Carbon dioxide removal from anode exhaust of a fuel cell by cooling/condensation

A system for removing carbon dioxide from anode exhaust gas that has been compressed to form pressurized anode exhaust vapor, the system comprising:

• a feed/effluent heat exchanger configured to cool the anode exhaust vapor to a first predetermined temperature and partially condense carbon dioxide in the pressurized anode exhaust vapor;
• a first vapor-liquid separator configured to receive an output of the feed/effluent heat exchanger and separate liquid carbon dioxide from uncondensed anode exhaust vapor;
• a feed/refrigerant heat exchanger configured to receive the uncondensed anode exhaust vapor from the first vapor-liquid separator, cool the uncondensed anode exhaust vapor to a second predetermined temperature, and condense additional carbon dioxide in the uncondensed anode exhaust vapor;
• a second vapor-liquid separator configured to receive an output of the feed/refrigerant heat exchanger and separate liquid carbon dioxide to form hydrogen rich, uncondensed anode exhaust vapor;
• a mixer configured to receive and mix the liquid carbon dioxide separated by the first vapor-liquid separator and the liquid carbon dioxide separated by the second vapor-liquid separator;
• and
• a pressure reduction valve configured to receive a total liquid carbon dioxide from the mixer, the total liquid carbon dioxide comprising the liquid carbon dioxide separated by the first vapor-liquid separator and the liquid carbon dioxide separated by the second vapor-liquid separator, wherein:
• the pressure reduction valve is further configured to reduce a pressure of the total liquid carbon dioxide from a first pressure to a second pressure lower than the first pressure, and
• the feed/effluent heat exchanger is configured to receive the total liquid carbon dioxide having the second pressure and to use the total liquid carbon dioxide as a cooling media.