein the second means is thermally integrated with the fuel cell stack by thermal conduction through a thermally conductive material such that heat resulting from a reaction in the fuel cell stack drives a net endothermic reaction for reforming fuel, wherein the thermal conduction excludes heat provided from a cathode exhaust conduit of the fuel cell stack to the second means for reforming fuel; a third means for burning or catalytically reacting the heavy ends and a first portion of an anode exhaust stream from the fuel cell stack; a fourth means for feeding the light ends from the first means to the second means; a fifth means for feeding the first portion of the anode exhaust stream from the fuel cell stack to the third means; a sixth means for feeding the heavy ends from the first means to the third means; a seventh means for providing the light ends reformed by the second means to be used as fuel in the fuel cell stack; and an eighth means for recycling a second portion of the anode exhaust stream into a fuel inlet stream without purification of the anode exhaust stream. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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10. A fuel cell system, comprising:
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a fuel cell stack; a heavy hydrocarbon fuel source; a fractionator configured to separate light ends from heavy ends of a heavy hydrocarbon fuel provided from the heavy hydrocarbon fuel source; a fuel reformer, wherein the fuel reformer is thermally integrated with the fuel cell stack by thermal conduction through a thermally conductive material between the fuel reformer and an anode exhaust conduit of the fuel cell stack; a burner or catalytic reactor; a conduit feeding the light ends from the fractionator to the fuel reformer; a conduit feeding a reformed fuel from the fuel reformer to the fuel cell stack; and a conduit feeding the heavy ends from the fractionator to the burner or catalytic reactor.
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Specification