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US 11,843,150 B2Granted
Fuel cell staging for molten carbonate fuel cells
AssigneeExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company
InventorsRodrigo F. Blanco Gutierrez, Eric B. Shen, Carla S. Pereira, Keith E. Davis, Hossein Ghezel-Ayagh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for using fuel cell staging to reduce or minimize variations in current density when operating molten carbonate fuel cells with elevated CO2 utilization. The fuel cell staging can mitigate the amount of alternative ion transport that occurs when operating molten carbonate fuel cells under conditions for elevated CO2 utilization.
Claims20
A method for producing electricity, the method comprising:
- introducing an anode input stream comprising H2, a reformable fuel, or a combination thereof into a first anode stage of a plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages;
- introducing a cathode input stream comprising O2 and CO2 into a first cathode stage of the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages;
- passing a second anode input stream into a second anode stage of the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages;
- passing an intermediate cathode output into a second cathode stage of the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages;
- and
- operating the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages to generate i) electricity at an average current density of 80 mA/cm2 or more, ii) an anode exhaust from the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages comprising H2, CO, and CO2, and iii) a cathode exhaust from the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages comprising CO2, 1.0 vol % or more of O2, and 1.0 vol % or more of H2O,
- wherein a combined measured CO2 utilization across the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages is 70% or more, and wherein a calculated CO2 utilization in the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages calculated based on the average current density is greater than the combined measured CO2 utilization by 5% or more.
4 more elements
A method for producing electricity, the method comprising:
- introducing an anode input stream comprising H2, a reformable fuel, or a combination thereof into a first anode stage of a plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages;
- introducing a cathode input stream comprising O2 and 5.0 vol % or less CO2 into a first cathode stage of the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages;
- passing a second anode input stream into a second anode stage of the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages;
- passing an intermediate cathode output into a second cathode stage of the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages;
- and
- operating the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages to generate i) electricity at an average current density of 80 mA/cm2 or more, ii) an anode exhaust from the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages comprising H2, CO, and CO2, and iii) a cathode exhaust from the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages comprising a CO2 content of 1.0 vol % or less,
- wherein a combined measured CO2 utilization across the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages is 70% or more, and wherein a calculated CO2 utilization in the plurality of molten carbonate fuel cell stages calculated based on the average current density is greater than the combined measured CO2 utilization, the calculated CO2 utilization optionally being greater than the combined measured CO2 utilization by 5.0% or more.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.