# US 2017/0256807 A1 · Fuel cell system, and fuel cell module > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0256807 A1 - Document ID: US20170256807A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/448,073 - Filed: 2017-03-02 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-03 - Assignees: Toshiba Fuel Cell Power Systems Corporation - Applicants: Toshiba Fuel Cell Power Systems Corporation - Inventors: Takeshi MATSUNO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170256807A1 ## CPC - H01M 8/0618: {Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming} - C01B 3/38: using catalysts - H01M 8/04022: {Heating by combustion} - H01M 8/04302: applied during start-up - H01M 8/04373: {of auxiliary devices, e.g. reformers, compressors, burners} - H01M 8/04425: {at auxiliary devices, e.g. reformers, compressors, burners} - H01M 8/04753: {of fuel cell reactants} - H01M 8/04776: {at auxiliary devices, e.g. reformer, compressor, burner} - C01B 2203/0233: the reforming step being a steam reforming step - C01B 2203/066: with fuel cells - C01B 2203/0811: by combustion of fuel - C01B 2203/0822: the fuel containing hydrogen - C01B 2203/1276: Mixing of different feed components - C01B 2203/1294: Evaporation by heat exchange with hot process stream - H01M 2008/1293: {Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes} - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - Y02P 20/10: Process efficiency - Y02P 20/129: Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A fuel cell system according to the present invention includes a cell stack, a combustion part, a reformed water carburetor, a gas mixer, and a reformer. The cell stack is a cell stack that is configured by stacking fuel cells and generates electric power by using hydrogen-containing gas and oxygen-containing gas. The combustion part burns the hydrogen-containing gas and the oxygen-containing gas that have not been consumed in the cell stack. A reformed water carburetor is communicated with the combustion part via an exhaust gas passage and generates steam. The gas mixer, placed on the top of the combustion part. The reformer, placed on the top of the combustion part in contact with the gas mixer, is a reformer, generates the hydrogen-containing gas by reforming the mixed gas, and supplies the hydrogen-containing gas to the cell stack via the hydrogen gas passage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fuel cell system, comprising: a cell stack comprising stacked fuel cells, wherein the cell stack generates electric power using hydrogen-containing gas supplied via a hydrogen-containing gas passage and oxygen-containing gas supplied via an air preheat passage; a combustion part that combusts the hydrogen-containing gas and the oxygen-containing gas that have not been consumed at the cell stack; a reformed water carburetor that is in communication with the combustion part via one or more exhaust gas passages and generates steam using water supplied by heat exchange with gas supplied through the exhaust gas passages; a gas mixer that is provided on a top of the combustion part, is in communication with the reformed water carburetor via a reformed steam pipe, and generates mixed gas in which the steam supplied through the reformed steam pipe with fuel gas supplied via a fuel gas passage are mixed; and a reformer that is provided on a top of the combustion part in contact with the gas mixer, is in communication with the gas mixer, generates the hydrogen-containing gas by reforming the mixed gas, and supplies the hydrogen-containing gas to the cell stack via the hydrogen-containing gas passage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the gas mixer and the reformer are combined and a horizontal cross section of a combined shape is similar to a horizontal cross section of the cell stack in terms of size. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The fuel cell system according to claim 2, wherein a bottom face of a shape in which the gas mixer and the reformer are combined is configured to be planar without a gap between the gas mixer and the reformer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the reformed steam pipe is provided in the exhaust gas passage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein an equivalent diameter of the reformed steam pipe is smaller than an equivalent diameter of the gas mixer and the reformed water carburetor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the reformed steam pipe passes through the air preheat passage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the reformed water carburetor is provided at a tilt so that an outlet side of the steam is vertically upward. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising: a catalystic burner that is provided in a more upstream side than the reformed water carburetor in the exhaust gas passage and combusts unburnt gas in exhaust gas, wherein a length of the reformed steam pipe from a reformed water outlet of the reformed water carburetor to a point where the reformed steam pipe penetrates the exhaust gas passage or the air preheat passage is shorter than a length of the exhaust gas passage from the catalystic burner to an exhaust gas inlet of the reformed water carburetor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising: a heating part that heats gas supplied through the exhaust gas passage; an oxygen-containing gas supply unit that supplies the oxygen-containing gas to the cell stack via the air preheat passage; a water supply unit that supplies the water to the reformed water carburetor; and a control unit that causes the oxygen-containing gas supply unit to supply the oxygen-containing gas before the combustion occurs, causes the heating part to heat, and causes the water supply unit to supply the water after entering a state in which the reformed water carburetor is ready to evaporate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The fuel cell system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit carries out control of causing the water supply unit to supply the water in response to an elapse of a predetermined period of time after causing the heating part to heat. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The fuel cell system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit carries out control of causing the water supply unit to supply the water when the gas becomes a predetermined temperature. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising: an oxygen-containing gas supply unit that supplies the oxygen-containing gas to the cell stack via the air preheat passage; one or more pressure gauges that measure pressure in at least any one of the reformed steam pipe and the reformed water carburetor; and a control unit that controls an oxygen-containing gas supply unit that supplies the oxygen-containing gas based upon an output signal of the pressure gauges, wherein the control unit causes the oxygen-containing gas supply unit to increase a supply amount of the oxygen-containing gas when a pressure indicated by the output signal becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising: an oxygen-containing gas supply unit that supplies the oxygen-containing gas to the cell stack via the air preheat passage; one or more thermometers that measure temperature in the reformed steam pipe; and a control unit that controls an oxygen-containing gas supply unit that supplies the oxygen-containing gas based upon an output signal of the thermometers, wherein the control unit causes an oxygen-containing gas supply unit to increase a supply amount of the oxygen-containing gas when a temperature indicated by the output signal becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value. ### Claim 14 A fuel cell module, comprising: a cell stack comprising stacked fuel cells, wherein the cell stack generates electric power using hydrogen-containing gas and oxygen-containing gas that are supplied; a combustion part that combusts the hydrogen-containing gas and the oxygen-containing gas that have not been consumed at the cell stack; a reformed water carburetor that is in communication with the combustion part via an exhaust gas passage and generates steam using water supplied by heat exchange with gas supplied through the exhaust gas passage; a gas mixer that is in communication with the reformed water carburetor via a reformed steam pipe and generates mixed gas in which fuel gas that is supplied and the steam supplied through the reformed steam pipe are mixed; and a reformer that is in communication with the gas mixer, generates the hydrogen-containing gas by reforming the mixed gas, and supplies the hydrogen-containing gas to the cell stack via the hydrogen-containing gas passage, wherein the gas mixer and the reformer are provided in the exhaust gas passage and the reformed steam pipe is provided in the exhaust gas passage along the exhaust gas passage from the gas mixer that is downstream of the gas with respect to the reformer.