Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080311445 | High temperature fuel cell system and method of operating same - A high temperature fuel cell stack system, such as a solid oxide fuel cell system, with an improved balance of plant efficiency includes a thermally integrated reformer, combustor and the fuel cell stack. | 12-18-2008 |
20090029204 | Hybrid fuel heat exchanger - pre- reformer in SOFC systems - A fuel cell system includes at least one fuel cell stack, a fuel inlet conduit, and a fuel heat exchanger containing a fuel reformation catalyst. The fuel heat exchanger is connected to the fuel inlet conduit and to at least one fuel cell system exhaust conduit which in operation provides a high temperature exhaust stream to the fuel heat exchanger. | 01-29-2009 |
20090029205 | Integrated fuel line to support CPOX and SMR reactions in SOFC systems - A fuel cell system comprises at least one fuel cell stack, a CPOX reactor, and a conduit for providing a fuel stream to the at least one fuel cell stack through the CPOX reactor during both a start up and a steady state modes of operation of the system. | 01-29-2009 |
20090042068 | Hot box design with a multi-stream heat exchanger and single air control - A fuel cell stack module includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks, an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) which is located in a heat transfer relationship with the plurality of fuel cell stacks, a base supporting the plurality of fuel cell stacks and the ATO, and at least one heat exchanger located in the base. An ATO exhaust stream and an anode exhaust stream from the fuel cell stacks heat the stack fuel and air inlet streams in a multi-stream heat exchanger. | 02-12-2009 |
20090208784 | Fuel cell system containing anode tail gas oxidizer and hybrid heat exchanger/reformer - A fuel cell system includes at least one fuel cell stack, a fuel inlet conduit, and a fuel heat exchanger containing a fuel reformation catalyst. The fuel heat exchanger is connected to the fuel inlet conduit and to at least one fuel cell system exhaust conduit which in operation provides a high temperature exhaust stream to the fuel heat exchanger. The fuel heat exchanger is thermally integrated with an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) exhaust conduit such that in operation an ATO exhaust stream in the ATO exhaust conduit heats a fuel inlet stream passing through the heat exchanger. | 08-20-2009 |
20090269626 | Method of optimizing operating efficiency of fuel cells - A method of operating a fuel cell electrochemical system includes receiving at least one of a cost of electricity and a cost of fuel and adjusting at least one of an operating efficiency and throughput of the fuel cell based on the at least one of the received cost of electricity and the received cost of fuel. | 10-29-2009 |
20090280360 | Derivation of control parameters of fuel cell systems for flexible fuel operation - A method of operating a fuel cell system includes characterizing the fuel or fuels being provided into the fuel cell system, characterizing the oxidizing gas or gases being provided into the fuel cell system, and calculating at least one of the steam:carbon ratio, fuel utilization and oxidizing gas utilization based on the step of characterization. | 11-12-2009 |
20100009221 | Recuperators with spiral flow for fuel cell systems - A fuel cell system includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks, and one or more devices which in operation of the system provide an azimuthal direction to one or more anode or cathode feed or exhaust fluid flows in the system. | 01-14-2010 |
20100047637 | OPERATION OF FUEL CELL SYSTEMS WITH REDUCED CARBON FORMATION AND ANODE LEADING EDGE DAMAGE - A method of operating a fuel cell system includes introducing a fuel mixture comprising hydrogen, fuel, and steam at a fuel inlet of the fuel cell system, and operating the fuel cell system to generate electricity. A ratio of hydrogen to carbon from fuel (H | 02-25-2010 |
20100092814 | Online configurable control system for fuel cells - A fuel cell system control system includes a fuel cell system and a controller. The controller includes a display and a processor configured to execute a program for managing an operation of a fuel cell state machine having a plurality of states and capable of executing logic to execute state transitions, and a fuel cell failure detection and correction program, configured to detect one or more fuel cell system failures and correct each detected failure while the fuel cell system continues to operate. The control process includes the steps of representing an operation of a fuel cell control system as a state machine having one or more states, controlling the operation of the fuel cell system using the state machine, executing one or more states of the state machine, and correcting operational errors in the fuel cell control system while the fuel cell system continues to operate. | 04-15-2010 |
20100203416 | HYBRID REFORMER FOR FUEL FLEXIBILITY - A reformer for a fuel cell system includes a leading segment and a trailing segment. The leading segment includes less reactive catalyst and/or more stabilizing catalyst than the trailing segment. The reformer may be used for reformation of high and low hydrocarbon fuels. | 08-12-2010 |
20100203417 | HIGH TEMPERATURE FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME - A high temperature fuel cell stack system, such as a solid oxide fuel cell system, with an improved balance of plant efficiency includes a thermally integrated reformer, combustor and the fuel cell stack. | 08-12-2010 |
20100239924 | Fuel cell system with partial recycling of anode exhaust - A method of operating a fuel cell system includes providing a fuel inlet stream into a fuel cell stack, operating the fuel cell stack to generate electricity and a hydrogen containing fuel exhaust stream having a temperature above 200 C, lowering a temperature of the fuel exhaust stream to 200 C or less, separating the fuel exhaust stream into a first separated fuel exhaust stream and a second separated fuel exhaust stream, and recycling the first separated fuel exhaust stream into the fuel inlet stream. | 09-23-2010 |
20110053027 | Multi-Stream Heat Exchanger for a Fuel Cell System - A multi-stream heat exchanger includes at least one air preheater section, at least one cathode recuperator section, and at least one anode recuperator section, wherein each section is a plate type heat exchanger having two major surfaces and a plurality of edge surfaces, a plurality of risers through at least some of the plates, and a plurality of flow paths located between plates. The cathode recuperator section is located adjacent to a first edge surface of the anode recuperator, and the air preheater section is located adjacent to a second edge surface of the anode recuperator section. | 03-03-2011 |
20110189567 | High Temperature Fuel Cell System and Method of Operating the Same - A high temperature fuel cell stack system, such as a solid oxide fuel cell system, with an improved balance of plant efficiency includes a thermally integrated reformer, combustor and the fuel cell stack. | 08-04-2011 |
20110281185 | Modular fuel cell system - A fuel cell stack module includes a base, a cover dome removably positioned on the base, and a plurality of fuel cell stacks removably positioned on the base below the cover dome. A modular fuel cell system includes a plurality of the fuel cell stack modules, where each fuel cell stack module may be electrically disconnected, removed from the fuel cell system, repaired or serviced without stopping an operation of the other fuel cell stack modules in the fuel cell system. | 11-17-2011 |
20120171584 | Hot Box Design with a Multi-Stream Heat Exchanger and Single Air Control - A fuel cell stack module includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks, an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) which is located in a heat transfer relationship with the plurality of fuel cell stacks, a base supporting the plurality of fuel cell stacks and the ATO, and at least one heat exchanger located in the base. An ATO exhaust stream and an anode exhaust stream from the fuel cell stacks heat the stack fuel and air inlet streams in a multi-stream heat exchanger. | 07-05-2012 |
20120178003 | SOFC Hot Box Components - Various hot box fuel cell system components are provided, such as heat exchangers, steam generator and other components. | 07-12-2012 |
20120251914 | Derivation of Control Parameters of Fuel Cell Systems for Flexible Fuel Operation - A method of operating a fuel cell system includes characterizing the fuel or fuels being provided into the fuel cell system, characterizing the oxidizing gas or gases being provided into the fuel cell system, and calculating at least one of the steam:carbon ratio, fuel utilization and oxidizing gas utilization based on the step of characterization. | 10-04-2012 |
20120270117 | SOFC Hot Box Components - Various hot box fuel cell system components are provided, such as heat exchangers, steam generator and other components. | 10-25-2012 |
20120321975 | Method of Optimizing Operating Efficiency of Fuel Cells - A method of operating a fuel cell electrochemical system includes receiving at least one of a cost of electricity and a cost of fuel and adjusting at least one of an operating efficiency and throughput of the fuel cell based on the at least one of the received cost of electricity and the received cost of fuel. | 12-20-2012 |
20130011757 | Fuel Cell System Containing Anode Tail Gas Oxidizer and Hybrid Heat Exchanger/Reformer - A fuel cell system includes at least one fuel cell stack, a fuel inlet conduit, and a fuel heat exchanger containing a fuel reformation catalyst. The fuel heat exchanger is connected to the fuel inlet conduit and to at least one fuel cell system exhaust conduit which in operation provides a high temperature exhaust stream to the fuel heat exchanger. The fuel heat exchanger is thermally integrated with an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) exhaust conduit such that in operation an ATO exhaust stream in the ATO exhaust conduit heats a fuel inlet stream passing through the heat exchanger. | 01-10-2013 |
20130108936 | SOFC SYSTEM WITH SELECTIVE CO2 REMOVAL | 05-02-2013 |
20130224618 | MULTI-STREAM HEAT EXCHANGER FOR A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A multi-stream heat exchanger includes at least one air preheater section, at least one cathode recuperator section, and at least one anode recuperator section, wherein each section is a plate type heat exchanger having two major surfaces and a plurality of edge surfaces, a plurality of risers through at least some of the plates, and a plurality of flow paths located between plates. The cathode recuperator section is located adjacent to a first edge surface of the anode recuperator, and the air preheater section is located adjacent to a second edge surface of the anode recuperator section. | 08-29-2013 |
20140057188 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM CONTAINING ANODE TAIL GAS OXIDIZER AND HYBRID HEAT EXCHANGER / REFORMER - A fuel cell system includes at least one fuel cell stack, a fuel inlet conduit, and a fuel heat exchanger containing a fuel reformation catalyst. The fuel heat exchanger is connected to the fuel inlet conduit and to at least one fuel cell system exhaust conduit which in operation provides a high temperature exhaust stream to the fuel heat exchanger. The fuel heat exchanger is thermally integrated with an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) exhaust conduit such that in operation an ATO exhaust stream in the ATO exhaust conduit heats a fuel inlet stream passing through the heat exchanger. | 02-27-2014 |
20140089055 | Fuel Cell Fleet Optimization - A fuel cell fleet has a plurality of fuel cell systems each connected to a data server. The data server may be configured to obtain operational data from of the plurality of fuel cell systems. An efficiency controller operably connected to the data server and is configured to predict an efficiency and a power output of the fleet from the operational data and optimize the efficiency of the fleet to minimize the fleet fuel consumption while maintaining a desired fleet output power. The efficiency may be determined by a ratio of the fleet output current or output power to the fleet fuel consumption. | 03-27-2014 |
20140162155 | DERIVATION OF CONTROL PARAMETERS OF FUEL CELL SYSTEMS FOR FLEXIBLE FUEL OPERATION - A method of operating a fuel cell system includes characterizing the fuel or fuels being provided into the fuel cell system, characterizing the oxidizing gas or gases being provided into the fuel cell system, and calculating at least one of the steam:carbon ratio, fuel utilization and oxidizing gas utilization based on the step of characterization. | 06-12-2014 |