Solid oxide fuel cell power plant having a bootstrap start-up system
Abstract
The bootstrap start-up system (42) achieves an efficient start-up of the power plant (10) that minimizes formation of soot within a reformed hydrogen rich fuel. A burner (48) receives un-reformed fuel directly from the fuel supply (30) and combusts the fuel to heat cathode air which then heats an electrolyte (24) within the fuel cell (12). A dilute hydrogen forming gas (68) cycles through a sealed heat-cycling loop (66) to transfer heat and generated steam from an anode side (32) of the electrolyte (24) through fuel processing system (36) components (38, 40) and back to an anode flow field (26) until fuel processing system components (38, 40) achieve predetermined optimal temperatures and steam content. Then, the heat-cycling loop (66) is unsealed and the un-reformed fuel is admitted into the fuel processing system (36) and anode flow (26) field to commence ordinary operation of the power plant (10).
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Ballard Power Systems Inc. Burnaby, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1327886
- Patent Number(s):
- 9461328
- Application Number:
- 13/589,281
- Assignee:
- Ballard Power Systems Inc. (Burnaby, CA)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01M - PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- DOE Contract Number:
- NT0003894
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 2012 Aug 20
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
Citation Formats
Lines, Michael T. Solid oxide fuel cell power plant having a bootstrap start-up system. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web.
Lines, Michael T. Solid oxide fuel cell power plant having a bootstrap start-up system. United States.
Lines, Michael T. Tue .
"Solid oxide fuel cell power plant having a bootstrap start-up system". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1327886.
@article{osti_1327886,
title = {Solid oxide fuel cell power plant having a bootstrap start-up system},
author = {Lines, Michael T},
abstractNote = {The bootstrap start-up system (42) achieves an efficient start-up of the power plant (10) that minimizes formation of soot within a reformed hydrogen rich fuel. A burner (48) receives un-reformed fuel directly from the fuel supply (30) and combusts the fuel to heat cathode air which then heats an electrolyte (24) within the fuel cell (12). A dilute hydrogen forming gas (68) cycles through a sealed heat-cycling loop (66) to transfer heat and generated steam from an anode side (32) of the electrolyte (24) through fuel processing system (36) components (38, 40) and back to an anode flow field (26) until fuel processing system components (38, 40) achieve predetermined optimal temperatures and steam content. Then, the heat-cycling loop (66) is unsealed and the un-reformed fuel is admitted into the fuel processing system (36) and anode flow (26) field to commence ordinary operation of the power plant (10).},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2016},
month = {10}
}
Works referenced in this record:
Solid-oxide fuel cell system having a fuel combustor to pre-heat reformer on start-up
patent, August 2008
- Schumann, David R.; Kelly, Sean M.; Haltiner, Jr., Karl J.
- US Patent Document 7,410,016
Solid-oxide fuel cell system having tempering of fuel cell stacks by exhaust gas
patent, September 2009
- Haltiner, Jr., Karl J.; Mukerjee, Subhasish; Kelly, Sean M.
- US Patent Document 7,588,849
Solid-oxide fuel cell system having an upstream reformate combustor
patent, January 2010
- Weiss, Amanda M.; Mukerjee, Subhasish; Haltiner, Jr., Karl J.
- US Patent Document 7,645,532
Co-Production of Hydrogen and Electricity in a High Temperature Electrochemical System
patent-application, December 2008
- Sridhar, K. R.; McElroy, James F.; Finn, John E.
- US Patent Application 12/230486; 20080318092