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Title: Fuel preheating for a fuel processing system of a fuel cell power plant

Patent Application ·
OSTI ID:5782326

This patent describes a method of operating a dual fuel cell power plant. It comprises recycling inert gas serially through a fired gas reformer, a first pass in a two-way heat exchanger, a heat rejecting heat exchanger, a blower, a second pass in the two-way heat exchanger in counterflow relationship with the first pass, and returning the inert gas to the reformer, while preheating the components of the power plant in preparation for operation; operating the power plant on gaseous fuel including passing hot reformed fuel from the reformer through a first pass in the two-way heat exchanger and passing raw gaseous fuel through a second pass in the two-way heat exchanger in counterflow relationship with the first pass; and alternately operating the power plant on liquid fuel including passing hot reformed fuel from the reformer through a first pass in the two-way heat exchanger, and passing raw liquid fuel through a second pass in the heat transfer exchanger in parallel flow relationship with the first pass to vaporize the liquid fuel.

Assignee:
International Fuel Cells Corp., South Windsor, CT (USA)
Application Number:
PPN: US 7-521481
OSTI ID:
5782326
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 10 May 1990
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English