Solid oxide fuel cell device

A solid oxide fuel cell device for generating power by reacting fuel gas and air, comprising:

• a fuel cell assembly furnished with multiple solid electrolyte-type fuel cells;
• a reformer disposed above the fuel cell assembly for steam reforming fuel gas and supplying the fuel gas to the fuel cell assembly;
• a fuel gas supply device for supplying the fuel gas to the reformer;
• a water supply device for producing pure water and supplying the pure water to the reformer;
• a reforming air supply device for supplying reforming air to the reformer;
• a power generating air supply device for supplying power generating air to the fuel cell assembly;
• an ignition device for igniting and combusting the fuel gas supplied to the bottom portion of the fuel cell assembly and reaching the top portion of the fuel cell assembly;
• and
• a control device for controlling the fuel gas supply device, the water supply device, the reforming air supply device, the power generating air supply device, and the ignition device to conduct a combustion operation to ignite and combust the fuel gas and the reforming air by the ignition device, then supply the fuel gas and the reforming air into the reformer to conduct a partial oxidation reforming reaction (POX) operation, then supply the fuel gas, the reforming air and water into the reformer to conduct an auto-thermal reforming reaction (ATR) operation, and then supply the fuel gas and water into the reformer to conduct a steam reforming reaction (SR) operation, thereby starting the solid oxide fuel cell device;
• wherein the control device controls the fuel gas supply device to hold constant the supply flow rate of fuel gas during a predetermined interval containing an ignition timing, controls the ignition device to ignite the fuel gas at the middle of the predetermined interval, and controls the fuel gas supply device to reduce the supply flow rate of fuel gas after an elapse of the predetermined interval.