Reversible fuel cell system architecture
AssigneeCummins Inc.
InventorDarren B. Hickey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of maintaining a thermal balance in a solid oxide reversible fuel cell system comprising a solid oxide reversible fuel cell, an air intake for providing air to the solid oxide reversible fuel cell, and a steam reformer fluidly coupled to the solid oxide fuel cell for providing fuel to the solid oxide reversible fuel cell. The method comprising operating the solid oxide reversible fuel cell system in a forward mode in which the steam former receives natural gas and produces hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide to be provided to the solid oxide reversible fuel cell, and operating the solid oxide reversible fuel cell system in a reverse mode in which the steam reformer receives hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide from the solid oxide reversible fuel cell and produces natural gas and water.
Claims13
A solid oxide reversible fuel cell system comprising:
- a solid oxide reversible fuel cell;
- an air intake for providing air to the solid oxide reversible fuel cell;
- a steam reformer fluidly coupled to the solid oxide fuel cell, the steam reformer having a catalyst;
- and
- a proton exchange member hydrogen pump configured to receive by-products from at least one of the steam reformer and the solid oxide reversible fuel cell, the proton exchange member hydrogen pump configured to form hydrogen gas from the by-products,
- wherein the steam reformer is configured to produce hydrogen gas in a forward mode, the hydrogen gas provided to the solid oxide reversible fuel cell such that the solid oxide reversible fuel cell can produce electrical power;
- and
- wherein the steam reformer is configured to produce natural gas and water from the hydrogen, and carbon dioxide that is produced in the forward mode.
A method of maintaining a thermal balance in a solid oxide reversible fuel cell system comprising a solid oxide reversible fuel cell, an air intake for providing air to the solid oxide reversible fuel cell, and a steam reformer fluidly coupled to the solid oxide fuel cell for providing fuel to the solid oxide reversible fuel cell, the method comprising:
- operating the solid oxide reversible fuel cell system in a forward mode in which the steam reformer receives natural gas and produces hydrogen gas to be provided to the solid oxide reversible fuel cell such that the solid oxide reversible fuel cell can produce electrical power from the air and the hydrogen gas received therein;
- and
- operating the solid oxide reversible fuel cell system in a reverse mode in which the steam reformer receives hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide from the solid oxide reversible fuel cell and produces natural gas and water.
A solid oxide reversible fuel cell system comprising:
- a solid oxide reversible fuel cell;
- an air intake for providing air to the solid oxide reversible fuel cell;
- a steam reformer fluidly coupled to the solid oxide fuel cell, the steam reformer having a catalyst;
- a proton exchange member hydrogen pump configured to receive by-products from at least one of the steam reformer and the solid oxide reversible fuel cell, the proton exchange member hydrogen pump configured to form hydrogen gas from the by-products, wherein the steam reformer acts in a forward mode to produce hydrogen gas and a reverse mode to produce water and natural gas;
- a low temperature heat exchanger coupled between the steam reformer and the proton exchange member hydrogen pump, the by-products form the at least one of the steam reformer and the solid oxide reversible fuel cell configured to flow through the low temperature heat exchanger before reaching the proton exchange member hydrogen pump;
- and
- a blower coupled between an outlet of the low temperature heat exchanger and an inlet of the proton exchange member hydrogen pump, wherein the blower is configured to flow at least a portion of the by-products back to the low temperature heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.