System and process for generating electrical power

A system for generating electricity, comprising:

• a) a solid oxide fuel cell comprising
• 1) an anode having
• (i) an anode inlet;
• and
• (ii) an anode exhaust outlet;
• 2) a cathode having
• (i) a cathode inlet;
• and
• (ii) a cathode exhaust outlet;
• and
• 3) an electrolyte positioned between contacting and separating the anode and the cathode;
• b) a pre-reforming reactor comprising
• 1) a pre-reforming region adapted to crack one or more hydrocarbons in a feed precursor to form a feed, said pre-reforming region containing a cracking catalyst therein positioned to contact a vaporized mixture of steam and one or more hydrocarbons of a feed precursor;
• 2) one or more pre-reforming reactor feed precursor inlets coupled in gas/fluid communication with the pre-reforming region through which a feed precursor may be introduced into the pre-reforming region;
• and
• 3) one or more pre-reforming reactor anode exhaust inlets coupled in gaseous communication with the pre-reforming region and operatively coupled in gaseous communication with the anode exhaust outlet, through which an anode exhaust stream from the fuel cell may be introduced into the pre-reforming region;
• and
• 4) one or more pre-reforming reactor outlets in gaseous communication with the pre-reforming region;
• c) a reforming reactor comprising
• 1) a reforming region adapted to reform a vaporized mixture of steam and a feed comprising one or more gaseous hydrocarbons, said reforming region containing a reforming catalyst therein positioned to contact the vaporized mixture of steam and feed in the reforming region;
• and
• 2) one or more reforming region inlets coupled in gaseous communication with the reforming region and operatively coupled in gaseous communication with one or more pre-reforming reactor outlets to permit feed and steam from the pre-reforming reactor to be introduced into the reforming region of the reforming reactor;
• and
• d) a hydrogen separation apparatus having
• 1) a member selectively permeable to hydrogen located in the reforming region of the reforming reactor and in gaseous communication with the reforming region of the reforming reactor;
• 2) a hydrogen gas outlet located in gaseous communication with the member, the member being interposed between the reforming region of the reforming reactor and the hydrogen gas outlet to permit selective flow of hydrogen from the reforming region to the hydrogen gas outlet through the member, wherein the hydrogen gas outlet is operatively coupled in gaseous communication with the anode inlet of the fuel cell to permit the flow of a hydrogen gas stream from the hydrogen separation apparatus to the anode of the fuel cell.