Heater and method of operating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9520601-B2
Application number	US-201314013708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2013
Priority date	Aug 29, 2013
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A heater includes a heater housing extending along a heater axis. A fuel cell stack assembly is disposed within the heater housing and includes a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent. A combustor disposed within the heater housing receives an anode exhaust and a cathode exhaust from the fuel cell stack assembly and combusts a mixture of the anode exhaust and the cathode exhaust to produce a heated combustor exhaust. The combustor includes a combustor exhaust outlet for discharging the heated combustor exhaust into the heater housing. The heater housing is heated by the fuel cell stack assembly and the heated combustor exhaust.

First claim

We claim:

1. A heater comprising:
a heater housing including a space and extending along a heater axis;
a fuel cell stack assembly disposed within said heater housing and having a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent, said fuel cell stack assembly having 1) a fuel inlet for introducing said fuel to a plurality of anodes of said plurality of fuel cells, 2) an oxidizing agent inlet for introducing said oxidizing agent to a plurality of cathodes of said plurality of fuel cells, 3) an anode exhaust outlet for discharging an anode exhaust comprising unspent fuel from said plurality of fuel cells, and 4) a cathode exhaust outlet for discharging a cathode exhaust comprising unspent oxidizing agent from said plurality of fuel cells; and
a combustor disposed within said space of said heater housing in fluid communication with said anode exhaust outlet and said cathode exhaust outlet, said combustor being arranged to combust a mixture of said anode exhaust and said cathode exhaust to produce a heated combustor exhaust; and said combustor including a combustor exhaust outlet which discharges said heated combustor exhaust directly into said space of said heater housing;
whereby said heater housing is heated by said fuel cell stack assembly and said heated combustor exhaust.

2. A heater as in claim 1 wherein said combustor comprises:
an anode exhaust chamber for receiving said anode exhaust from said fuel cell stack assembly; and
a cathode exhaust chamber for receiving said cathode exhaust from said fuel cell stack assembly.

3. A heater as in claim 2 wherein said combustor further comprises an anode exhaust passage for communicating said anode exhaust from said fuel cell stack assembly to said anode exhaust chamber.

4. A heater as in claim 3 wherein said cathode exhaust chamber is annular in shape and radially surrounds said anode exhaust passage.

5. A heater as in claim 4 wherein said combustor further comprises a combustion chamber for receiving said anode exhaust from said anode exhaust chamber and said cathode exhaust from said cathode exhaust chamber, whereby said mixture of said anode exhaust and said cathode exhaust is formed within said combustion chamber.

6. A heater as in claim 5 wherein said anode exhaust chamber includes a plurality of anode exhaust mixing passages providing fluid communication from said anode exhaust chamber to said combustion chamber and said cathode exhaust chamber includes a plurality of cathode exhaust mixing passages providing fluid communication from said cathode exhaust chamber to said combustion chamber.

7. A heater as in claim 6 wherein said plurality of anode exhaust mixing passages extend radially from said anode exhaust chamber and wherein said plurality of cathode exhaust mixing passages extend axially from said cathode exhaust chamber.

8. A heater as in claim 2 wherein said combustor further comprises a combustion chamber for receiving said anode exhaust from said anode exhaust chamber and said cathode exhaust from said cathode exhaust chamber, whereby said mixture of said anode exhaust and said cathode exhaust is formed within said combustion chamber.

9. A heater as in claim 8 wherein said anode exhaust chamber includes a plurality of anode exhaust mixing passages providing fluid communication from said anode exhaust chamber to said combustion chamber and said cathode exhaust chamber includes a plurality of cathode exhaust mixing passages providing fluid communication from said cathode exhaust chamber to said combustion chamber.

10. A heater as in claim 9 wherein said plurality of anode exhaust mixing passages extend radially from said anode exhaust chamber and wherein said plurality of cathode exhaust mixing passages extend axially from said cathode exhaust chamber.

11. A heater as in claim 1 wherein said fuel cell stack assembly is one of a plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies disposed within said heater housing such that each one of said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies is positioned axially with respect to every other of said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies.

12. A heater as in claim 11 wherein said combustor is one of a plurality of combustors disposed within said heater housing such that each one of said plurality of combustors is positioned axially with respect to every other of said plurality of combustors.

13. A heater as in claim 12 wherein each one of said plurality of combustors is in fluid communication with said anode exhaust outlet and said cathode exhaust outlet of a respective one of said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies to combust said mixture of said anode exhaust and said cathode exhaust from said respective one of said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies.

14. A heater as in claim 1 wherein said heater is disposed within a bore hole of an oil containing geological formation.

15. A method of operating a heater having 1) a heater housing having a space and extending along a heater axis; 2) a fuel cell stack assembly disposed within said heater housing and having a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent, said fuel cell stack assembly having a) a fuel inlet for introducing said fuel to a plurality of anodes of said plurality of fuel cells, b) an oxidizing agent inlet for introducing said oxidizing agent to a plurality of cathodes of said plurality of fuel cells, c) an anode exhaust outlet for discharging an anode exhaust from said plurality of fuel cells, and d) a cathode exhaust outlet for discharging a cathode exhaust from said plurality of fuel cells; and 3) a combustor disposed within said space of said heater housing in fluid communication with said anode exhaust outlet and said cathode exhaust outlet; said method comprising:
using said fuel cell stack assembly to produce said anode exhaust and said cathode exhaust;
communicating said anode exhaust and said cathode exhaust to said combustor;
using said combustor to combust said anode exhaust and said cathode exhaust to produce a heated combustor exhaust which is discharged directly into said space of said heater housing; and
heating said heater housing with said fuel cell stack assembly and with said heated combustor exhaust.

Assignees

• Delphi Tech Inc

Inventors

• Fischer Bernhard A
• Haltiner Jr Karl J
• Badura Charles J

Classifications

• H01M8/249

  comprising two or more groupings of fuel cells, e.g. modular assemblies · CPC title

• E21B43/243

  Combustion in situ · CPC title

• E21B43/2401

  by means of electricity · CPC title

• H01M8/2475

  Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/04022 Primary

  Heating by combustion · CPC title