System and method for producing hydrogen using high temperature fuel cells
AssigneeFuelCell Energy, Inc.
InventorsFred C. Jahnke, Matthew Lambrech
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A steam methane reformer-integrated fuel cell system includes at least one fuel cell including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte matrix. The system includes a steam methane reformer, a water-gas shift reactor, an absorber column, and a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system. The PSA system is configured to purify the second product stream to output (1) a third product stream of the PSA system having a fourth concentration of hydrogen that is greater than the third concentration of hydrogen and (2) a PSA tail gas. The at least one fuel cell is configured to receive the PSA tail gas from the PSA system as an anode feed gas.
Claims20
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;
- a steam methane reformer configured to react methane with steam to produce a first product stream including a first concentration of hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and carbon monoxide (CO);
- 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) system configured to purify the second product stream to output (1) a third product stream of the PSA system having a fourth concentration of hydrogen that is greater than the third concentration of hydrogen and (2) a PSA tail gas;
- and
- an anode gas oxidizer (AGO) configured to output a high-temperature exhaust stream,
- wherein the at least one fuel cell is configured to receive the PSA tail gas from the PSA system as an anode feed gas, and
- wherein the steam methane reformer is configured such that the steam and methane in the steam methane reformer are heated by the high-temperature exhaust stream.
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;
- a steam methane reformer configured to react methane with steam to produce a first product stream including a first concentration of hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and carbon monoxide (CO);
- 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) system configured to purify the second product stream to output (1) a third product stream of the PSA system having a fourth concentration of hydrogen that is greater than the third concentration of hydrogen and (2) a PSA tail gas;
- a flash gas apparatus configured to receive solvent comprising CO2 from the absorber column and to produce a first CO2-rich flashed gas stream;
- and
- an AGO configured to receive a mixture of anode exhaust gas from the at least one fuel cell, a preheated air stream, and the first CO2-rich flashed gas stream, such that the anode exhaust gas reacts with the preheated air stream to produce a high-temperature exhaust stream,
- wherein the at least one fuel cell is configured to receive the PSA tail gas from the PSA system as an anode feed gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.