High efficiency fuel reforming and water use in a high temperature fuel-cell system and process for the such thereof

• Main Author: Buxbaum, Robert E
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.07.2019
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION ORPROCESSING OF GOODS; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS,e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USERAPPLICATIONS; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TOTRANSPORTATION; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGYGENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE

A method of operating a fuel cell system to produce electrical power that includes a hydrocarbon or alcohol fuel feed stock containing water vapor or steam being reformed in the fuel cell or in a separate reformer with the output gas from the fuel cell going to a water gas shift reactor to convert a portion of the carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and hydrogen. A portion of the carbon dioxide then being removed to yield a hydrogen rich gas that is piped back into the solid oxide fuel cell or the molten carbonate fuel cell in concert with the reformed or unreformed fuel feed stock. A system for performing the method is also provided.