Combined goal gasifier and fuel cell system and method

Patent · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:867363

Gmeindl, Frank D ^[1]; Geisbrecht, Rodney A ^[2]

---

1. Morgantown, WV
2. New Alexandria, PA

A molten carbonate fuel cell is combined with a catalytic coal or coal char gasifier for providing the reactant gases comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide used in the operation of the fuel cell. These reactant gases are stripped of sulfur compounds and particulate material and are then separated in discrete gas streams for conveyance to appropriate electrodes in the fuel cell. The gasifier is arranged to receive the reaction products generated at the anode of the fuel cell by the electricity-producing electrochemical reaction therein. These reaction products from the anode are formed primarily of high temperature steam and carbon dioxide to provide the steam, the atmosphere and the heat necessary to endothermically pyrolyze the coal or char in the presence of a catalyst. The reaction products generated at the cathode are substantially formed of carbon dioxide which is used to heat air being admixed with the carbon dioxide stream from the gasifier for providing the oxygen required for the reaction in the fuel cell and for driving an expansion device for energy recovery. A portion of this carbon dioxide from the cathode may be recycled into the fuel cell with the air-carbon dioxide mixture.

• Research Organization: National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4921765
• OSTI ID: 867363
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/429/
admixed
air
air-carbon
anode
appropriate
arranged
atmosphere
carbon
carbon dioxide
carbon monoxide
carbonate
carbonate fuel
catalyst
catalytic
catalytic coal
cathode
cell
char
chemical reaction
coal
coal char
combined
compounds
comprising
comprising hydrogen
conveyance
device
dioxide
discrete
discrete gas
driving
electricity-producing
electrochemical
electrochemical reaction
electrodes
endothermically
energy
energy recovery
expansion
expansion device
formed
fuel
fuel cell
gas
gas stream
gas streams
gases
gases comprising
gasifier
generated
goal
heat
hydrogen
material
method
mixture
molten
molten carbonate
monoxide
operation
oxide mixture
oxygen
particulate
particulate material
portion
presence
primarily
products
provide
providing
pyrolyze
reactant
reactant gas
reactant gases
reaction
reaction product
reaction products
receive
recovery
recycled
required
separated
steam
stream
streams
stripped
substantially
sulfur
sulfur compound
sulfur compounds
temperature
temperature steam
therein