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 upper portion of the fuel cell assembly through the space between the multiple fuel cells in the fuel cell assembly;
• an ignition device for igniting and combusting the fuel gas supplied to the lower portion of the fuel cell assembly from the reformer and reaching the upper 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 start the solid oxide fuel cell device by implementing a combustion operation using the ignition device to cause ignition and combust the fuel gas with the air, then supplying the fuel gas and the reforming air into the reformer to conduct a partial oxidation reforming reaction (POX) operation, then supplying the fuel gas, the reforming air and the water into the reformer to conduct an auto-thermal reforming reaction (ATR) operation, then supplying the fuel gas and water into the reformer to conduct a steam reforming reaction (SR) operation,
• wherein the control device controls the fuel gas supply device, the reforming air supply device and the power generating air supply device so that supply flow rates of fuel gas, reforming air and power generating air are held constant without variation in the combustion operation region in which the ignition device causes the ignition and combust the fuel gas after starting the supply of the fuel gas, the reforming air and the power generating air.