High power density solid oxide fuel cell steam reforming system and process for electrical generation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016190622-A1
Application number	US-201414210228-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 13, 2014
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system comprising:
a solid oxide fuel cell having an anode and a cathode; an anode recycle loop; and an adiabatic steam reformer positioned in the anode recycle loop.

First claim

1 . A system comprising:
a solid oxide fuel cell having an anode and a cathode; an anode recycle loop; an adiabatic steam reformer positioned in the anode recycle loop; a fuel supply fluidly coupled to the adiabatic steam reformer; and a reformate line in fluid communication between the adiabatic steam reformer and an anode gas inlet of the solid oxide fuel cell.

2 . (canceled)

3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a cathode exhaust flow path that includes a heat recuperator, a combustor, and an expander.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the anode recycle loop is in fluid communication with the combustor.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the adiabatic steam reformer does not include means for introducing steam into the reformer except via the anode recycle loop.

6 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the expander is coupled to a compressor, and the compressor has an air inlet and a compressed air outlet fluidly coupled to a cathode gas inlet of the solid oxide fuel cell.

7 . A system comprising:
a solid oxide fuel cell having an anode gas inlet, an anode gas outlet, a cathode gas inlet, and a cathode gas outlet; and an adiabatic steam reformer fluidly coupled to the anode gas outlet, the anode gas inlet, and to a fuel supply.

8 . The system of claim 7 , further comprising a combustor fluidly coupled to the anode gas outlet.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the cathode gas outlet is fluidly coupled to the combustor.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein a combusted gas outlet of the combustor is fluidly coupled to an expander, the expander is coupled to a compressor, and the compressor has an air inlet and a compressed air outlet fluidly coupled to the cathode gas inlet.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein a heat recuperator has a first flow path in fluid communication between the cathode gas outlet and the combustor, and a second flow path in fluid communication between the compressed air outlet and the cathode gas inlet.

12 . An electrical generation system comprising the system of claim 1 .

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the system is an on-board electrical generation system for an aircraft.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the system includes:
a plurality of solid oxide fuel cells arranged in a plurality of solid oxide fuel cell stacks along an axial direction; and a plurality of adiabatic steam reformers arranged in the same axial direction, wherein each individual adiabatic steam reformer is positioned adjacent to the solid oxide fuel cell stacks along the axial direction.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein each individual adiabatic steam reformer is positioned to form a line parallel to the line formed by the individual fuel cell stacks arranged in a row along the axial direction.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the fuel cell stacks and the adiabatic steam reformers are housed within an insulated pressure vessel.

17 . A method comprising:
introducing at least a portion of a steam-containing anode exit gas from a solid oxide fuel cell into a steam reformer; introducing a fuel into the steam reformer; adiabatically reacting the fuel with the steam from the steam-containing anode exit gas in the steam reformer to produce a hydrogen-containing reformate; and introducing the hydrogen-containing reformate into an anode gas inlet of the solid oxide fuel cell.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising operating the solid oxide fuel cell at a pressure of 8 atm.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising introducing a first portion of the steam-containing anode exit gas into the steam reformer; and
introducing a second portion of the steam-containing anode exit gas into a combustor.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising introducing a cathode exit gas from the solid oxide fuel cell into the combustor.

21 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising compressing air for introducing into a cathode of the solid oxide fuel cell.

22 . The method of claim 17 , wherein all steam required for reforming is generated in the solid oxide fuel cell anode.

23 . A system comprising:
a solid oxide fuel cell having an anode and a cathode; an anode recycle loop; and an adiabatic steam reformer positioned in the anode recycle loop, wherein the adiabatic steam reformer does not include means for introducing steam into the reformer except via the anode recycle loop.

Assignees

• Battelle Memorial Institute

Inventors

• Whyatt Greg A
• Chick Lawrence A

Classifications

• H01M8/0662

  Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning · CPC title

• H01M8/04111

  using a compressor turbine assembly · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/0618 Primary

  Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming · CPC title

• H01M8/04097

  with recycling of the reactants (H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence) · CPC title