Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide Generation Using an REP with Partial Oxidation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018261862-A1
Application number	US-201815980356-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 15, 2018
Priority date	Nov 17, 2015
Publication date	Sep 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for producing at least one of hydrogen or carbon monoxide includes at least one fuel cell, including an anode and a cathode separated by an electrolyte matrix. The at least one fuel cell further includes a power supply for applying a reverse voltage to the at least one fuel cell to operate the fuel cell in reverse as an electrolyzer. The anode is configured to receive a partially-reformed fuel and output a gas comprising hydrogen. The cathode is configured to output a gas comprising carbon dioxide and oxygen. The system further includes at least one oxidizer configured to receive the carbon dioxide and oxygen from the cathode and fuel from a fuel supply, the at least one oxidizer configured to output a partially-oxidized fuel comprising carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen.

First claim

What is being claimed is:

1 . A system for producing at least one of hydrogen or carbon monoxide, comprising:
at least one fuel cell comprising:
an anode and a cathode separated by an electrolyte matrix; and
a power supply for applying a reverse voltage to the at least one fuel cell to operate the fuel cell in reverse as an electrolyzer;
wherein the anode is configured to receive a partially-reformed fuel and output a gas comprising hydrogen;
wherein the cathode is configured to output a gas comprising carbon dioxide and oxygen; and
at least one oxidizer configured to receive the carbon dioxide and oxygen from the cathode and fuel from a fuel supply, the at least one oxidizer configured to output a partially-oxidized fuel comprising carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a heat source configured to generate heat and exhaust.

3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the heat source is a fired heater.

4 . The system according to claim 2 , further comprising a reformer configured to receive fuel from the fuel supply and at least one of steam or water.

5 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein the reformer is configured to transfer heat from the heat source to the fuel and to the at least one of steam or water; and
wherein the reformer is configured to at least partially reform the fuel and at least one of steam or water.

6 . The system according to claim 4 , further comprising a pre-heater configured to pre-heat the fuel before the fuel is received in the reformer.

7 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the pre-heater is configured to pre-heat the fuel using waste heat.

8 . The system according to claim 2 , further comprising an air supply heat exchanger configured to transfer heat generated by the heat source to air received by the heat source.

9 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the heat source is configured to vent exhaust out of the system.

10 . A system for producing at least one of hydrogen or carbon monoxide, comprising:
at least one fuel cell comprising:
an anode and a cathode separated by an electrolyte matrix;
a power supply for applying a reverse voltage to the at least one fuel cell to operate the fuel cell in reverse as an electrolyzer; and
a reforming cell configured to receive fuel from a fuel supply and at least one of steam or water, the reforming cell configured to output a partially-reformed fuel;
wherein the reforming cell is configured to feed the partially-reformed fuel to the anode and the cathode; wherein the anode is configured to receive the partially-reformed fuel and output a gas comprising hydrogen; wherein the cathode is configured to receive and at least partially oxidize at least one of the fuel from the fuel supply or the partially-reformed fuel; and wherein the cathode is configured to output carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide.

11 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the cathode further comprises a catalyst configured to partially oxidize the partially-reformed fuel.

12 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the cathode is configured to output primarily carbon monoxide.

13 . The system according to claim 10 , further comprising a heat source configured to generate heat and exhaust.

14 . The system according to claim 13 , further comprising a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the heat source to fuel from the fuel supply and at least one of steam or water.

15 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the heat source is a fired heater.

16 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the heat source is configured to vent exhaust out of the system.

17 . The system according to claim 10 , further comprising a pre-reformer configured to receive fuel from the fuel supply and at least one of steam or water.

18 . The system according to claim 10 , further comprising a pre-heater configured to pre-heat the fuel before the fuel is received in the reforming cell.

19 . The system according to claim 18 , wherein the pre-heater is configured to pre-heat the fuel using waste heat.

20 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the fuel from the fuel supply is methane.

21 . A system for producing hydrogen, comprising:
at least one fuel cell comprising:
an anode and a cathode separated by an electrolyte matrix; and
a power supply for applying a reverse voltage to the at least one fuel cell to operate the fuel cell in reverse as an electrolyzer;
an oxidizer configured to receive fuel from a fuel supply and at least one of steam or water, the oxidizer configured to output a partially-reformed fuel; wherein the anode is configured to receive the partially-reformed fuel from the oxidizer and to output hydrogen; and wherein the cathode is configured to output carbon dioxide and oxygen to the oxidizer.

22 . The system according to claim 21 , further comprising a heater configured to heat the fuel and at least one of steam or water.

23 . The system according to claim 22 , wherein the heater is configured to receive a portion of the partially-reformed fuel output by the oxidizer.

24 . The system according to claim 23 , wherein the heater is configured to combust the partially-reformed fuel to generate heat.

25 . The system according to claim 24 , wherein the heater is configured to vent exhaust out of the system.

26 . The system according to claim 21 , wherein the fuel is diesel fuel or JP8.

27 . The system according to claim 22 , further comprising a pre-heater configured to pre-heat the fuel and the at least one of steam or water before the fuel and the at least one of steam or water are received in the heater.

28 . The system according to claim 27 , wherein the pre-heater is configured to pre-heat the fuel using waste heat.

Assignees

• Fuelcell Energy Inc

Inventors

• Jahnke Fred C
• Lambrech Matthew

Classifications

• C25B1/02

  Hydrogen or oxygen · CPC title

• C25B15/02

  Process control or regulation · CPC title

• Y02P20/129

  Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines · CPC title

• H01M8/0656

  by electrochemical means (H01M8/065 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C25B1/00

  Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals · CPC title