# US 11,309,563 B2 · High efficiency fuel cell system with hydrogen and syngas export > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,309,563 B2 - Document ID: US11309563B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/095,288 - Filed: 2017-04-20 - Published: 2019-05-09 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-21 - Assignees: FuelCell Energy, Inc. - Applicants: FuelCell Energy, Inc. - Inventors: Ramakrishnan Venkataraman; Mohammad Farooque - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309563B2 ## CPC - H01M 8/0681: {Reactant purification by the use of electrochemical cells} - H01M 8/04014: Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants - H01M 8/04089: of gaseous reactants - H01M 8/04097: {with recycling of the reactants (H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence)} - H01M 8/04291: Arrangements for managing water in solid electrolyte fuel cell systems (H01M8/04119 takes precedence) - H01M 8/04701: Temperature - H01M 8/04746: Pressure; Flow - H01M 8/04753: {of fuel cell reactants} - H01M 8/04761: {of fuel cell exhausts} - H01M 8/04828: Humidity; Water content - H01M 8/0612: from carbon-containing material - H01M 8/0656: by electrochemical means (H01M8/065 takes precedence) - H01M 8/0668: Removal of carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide - H01M 8/249: comprising two or more groupings of fuel cells, e.g. modular assemblies - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A fuel cell system includes at least one topping fuel cell module including a topping anode portion configured to output a topping anode exhaust, and a topping cathode portion configured to output a topping cathode exhaust; at least one bottoming fuel cell module including a bottoming anode portion configured to output a bottoming anode exhaust, and a bottoming cathode portion configured to output a bottoming cathode exhaust; and an electrochemical hydrogen separation unit configured to receive at least a portion of the topping anode exhaust, to output a hydrogen-rich stream, and to output a CO2-rich stream. The bottoming anode portion is configured to receive the CO2-rich stream from the electrochemical hydrogen separation unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fuel cell system comprising: a first topping fuel cell module comprising a first topping anode portion configured to output a first topping anode exhaust comprising hydrogen, and a first topping cathode portion configured to output a first topping cathode exhaust; a second topping fuel cell module comprising a second topping anode portion configured to output a second topping anode exhaust comprising hydrogen, and a second topping cathode portion configured to output a second topping cathode exhaust; at least one bottoming fuel cell module comprising a bottoming anode portion configured to output a bottoming anode exhaust, and a bottoming cathode portion configured to output a bottoming cathode exhaust; and an electrochemical hydrogen separation unit configured to receive the first topping anode exhaust and the second topping anode exhaust, to output a hydrogen-rich stream, and to output a CO2-rich stream; wherein the bottoming anode portion is configured to receive the CO2-rich stream from the electrochemical hydrogen separation unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system of claim 1, further comprising: a water recovery unit configured to receive the first topping anode exhaust, to separate water contained in the first topping anode exhaust, to output a water stream, and to output water-depleted topping anode exhaust; wherein the at least a portion of the first topping anode exhaust received by the electrochemical hydrogen separation unit is the water-depleted topping anode exhaust from the water recovery unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control an amount of the first topping anode exhaust that is diverted to the electrochemical hydrogen separation unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system of claim 1, wherein the electrochemical hydrogen separation unit is configured to receive an entirety of the first topping anode exhaust from the first topping fuel cell module. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system of claim 1, further comprising a heat recovery unit configured to: receive the first topping cathode exhaust and an incoming water stream, heat the incoming water stream using heat in the first topping cathode exhaust, and output a hot water stream. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system of claim 1, further comprising an Organic Rankine Cycle system configured to receive the first topping cathode exhaust, and to generate power using heat in the first topping cathode exhaust. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system of claim 1, wherein a total number of topping fuel cell stacks in the system is greater than a total number of bottoming fuel cell stacks in the system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system of claim 1, further comprising: a heat exchanger configured to: receive the bottoming cathode exhaust, cool the bottoming cathode exhaust, and output a cooled bottoming cathode exhaust; wherein the first topping cathode portion is configured to receive the cooled bottoming cathode exhaust from the heat exchanger. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The fuel cell system of claim 8, wherein the at least one bottoming fuel cell module further comprises: an oxidizer assembly configured to: receive the bottoming anode exhaust, oxidize the bottoming anode exhaust, and output an oxidant gas; wherein the bottoming cathode portion is configured to receive the oxidant gas from the oxidizer assembly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system of claim 1, wherein the at least one bottoming fuel cell module further comprises: an oxidizer assembly configured to: receive the bottoming anode exhaust, oxidize the bottoming anode exhaust, and output an oxidant gas; wherein the bottoming cathode portion is configured to receive the oxidant gas from the oxidizer assembly. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: operating a fuel cell system that comprises: a first topping fuel cell module comprising a first topping anode portion configured to output a first topping anode exhaust comprising hydrogen, and a first topping cathode portion configured to output a first topping cathode exhaust, a second topping fuel cell module comprising a second topping anode portion configured to output a second topping anode exhaust comprising hydrogen, and a second topping cathode portion configured to output a second topping cathode exhaust, at least one bottoming fuel cell module comprising a bottoming anode portion configured to output a bottoming anode exhaust, and a bottoming cathode portion configured to output a bottoming cathode exhaust, and an electrochemical hydrogen separation unit; wherein the step of operating the fuel cell system comprises: at the electrochemical hydrogen separation unit, receiving at least a portion of the first topping anode exhaust from the first topping fuel cell module and the second topping anode exhaust from the second topping fuel cell module, outputting a hydrogen-rich stream, and outputting a CO2-rich stream; and at the bottoming anode portion, receiving the CO2-rich stream from the electrochemical hydrogen separation unit. ### Claim 12 A fuel cell system comprising: a first topping fuel cell module comprising a first topping anode portion configured to output a first topping anode exhaust comprising CO2 and hydrogen, and a first topping cathode portion configured to output a first topping cathode exhaust; a second topping fuel cell module comprising a second topping anode portion configured to output a second topping anode exhaust comprising CO2 and hydrogen, and a second topping cathode portion configured to output a second topping cathode exhaust; at least one bottoming fuel cell module comprising a bottoming anode portion configured to receive the first topping anode exhaust and the second topping anode exhaust and to output a bottoming anode exhaust, and a bottoming cathode portion configured to output a bottoming cathode exhaust; and a CO2 separation assembly configured to receive the bottoming anode exhaust, to output a hydrogen-rich stream, and to output a CO2-rich stream. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The fuel cell system of claim 12, further comprising: a condenser configured to receive the bottoming anode exhaust, to separate water contained in the bottoming anode exhaust, to output a water stream, and to output water-depleted bottoming anode exhaust; wherein the bottoming anode exhaust received by the CO2 separation assembly is the water-depleted bottoming anode exhaust from the condenser. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The fuel cell system of claim 12, further comprising: a flue gas input configured to receive flue gas from a flue gas generating system and to output the flue gas to the first topping cathode portion and the bottoming cathode portion; and a controller configured to control an amount of the flue gas output to the first topping cathode portion and the bottoming cathode portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The fuel cell system of claim 12, wherein the first topping anode portion is configured to receive the hydrogen-rich stream from the CO2 separation assembly. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The fuel cell system of claim 15, further comprising: a bleed valve configured to allow a portion of the hydrogen-rich stream from the CO2 separation assembly to be bled off; and a controller configured to control the bleed valve. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The fuel cell system of claim 12, further comprising a heat recovery unit configured to: receive the first topping cathode exhaust, the bottoming cathode exhaust, and an incoming water stream, heat the incoming water stream using heat in the first topping cathode exhaust and the bottoming cathode exhaust, and output a hot water stream. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The fuel cell system of claim 12, further comprising an Organic Rankine Cycle system configured to receive the first topping cathode exhaust and the bottoming cathode exhaust, and to generate power using heat in the first topping cathode exhaust and the bottoming cathode exhaust. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The fuel cell system of claim 12, wherein a total number of topping fuel cell stacks in the system is greater than a total number of bottoming fuel cell stacks in the system. ### Claim 20 A method comprising: operating a fuel cell system that comprises: a first topping fuel cell module comprising a first topping anode portion configured to output a first topping anode exhaust comprising CO2 and hydrogen, and a first topping cathode portion configured to output a first topping cathode exhaust, a second topping fuel cell module comprising a second topping anode portion configured to output a second topping anode exhaust comprising CO2 and hydrogen, and a second topping cathode portion configured to output a second topping cathode exhaust, at least one bottoming fuel cell module comprising a bottoming anode portion configured to receive the first topping anode exhaust and the second topping anode exhaust and to output a bottoming anode exhaust, and a bottoming cathode portion configured to output a bottoming cathode exhaust, and a CO2 separation assembly; wherein the step of operating the fuel cell system comprises, at the CO2 separation assembly, receiving the bottoming anode exhaust from the at least one bottoming fuel cell module, outputting a hydrogen-rich stream, and outputting a CO2-rich stream.