Solid-oxide fuel cell system having an upstream reformate combustor
Abstract
A solid-oxide fuel cell system wherein a reformate combustor is disposed in the reformate flow path between a hydrocarbon reformer and a fuel cell stack. At system start-up, reformate is partially burned within the combustor by admitting combustion air, and the partially-burned reformate is passed through the anode chambers of the stack to warm the anodes. In addition, reformate is passed through a cathode-air heat exchanger to warm combustion air entering the cathode chambers of the stack. The combustor may continue to be supplied with a low level of air during steady-state operation of the SOFC, thereby providing a moist environment within the anode chambers to prevent coking of the anodes and providing additional heat to the reformate. The combustor decouples the reformer from the stack thermodynamically, permitting the reformer and the stack each to run in its own optimal temperature range.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Delphi Technologies, Inc., Troy, MI (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1531622
- Patent Number(s):
- 7645532
- Application Number:
- 10/909,577
- Assignee:
- Delphi Technologies, Inc. (Troy, MI)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01B - NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01M - PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC26-02NT41246
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 2004-08-02
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Citation Formats
Weiss, Amanda M., Mukerjee, Subhasish, Haltiner, Jr., Karl J., and Alexander, Gregory W. Solid-oxide fuel cell system having an upstream reformate combustor. United States: N. p., 2010.
Web.
Weiss, Amanda M., Mukerjee, Subhasish, Haltiner, Jr., Karl J., & Alexander, Gregory W. Solid-oxide fuel cell system having an upstream reformate combustor. United States.
Weiss, Amanda M., Mukerjee, Subhasish, Haltiner, Jr., Karl J., and Alexander, Gregory W. Tue .
"Solid-oxide fuel cell system having an upstream reformate combustor". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1531622.
@article{osti_1531622,
title = {Solid-oxide fuel cell system having an upstream reformate combustor},
author = {Weiss, Amanda M. and Mukerjee, Subhasish and Haltiner, Jr., Karl J. and Alexander, Gregory W.},
abstractNote = {A solid-oxide fuel cell system wherein a reformate combustor is disposed in the reformate flow path between a hydrocarbon reformer and a fuel cell stack. At system start-up, reformate is partially burned within the combustor by admitting combustion air, and the partially-burned reformate is passed through the anode chambers of the stack to warm the anodes. In addition, reformate is passed through a cathode-air heat exchanger to warm combustion air entering the cathode chambers of the stack. The combustor may continue to be supplied with a low level of air during steady-state operation of the SOFC, thereby providing a moist environment within the anode chambers to prevent coking of the anodes and providing additional heat to the reformate. The combustor decouples the reformer from the stack thermodynamically, permitting the reformer and the stack each to run in its own optimal temperature range.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 12 00:00:00 EST 2010},
month = {Tue Jan 12 00:00:00 EST 2010}
}
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Works referencing / citing this record:
Solid oxide fuel cell power plant having a bootstrap start-up system
patent, October 2016
- Lines, Michael
- US Patent Document 9,461,328