Method of operating a heater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9531020-B2
Application number	US-201314081068-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2013
Priority date	Nov 15, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A method is provided for operating a heater including a heater housing extending along a heater axis; a plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies disposed within the heater housing along the heater axis and having a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel cell fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with a fuel cell oxidizing agent; and a plurality of combustors disposed within the heater housing along the heater axis. The method includes supplying a combustor fuel to the plurality of combustors, combusting the combustor fuel to produce a heated combustor exhaust when the fuel cell stack assemblies are substantially electrochemically inactive, and using the heated combustor exhaust to elevate the temperature of the fuel cell stack assemblies to be electrochemically active.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for operating a heater comprising a heater housing extending along a heater axis; a plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies disposed within said heater housing along said heater axis and having a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel cell fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with a fuel cell oxidizing agent; and a plurality of combustors disposed within said heater housing along said heater axis, said method comprising:
supplying a combustor fuel to said plurality of combustors;
combusting said combustor fuel to produce a heated combustor exhaust when said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies are at an inactive temperature where said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies are substantially electrochemically inactive; and
using said heated combustor exhaust to elevate the temperature of said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies from said inactive temperature to an active temperature where said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies are electrochemically actives;
wherein said step of using said heated combustor exhaust to elevate the temperature of said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies comprises surrounding said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies with said heated combustor exhaust, thereby directly heating said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein said heater housing extends from a first end to a second end, said method further comprising:
supplying said combustor fuel having a turbulent flame velocity to each one of said plurality of combustors at a flow rate that produces a fuel velocity of said combustor fuel that is less than said turbulent flame velocity; and
using an igniter and said combustor fuel to initiate a flame at said first end of said heater housing.

3. A method as in claim 2 further comprising propagating said flame to said second end of said heater housing, thereby initiating combustion in each of said plurality of combustors.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein said flame propagates to said second end of said heater housing at a rate of about 1 m/s to about 10 m/s.

5. A method as in claim 3 further comprising increasing said flow rate after combustion has been initiated in each one of said plurality of combustors.

6. A method for operating a heater comprising a heater housing extending along a heater axis from a first end to a second end; a plurality of combustors disposed within said heater housing along said heater axis; and an igniter, said method comprising:
supplying a combustor fuel having a turbulent flame velocity to each one of said plurality of combustors at a flow rate that produces a fuel velocity of said combustor fuel that is less than said turbulent flame velocity; and
using said igniter and said combustor fuel to initiate a flame at said first end of said heater housing.

7. A method as in claim 6 further comprising propagating said flame to said second end of said heater housing, thereby initiating combustion in each of said plurality of combustors.

8. A method as in claim 7 wherein said flame propagates to said second end of said heater housing at a rate of about 1 m/s to about 10 m/s.

9. A method as in claim 7 further comprising increasing said flow rate after combustion has been initiated in each one of said plurality of combustors.

10. A method as in claim 7 wherein said heater further comprises a plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies disposed within said heater housing and having a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel cell fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with a fuel cell oxidizing agent, said method further comprising using said plurality of combustors to elevate the temperature of said plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies to be electrochemically active.

Assignees

• Delphi Tech Inc

Inventors

• Fischer Bernhard A
• Richards James D

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04022

  Heating by combustion · CPC title

• H01M8/04268 Primary

  Heating of fuel cells during the start-up of the fuel cells · CPC title

• E21B36/02

  using burners · CPC title

• H01M8/24

  Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells · CPC title