US 2009/0155650 A1Published application

System and process for generating electrical power

OwnerJingyu CUI, Erik Edwin Engwall +2inventors

InventorsJingyu CUI, Erik Edwin Engwall, Mahendra Ladharam Joshi, Scott Lee Wellington

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Abstract

The present invention is directed to a solid oxide fuel cell system for generating electrical power. The system comprises a solid oxide fuel cell, a reforming reactor, a hydrogen separation apparatus, and an anode exhaust conduit. The reforming reactor includes a reforming region in which a feed comprising one or more hydrocarbons may be steam reformed to produce a reformed product gas containing hydrogen. The hydrogen separation apparatus is located in the reforming reactor positioned to separate hydrogen from the reformed product gas produced in the reforming reactor. The hydrogen separation apparatus is operatively connected to the anode of the solid oxide fuel cell to provide hydrogen to the fuel cell as a fuel to be oxidized to produce electricity. The anode exhaust conduit is located in the reforming region of the reforming reactor and is operatively connected to the anode exhaust of the fuel cell so that hot anode exhaust exiting the fuel cell may pass through the anode exhaust conduit and exchange heat with reactants in the reforming region of the reforming reactor.

Claims19

Dependent claims

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 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 bed with at least one 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 through which steam, a feed comprising one or more gaseous hydrocarbons, or a vaporized mixture of steam and a feed comprising one or more gaseous hydrocarbons may be introduced to the reforming region;
c) 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;
and
2) a hydrogen gas outlet operatively coupled 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;
d) an anode exhaust conduit operatively coupled in gaseous communication with the anode exhaust outlet, at least a portion of the anode exhaust conduit being located in the reforming region of the reforming reactor, the anode exhaust conduit being positioned within the reforming region of the reforming reactor in thermal communication with the reforming region effective to exchange heat from a hot gas exiting the anode of the solid oxide fuel cell with the catalyst in the reforming region and any steam and feed present in the reforming region.

17 more elements

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 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 bed with at least one 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 through which steam, a feed comprising one or more gaseous hydrocarbons, or a vaporized mixture of steam and a feed comprising one or more gaseous hydrocarbons may be introduced to the reforming region;
c) 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;
and
2) a hydrogen gas outlet operatively coupled 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;
d) an cathode exhaust conduit operatively coupled in gaseous communication with the cathode exhaust outlet, at least a portion of the cathode exhaust conduit being located in the reforming region of the reforming reactor, the cathode exhaust conduit being positioned within the reforming region of the reforming reactor in thermal communication with the reforming region effective to exchange heat from a hot gas exiting the cathode of the solid oxide fuel cell with the catalyst in the reforming region and any steam and feed present in the reforming region.

17 more elements

A system for generating electricity, comprising:

a) a solid oxide fuel cell comprising
1) an anode having
(i) an anode inlet
(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 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 bed with at least one 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 through which steam, a feed comprising one or more gaseous hydrocarbons, or a vaporized mixture of steam and a feed comprising one or more gaseous hydrocarbons may be introduced to the reforming region;
c) a hydrogen separation apparatus having
1) a member selectively permeable to hydrogen operatively coupled in gaseous communication with the reforming region of the reforming reactor;
and
2) a hydrogen gas outlet operatively coupled 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;
d) an anode exhaust conduit operatively coupled in gaseous communication with the anode exhaust outlet, at least a portion of the anode exhaust conduit being located in the reforming region of the reforming reactor, the anode exhaust conduit being positioned within the reforming region of the reforming reactor in thermal communication with the reforming region effective to exchange heat from a hot gas exiting the anode of the solid oxide fuel cell with the catalyst in the reforming region and any steam and feed present in the reforming region.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/335,397Filed 15 Dec 2008
Priority: 17 Dec 2007
Published: 18 Jun 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification28 codes

H01M 8/0618
From carbon-containing material: reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming
C01B 3/38
By reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents: using catalysts
C01B 3/382
Using catalysts: processes with two or more reaction steps, of which at least one is catalytic, e.g. steam reforming and partial oxidation
H01M 8/04097
Of gaseous reactants: with recycling of the reactants