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US 2018/0019490 A1Published application
Steam reformer for in-block fuel cell reforming
AssigneeLG Fuel Cell Systems Inc.
InventorsGerry D. Agnew, John R. Budge, Robert H. Cunningham, Eric Dean
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Abstract
A fuel cell system and method is provided to control the volumetric ratio of a reformate and unreformed hydrocarbon fuel supplied to a fuel cell configured for in-stack reforming. The system includes a reformer having a number of high and low steam reforming activity channels which provide a full equilibrated fuel stream and a fuel stream having hydrocarbon levels slight lower than the hydrocarbon levels of the hydrocarbon fuel supplied to the reformer, respectively. The fuel streams can be mixed and supplied to the fuel cell to provide in-stack reforming while reducing or inhibiting the formation of carbon in the fuel stack.
Claims20
In a fuel cell system comprising:
- a source of a hydrocarbon fuel;
- a steam reformer for receiving the hydrocarbon fuel and converting at least a portion of the hydrocarbon fuel to reformate;
- and
- a fuel cell stack configured for in-stack reforming of unreformed hydrocarbon fuel, said fuel cell stack having an anode inlet for receiving a mixture of the reformate and unreformed hydrocarbon fuel,
- a method of controlling the volumetric ratio of the reformate and unreformed hydrocarbon fuel in the mixture comprising:
- reforming a portion of the hydrocarbon fuel in a number of high steam reforming activity channels in the reformer that output a fuel stream comprising a fully equilibrated reformate mixture;
- reforming a portion of the hydrocarbon fuel in a number of low steam reforming activity channels in the reformer that output a fuel stream having hydrocarbon levels that are only slightly lower than in the hydrocarbon fuel;
- mixing the fuel stream output from the high steam reforming activity channels and the low steam reforming activity channels and providing the mixture to the anode inlet of the fuel cell stack;
- and
- selecting the ratio of the number of high steam reforming activity channels to the number of low steam reactivity channels and the activity levels of the channels to thereby control the volumetric ratio of reformate and the unreformed hydrocarbon fuel in the mixture.
7 more elements
In a fuel cell system configured for internal reforming of a hydrocarbon fuel in the fuel cell stack, a method of operation comprising:
- supplying a hydrocarbon fuel to the system;
- feeding a portion of the hydrocarbon fuel to a plurality of high steam reforming activity channels in a steam reformer to thereby provide a fuel stream comprising a fully equilibrated reformate mixture at the prevailing process conditions;
- feeding a portion of the hydrocarbon fuel to a plurality of low steam reforming activity channels in a steam reformer to thereby provide a fuel having hydrocarbon levels that are only slightly lower than in the hydrocarbon fuel;
- combining the fuel provided by the high steam reforming activity channels and the low steam reforming activity channels;
- and
- supplying the combined fuel to an anode inlet of the fuel cell stack.
3 more elements
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell stack configured for internal reforming of a hydrocarbon fuel, said fuel cell stack comprising:
- an anode portion in fluid communication with an anode inlet and an anode exhaust;
- a cathode portion in fluid communication with a cathode inlet and a cathode exhaust;
- a source of hydrocarbon fuel;
- a reformer unit for converting hydrocarbon fuel to reformate, said reformer unit comprising:
- one or more high reforming activity cold-side channels configured to convert a first percentage of the hydrocarbon fuel passing therethrough to reformate;
- one or more low reforming activity cold-side channels configured to convert a second percentage of the hydrocarbon fuel passing therethrough to reformate, the second percentage being lower than the first percentage;
- a fuel supply conduit in fluid communication with said fuel source and said high reforming activity and low reforming activity cold-side channels;
- a fuel exhaust conduit in fluid communication with said high reforming activity and low reforming activity cold-side channels and said anode inlet, said fuel exhaust conduit being configured to supply the fuel exhausted from said cold-side channels to said anode inlet of said fuel cell stack;
- one or more hot-side channels configured to provide a passage for a gas through said reforming unit, said gas being at a temperature greater than the temperature of the fluid in said cold-side channels, said hot-side channels being in sufficient proximity to said cold-side channels to effect heat transfer between the fluids flowing through the respective channels;
- and
- a gas supply conduit configured to supply gas to said hot-side channels.
9 more elements
In a fuel cell system comprising:
- a source of a hydrocarbon fuel;
- a steam reformer for receiving the hydrocarbon fuel and converting at least a portion of the hydrocarbon fuel to reformate;
- and
- a fuel cell stack configured for in-stack reforming of unreformed hydrocarbon fuel, said fuel cell stack having an anode inlet for receiving a mixture of the reformate and unreformed hydrocarbon fuel,
- a method of controlling the volumetric ratio of the reformate and unreformed hydrocarbon fuel in the mixture comprising:
- reforming a portion of the hydrocarbon fuel in a number of channels having a first activity level in the reformer to output a first fuel stream;
- reforming a portion of the hydrocarbon fuel in a number of channels having a second activity level in the reformer to output a second fuel stream, wherein the second activity level is different from the first activity level;
- mixing the first and second fuel streams and providing the mixture to the anode inlet of the fuel cell stack.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.