# US 12,003,008 B2 · System and method for producing hydrogen using high temperature fuel cells > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,003,008 B2 - Document ID: US12003008B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/824,630 - Filed: 2022-05-25 - Published: 2022-09-15 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-16 - Assignees: FuelCell Energy, Inc. - Applicants: FuelCell Energy, Inc. - Inventors: Fred C. Jahnke; Matthew Lambrech - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003008B2 ## CPC - C01B 3/38: using catalysts - H01M 8/0618: {Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming} - C01B 3/48: followed by reaction of water vapour with carbon monoxide - C01B 3/52: by contacting with liquids; Regeneration of used liquids - C01B 3/56: by contacting with solids; Regeneration of used solids - H01M 8/04022: {Heating by combustion} - H01M 8/04097: {with recycling of the reactants (H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence)} - H01M 8/0637: Direct internal reforming at the anode of the fuel cell - C01B 2203/0233: the reforming step being a steam reforming step - C01B 2203/043: Regenerative adsorption process in two or more beds, one for adsorption, the other for regeneration - C01B 2203/047: the impurity being carbon monoxide - C01B 2203/067: the reforming process taking place in the fuel cell - C01B 2203/0827: at least part of the fuel being a recycle stream - C01B 2203/1241: Natural gas or methane - C01B 2203/1258: Pre-treatment of the feed - H01M 2008/147: {Fuel cells with molten carbonates} - Y02E 60/36: Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - Y02P 20/129: Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - 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 - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A steam methane reformer-integrated fuel cell system includes: at least one fuel cell including: an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte matrix separating the anode and the cathode; an anode gas oxidizer (AGO) configured to receive anode exhaust gas from the at least one fuel cell and a preheated air stream such that the anode exhaust gas reacts with the preheated air stream to produce a high-temperature exhaust stream, and configured to provide the high-temperature exhaust stream to the cathode of the at least one fuel cell; and a steam methane reformer configured to utilize heat from the high-temperature exhaust stream output from the AGO and to react methane with steam to produce a first product stream including hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and carbon monoxide (CO). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A steam methane reformer-integrated fuel cell system, comprising: at least one fuel cell comprising: an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte matrix separating the anode and the cathode; an anode gas oxidizer (AGO) configured to receive anode exhaust gas from the at least one fuel cell and a preheated air stream such that the anode exhaust gas reacts with the preheated air stream to produce a high-temperature exhaust stream, and configured to provide the high-temperature exhaust stream to the cathode of the at least one fuel cell; and a steam methane reformer configured to utilize heat from the high-temperature exhaust stream output from the AGO before the high-temperature exhaust stream is provided to the cathode of the at least one fuel cell and to react methane with steam to produce a first product stream including hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and carbon monoxide (CO), wherein the steam and methane in the steam methane reformer are heated by the high-temperature exhaust stream. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: the first product stream comprises a first concentration of hydrogen, and the system further comprises a water-gas shift reactor configured to react CO in the first product stream with steam to produce an outlet stream having a second concentration of hydrogen that is greater than the first concentration of hydrogen. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, further comprising: an absorber column configured to reduce a concentration of CO2 in the outlet stream such that a second product stream of the absorber column has a third concentration of hydrogen that is greater than the second concentration of hydrogen. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, further comprising: a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) purification system configured to purify the second product stream such that a third product stream of the PSA purification system has a fourth concentration of hydrogen that is greater than the third concentration of hydrogen. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the fourth concentration of hydrogen is at least 95 mole %. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one fuel cell is configured to receive a PSA tail gas from the PSA purification system as an anode feed gas. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, further comprising: a stripper column connected to the absorber column; wherein: the stripper column is configured to receive a PSA tail gas from the PSA purification system and a solvent from the absorber column; and the stripper column is configured to strip CO2 from the solvent using the PSA tail gas and output a CO2-stripped solvent. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the absorber column is configured to receive the CO2-stripped solvent from the stripper column, such that a hydrogen concentration of the second product stream increases from the second concentration to the third concentration. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the third concentration of hydrogen is at least 90 mole %. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, further comprising a flash gas apparatus configured to receive rich solvent from the absorber column and configured to produce a first CO2-rich flashed gas stream. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the flash gas apparatus comprises a low-pressure flash system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein: the flash gas apparatus comprises: a medium-pressure flash apparatus, and a low-pressure flash apparatus, and the medium-pressure flash apparatus is configured to operate at a pressure in a range of 40% to 60% of a pressure in the absorber column. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, further comprising a flash gas apparatus configured to receive rich solvent from the absorber column and configured to produce a first CO2-rich flashed gas stream comprising at least 60 mole % CO2. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the second concentration of hydrogen is at least 70 mole %. ### Claim 15 A steam methane reformer-integrated fuel cell system, comprising: at least one fuel cell comprising: an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte matrix separating the anode and the cathode; an anode gas oxidizer (AGO) configured to receive anode exhaust gas from the at least one fuel cell and a preheated air stream such that the anode exhaust gas reacts with the preheated air stream to produce a high-temperature exhaust stream, and configured to provide the high-temperature exhaust stream to the cathode of the at least one fuel cell; and a steam methane reformer configured to utilize heat from the high-temperature exhaust stream output from the AGO and to react methane with steam to produce a first product stream including hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and carbon monoxide (CO), wherein the first product stream comprises a first concentration of hydrogen; a water-gas shift reactor configured to react CO in the first product stream with steam to produce an outlet stream having a second concentration of hydrogen that is greater than the first concentration of hydrogen; an absorber column configured to reduce a concentration of CO2 in the outlet stream such that a second product stream of the absorber column has a third concentration of hydrogen that is greater than the second concentration of hydrogen; a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) purification system configured to purify the second product stream such that a third product stream of the PSA purification system has a fourth concentration of hydrogen that is greater than the third concentration of hydrogen; a stripper column connected to the absorber column; wherein: the stripper column is configured to receive a PSA tail gas from the PSA purification system and a solvent from the absorber column; and the stripper column is configured to strip CO2 from the solvent using the PSA tail gas and output a CO2-stripped solvent. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the absorber column is configured to receive the CO2-stripped solvent from the stripper column, such that a hydrogen concentration of the second product stream increases from the second concentration to the third concentration.