Hot box device and operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024194917-A1
Application number	US-202318152560-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 10, 2023
Priority date	Dec 8, 2022
Publication date	Jun 13, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hot box device and an operating method thereof are provided. The hot box device includes a first shell, a reformer, a burner, and a cathode inlet pipe. The first shell has a first cavity. The reformer is disposed in the first cavity. The burner is disposed in the reformer and has an opening. The cathode inlet pipe is disposed in the first cavity and extends through the first shell. The cathode inlet pipe is in fluid communication with the first cavity, and the opening of the burner is in fluid communication with the first cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hot box device, comprising:
a first shell having a first cavity; a reformer disposed in the first cavity; a burner disposed in the reformer and having an opening; and a cathode inlet pipe disposed in the first cavity and extending through the first shell, wherein the cathode inlet pipe is in fluid communication with the first cavity, and the opening of the burner is in fluid communication with the first 8 cavity.

2 . The hot box device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cathode inlet pipe is used to transmit a cathode flue gas, so that the cathode flue gas fills the first cavity and is transmitted into the burner through the opening of the burner.

3 . The hot box device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a second shell covering the first shell and having a second cavity between the first shell and the second shell.

4 . The hot box device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first shell, the second shell or a combination thereof includes a thermal insulating material.

5 . The hot box device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the second cavity is an air gap.

6 . The hot box device as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising:
a cathode heat exchanger disposed in the first cavity; a first inlet pipe extending through the second shell and in fluid communication with the second cavity; a second inlet pipe extending through the first shell and in fluid communication with the second cavity, and connecting with the cathode heat exchanger; and a cathode outlet pipe disposed in the first cavity, extending through the first shell and the second shell, and connecting with the cathode heat 9 exchanger.

7 . The hot box device as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising:
an anode heat exchanger disposed in the first cavity; an anode inlet pipe disposed in the first cavity, extending through the first shell and the second shell, and connecting with the anode heat exchanger and the burner; and an anode outlet pipe disposed in the first cavity, extending through the first shell and the second shell, and connecting with the anode heat exchanger and the reformer.

8 . The hot box device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the cathode inlet pipe extends through the first shell and the second shell.

9 . The hot box device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the cathode inlet pipe is located higher than the opening of the burner.

10 . An operating method of a hot box device, comprising:
providing a first shell having a first cavity; disposing a reformer in the first cavity; disposing a burner in the reformer, wherein the burner has an opening in fluid communication with the first cavity; disposing a cathode inlet pipe in the first cavity, so that the cathode inlet pipe extends through the first shell and is in fluid communication with the first cavity; transmitting a cathode flue gas into the first cavity through the cathode inlet pipe, so that the cathode flue gas fills the first cavity; and transmitting the cathode flue gas from the first cavity into the burner through the opening of the burner.

11 . The operating method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the cathode flue gas is in direct contact with an inner surface of the first shell.

12 . The operating method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the cathode flue gas is in direct contact with an outer surface of the reformer.

13 . The operating method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the cathode flue gas accounts for at least 80% of a total volume of the first cavity.

14 . The operating method as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising:
providing a second shell, wherein the second shell covers the first shell and forms a second cavity between the first shell and the second shell; disposing a cathode heat exchanger in the first cavity; disposing a first inlet pipe extending through the second shell, so that the first inlet pipe is in fluid communication with the second cavity; disposing a second inlet pipe extending through the first shell, so that the second inlet pipe is in fluid communication with the second cavity and is connected with the cathode heat exchanger; transmitting a first gas into the second cavity through the first inlet pipe, so that the first gas fills the second cavity; and transmitting the first gas from the second cavity into the cathode heat exchanger through the second inlet pipe.

15 . The operating method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising:
disposing a cathode outlet pipe in the first cavity, wherein the cathode outlet pipe extends through the first shell and the second shell and is connected with the cathode heat exchanger; transmitting the first gas through the cathode outlet pipe; and reacting the first gas to form the cathode flue gas.

16 . The operating method as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising:
disposing an anode heat exchanger in the first cavity; disposing an anode outlet pipe in the first cavity, wherein the anode outlet pipe extends through the first shell and the second shell and is connected with the anode heat exchanger and the reformer; transmitting a second gas into the reformer, so that the second gas is reacted to form a reformed gas; transmitting the reformed gas through the anode outlet pipe; and reacting the reformed gas to form an anode flue gas.

17 . The operating method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the first gas is reacted to form the cathode flue gas by an electrochemical reaction, and the reformed gas is reacted to form the anode flue gas by the electrochemical reaction.

18 . The operating method as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising:
Disposing an anode inlet pipe in the first cavity, wherein the anode inlet pipe extends through the first shell and the second shell and is connected with the anode heat exchanger and the burner; and transmitting the anode flue gas into the burner through the anode inlet pipe.

19 . The operating method as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising:
heating the second gas using the anode flue gas in the anode heat exchanger.

20 . The operating method as claimed in claim 19 , further comprising:
combusting the cathode flue gas and the anode flue gas in the burner to produce a third gas; and transmitting the third gas into the cathode heat exchanger, so that the first gas is heated by the third gas.

Assignees

• Ind Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Chang Shing-Cheng
• Lee Chia-Hsin
• Yang Cheng-Hao
• Chang Wen-Sheng
• Chen Chia-Hao

Classifications

• 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

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title