# US 2017/0288246 A1 · Fuel cell system

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- Number: US 2017/0288246 A1
- Document ID: US20170288246A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/464,034
- Filed: 2017-03-20
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-31
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Jun Mizuno; Shigeru Toda; Keiji Tsukamoto; Hiroki Homma
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170288246A1

## CPC

- H01M 8/0618: {Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming}
- C01B 3/386: Catalytic partial combustion
- C01B 3/48: followed by reaction of water vapour with carbon monoxide
- H01M 8/04014: Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants
- H01M 8/04022: {Heating by combustion}
- H01M 8/0662: Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
- C01B 2203/0261: containing a catalytic partial oxidation step [CPO]
- C01B 2203/066: with fuel cells
- C01B 2203/148: involving a recycle stream to the feed of the process for making hydrogen or synthesis gas
- C01B 2203/16: Controlling the process
- H01M 2008/1293: {Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes}
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- 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

## Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell system for preventing carbon deposition in a fuel cell stack to be supplied with reformed gas. A fuel cell system 10A of the present invention includes a partial oxidation reformer 22 for partially oxidizing raw fuel to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen, a shift reactor 23 for shift reacting the carbon monoxide with steam to produce carbon dioxide and hydrogen, a fuel cell stack 20 for generating electric power by electrochemical reaction between oxidant gas and the hydrogen which is produced in at least one of the partial oxidation reformer 22 and the shift reactor 23, and an exhaust gas recirculation pipe P6 for supplying steam contained in exhaust gas of the fuel cell stack 20 to the shift reactor 23.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel cell system comprising:
a partial oxidation reformer for partially oxidizing raw fuel to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen;
a shift reactor for shift reacting the carbon monoxide with steam to produce carbon dioxide and hydrogen;
a fuel cell stack for generating electric power by electrochemical reaction between oxidant gas and the hydrogen which is produced in at least one of the partial oxidation reformer and the shift reactor; and
an exhaust gas recirculation pipe for supplying steam contained in exhaust gas of the fuel cell stack to the shift reactor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1,
wherein the fuel cell stack is formed by stacking a plurality of solid oxide fuel cells, and
wherein the exhaust gas contains anode off-gas of the solid oxide fuel cell.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising an oxidant gas supply path which supplies oxidant gas for partially oxidizing the raw fuel to the partial oxidation reformer,
wherein the oxidant gas supply path is disposed close to the shift reactor so that the oxidant gas flowing through the oxidant gas supply path can cool the shift reactor by heat exchange with the shift reactor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1,
wherein the partial oxidation reformer and the shift reactor are formed integrally.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a combustor for combusting the hydrogen which is unreacted and contained in the exhaust gas of the fuel cell stack,
wherein the exhaust gas recirculation pipe supplies the steam contained in exhaust gas of the combustor to the shift reactor.