# US 10,320,016 B2 · High-temperature fuel cell system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,320,016 B2 - Document ID: US10320016B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/590,859 - Filed: 2017-05-09 - Published: 2017-11-23 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-19 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Osamu Sakai; Kunihiro Ukai; Yasushi Kaneko; Shigenori Onuma; Takashi Kakuwa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320016B2 ## CPC - H01M 8/0618: {Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming} - C01B 3/06: by reaction of inorganic compounds containing electro-positively bound hydrogen with inorganic reducing agents - C01B 3/384: with external heating of the catalyst - H01M 8/04022: {Heating by combustion} - H01M 8/04074: {Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell} - H01M 8/0662: Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning - C01B 2203/066: with fuel cells - H01M 2008/1293: {Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes} - Y02E 60/36: Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A high-temperature fuel cell system includes a fuel cell that includes an anode and a cathode and that generates power by using a fuel gas and an oxidant gas, a fuel-gas path along which the fuel gas flows, an oxidant-gas path along which the oxidant gas flows, an anode-off-gas path along which an anode off-gas flows, a cathode-off-gas path along which a cathode off-gas flows, a combustion space in communication with the anode-off-gas path and the cathode-off-gas path and in which the anode off-gas and the cathode off-gas are burned, a flue-gas path along which a flue gas flows, a cathode-off-gas branch portion disposed on the cathode-off-gas path between the combustion space and the cathode and at which some of the cathode off-gas is branched from the cathode-off-gas path, and a first heat exchanger that enables heat exchange between the oxidant gas, the flue gas, and the cathode off-gas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A high-temperature fuel cell system comprising: an inner wall and an outer wall surrounding the inner wall; a partition wall disposed so as to partition a space on inside of the inner wall into an upper area and a lower area; a fuel cell that is disposed in the lower area and includes an anode and a cathode and that generates power by using a fuel gas and an oxidant gas; a fuel-gas path passing through the partition wall, along which the fuel gas flows; an oxidant-gas path formed by the inner wall and the outer wall, along which the oxidant gas flows; an anode-off-gas path along which an anode off-gas discharged from the anode flows; a cathode-off-gas path along which a cathode off-gas discharged from the cathode flows; a combustion space that is disposed in the upper area and is in communication with the anode-off-gas path and the cathode-off-gas path and in which the anode off-gas and the cathode off-gas are burned; a flue-gas path along which a flue gas discharged from the combustion space flows; a cathode-off-gas branch portion that is disposed on the cathode-off-gas path between the combustion space and the cathode and at which some of the cathode off-gas is branched from the cathode-off-gas path; and a first heat exchanger that enables heat exchange between the oxidant gas, the flue gas, and the cathode off-gas that has passed through the cathode off-gas branch portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The high-temperature fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising: a mixing portion that is disposed on the flue-gas path and at which the flue gas and the cathode off-gas that has passed through the cathode-off-gas branch portion are mixed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The high-temperature fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising: a reformer that generates, from a source gas, a reformed gas containing hydrogen used as the fuel gas to be supplied to the fuel cell; and a second heat exchanger that enables heat exchange between the reformer and the flue gas, wherein the cathode off-gas that has passed through the cathode-off-gas branch portion, together with the flue gas, is used as a heating fluid of the second heat exchanger. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The high-temperature fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising: an anode-off-gas ejecting portion that forms part of the anode-off-gas path and from which the anode off-gas is ejected into the combustion space; and a cathode-off-gas gathering portion that forms part of the cathode-off-gas path and at which the cathode off-gas gathers, wherein the cathode-off-gas gathering portion includes a passage member including a cylindrical peripheral wall surrounding the anode-off-gas ejecting portion and a diffuser panel having a cathode-off-gas ejection hole through which the cathode off-gas is ejected into the combustion space inside the peripheral wall, and wherein the cathode-off-gas branch portion is formed on the peripheral wall. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The high-temperature fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the cathode-off-gas branch portion is a branch from the cathode-off-gas path. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The high-temperature fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the cathode-off-gas branch portion is an opening formed on the cathode-off-gas path. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The high-temperature fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising: a combustion tube and a combustion chamber that define the combustion space, wherein the cathode off-gas that has passed through the cathode-off-gas branch portion and the flue gas passing along the flue-gas path are mixed outside the combustion space. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The high-temperature fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell has a cylindrical shape. ### Claim 9 A high-temperature fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell that includes an anode and a cathode and that generates power by using a fuel gas and an oxidant gas; a fuel-gas path along which the fuel gas flows; an oxidant-gas path along which the oxidant gas flows; an anode-off-gas path along which an anode off-gas discharged from the anode flows; a cathode-off-gas path along which a cathode off-gas discharged from the cathode flows; a combustion space that is in communication with the anode-off-gas path and the cathode-off-gas path and in which the anode off-gas and the cathode off-gas are burned; a flue-gas path along which a flue gas discharged from the combustion space flows; a cathode-off-gas branch portion that is disposed on the cathode-off-gas path between the combustion space and the cathode and at which some of the cathode off-gas is branched from the cathode-off-gas path; a first heat exchanger that enables heat exchange between the oxidant gas, the flue gas, and the cathode off-gas that has passed through the cathode off-gas branch portion; an anode-off-gas ejecting portion that forms part of the anode-off-gas path and from which the anode off-gas is ejected into the combustion space; and a cathode-off-gas gathering portion that forms part of the cathode-off-gas path and at which the cathode off-gas gathers, wherein: the cathode-off-gas gathering portion includes a passage member including a cylindrical peripheral wall surrounding the anode-off-gas ejecting portion and a diffuser panel having a cathode-off-gas ejection hole through which the cathode off-gas is ejected into the combustion space inside the peripheral wall, and wherein the cathode-off-gas branch portion is formed on the peripheral wall.