US 2018/0123151 A1Published application

Integrated fuel cell block with a revised fuel cell cycle for in block reforming fuel cells

AssigneeLG Fuel Cell Systems Inc.

InventorsRobert Cunningham, Eric Dean, Gerry Agnew, Michele Bozzolo

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Abstract

A fuel cell system having a cathode, anode and auxiliary loop is provided. The anode loop may be configured to deliver reformed and unreformed fuel to the fuel cells. Unreformed fuel may be provided to the fuel cells by bypassing a portion of the fuel around a reformer. The unreformed fuel may be reformed in the fuel cell block. The cathode loop may direct a portion of oxidant exhausted from said fuel cells back to the fuel cell through a cathode ejector. The ejector may be supplied with pressurized oxidant that may be heated prior to entering the cathode ejector. The auxiliary loop may combust unused fuel and oxidant to provide the heat transferred to the oxidant prior to the oxidant entering the cathode loop.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A fuel cell system comprising:

a source of unreformed fuel;
a source of oxidant;
a fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cells, each fuel cell comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte, said fuel cell stack further comprising:
a fuel supply manifold configured to receive a reformate and unreformed fuel and to supply the reformate and unreformed fuel to said plurality of anodes;
a fuel exhaust manifold configured to exhaust unused fuel from said fuel cell stack;
an oxidant supply manifold configured to receive an oxidant and to supply the oxidant to said plurality of cathodes;
and
an oxidant exhaust manifold configured to exhaust the oxidant from said fuel cell stack;
an anode ejector configured to receive unreformed fuel from said source of fuel and to receive a portion of the unused fuel exhausted from said fuel cell stack;
a reformer comprising a plurality of cold-side channels and a plurality of hot-side channels, said reformer further comprising:
a fuel supply manifold configured to receive fuel from said anode ejector and to supply the fuel to said plurality of cold-side channels;
a fuel exhaust manifold configured to exhaust reformate from said plurality of cold-side channels and to supply the reformate to said fuel supply manifold of said fuel cell stack;
an oxidant inlet manifold configured to receive a portion of the oxidant exhausted from said fuel cell stack and to supply the oxidant to said plurality of hot-side channels;
and
an oxidant exhaust manifold configured to exhaust the oxidant from said plurality of hot-side channels;
an auxiliary ejector configured to receive oxidant from said oxidant source, a second portion of the unused fuel exhausted from said fuel cell stack, the oxidant exhausted from said plurality of hot channels, and a portion of a recycled auxiliary flow;
a combustor configured to receive unused fuel and oxidant exhausted from the auxiliary ejector and exhaust a combustion product;
a turbine configured to receive the exhaust from the combustor;
a compressor configured to receive oxidant from said oxidant source;
a cathode ejector configured to receive oxidant from said compressor and to receive a second portion of the oxidant exhausted from said oxidant exhaust manifold of said fuel cell stack and to supply oxidant to said oxidant inlet manifold of said fuel cell stack;
and,
a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of cold-side channels and a plurality of hot-side channels, said heat exchanger being configured to receive oxidant from said compressor in said cold-side channels and being configured to receive exhaust from said combustor in said hot-side channels.

19 more elements

A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell stack comprising at least one fuel cell, each fuel cell comprising an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte;
a reformer comprising cold-side channels and hot-side channels;
a source of fuel;
an anode loop for supplying fuel and reformate to the anode of each fuel cell, said anode loop comprising:
a fuel inlet manifold in said fuel cell stack configured to supply fuel and reformate to the anode of each fuel cell;
a fuel exhaust manifold configured to receive unused fuel from the anode of each fuel cell;
an anode ejector configured to receive fuel from said fuel source and said fuel exhaust manifold;
the cold-side channels of said reformer configured to receive fuel from said anode ejector;
a source of oxidant;
a cathode loop for supplying oxidant to the cathode of each fuel cell, said cathode loop comprising:
an oxidant inlet manifold in said fuel cell stack configured to supply oxidant to the cathode of each fuel cell;
an oxidant exhaust manifold in said fuel cell stack configured to receive unused oxidant from each cathode of said fuel cells;
a cathode ejector configured to receive oxidant from said oxidant source and said oxidant exhaust manifold and configured to supply oxidant to said oxidant inlet manifold;
wherein a portion of the oxidant exhausted from said oxidant exhaust manifold of said fuel cell stack passes through the hot-side channels of said reformer;
a heat exchanger comprising hot-side and cold-side channels located upstream of said cathode ejector, wherein oxidant from said source of oxidant passes through said cold-side channels
and
an auxiliary loop for combusting a portion of the unused fuel from said fuel exhaust manifold and said portion of the unused oxidant from said oxidant exhaust manifold, said auxiliary loop comprising:
an auxiliary ejector configured to receive the oxidant from the hot-side channels of said reformer, a portion of the oxidant from said oxidant source, and said portion of the unused fuel from said fuel exhaust manifold;
a combustor configured to combust the exhaust from said auxiliary ejector;
and
the hot-side channels of said heat exchanger configured to receive the combusted exhaust from said combustor.

18 more elements

A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell stack comprising at least one fuel cell, each fuel cell comprising an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte;
a reformer comprising cold-side channels and hot-side channels;
a source of fuel;
an anode loop for supplying fuel and reformate to the anode of each fuel cell, said anode loop comprising:
a fuel inlet manifold in said fuel cell stack configured to supply fuel and reformate to the anode of each fuel cell;
a fuel exhaust manifold configured to receive unused fuel from the anode of each fuel cell;
an anode ejector configured to receive fuel from said fuel source and said fuel exhaust manifold;
a pre-reformer configured to remove higher hydrocarbons from said fuel from said fuel source and said fuel exhaust manifold;
the cold-side channels of said reformer configured to receive fuel from said anode ejector;
a bypass line configured to bypass a portion of fuel exhausted by said anode ejector around said cold-side channels of said reformer;
wherein said fuel ducting between said anode ejector and said pre-reformer is treated to prevent carbon formation;
a source of oxidant;
a compressor configured to receive oxidant from said oxidant source;
a cathode loop for supplying oxidant to the cathode of each fuel cell, said cathode loop comprising:
an oxidant inlet manifold in said fuel cell stack configured to supply oxidant to the cathode of each fuel cell;
an oxidant exhaust manifold in said fuel cell stack configured to receive unused oxidant from each cathode of said fuel cells;
a cathode ejector configured to receive oxidant from said oxidant source and said oxidant exhaust manifold and configured to supply oxidant to said oxidant inlet manifold;
a catalytic start combustor unit between said oxidant inlet manifold and said oxidant exhaust manifold;
wherein a portion of the oxidant exhausted from said oxidant exhaust manifold of said fuel cell stack passes through the hot-side channels of said reformer;
a heat exchanger comprising hot-side and cold-side channels located upstream of said cathode ejector, wherein oxidant from said source of oxidant passes through said cold-side channels
and
an auxiliary loop for combusting a portion of the unused fuel from said fuel exhaust manifold and said portion of the unused oxidant from said oxidant exhaust manifold, said auxiliary loop comprising:
an auxiliary ejector configured to receive said portion of the unused oxidant from the hot-side channels of said reformer, a portion of the oxidant from said source of oxidant, and a portion of the unused fuel from said fuel exhaust manifold;
a combustor configured to combust the exhaust from said auxiliary ejector;
and
the hot-side channels of said heat exchanger configured to receive the combusted exhaust from said combustor;
and
a turbine configured to receive the exhaust from said combustor.

25 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/801,112Filed 1 Nov 2017
Priority: 2 Nov 2016
Published: 3 May 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

H01M 8/04283
Arrangements for managing the electrolyte stream, e.g. heat exchange: supply means of electrolyte to or in matrix-fuel cells
H01M 8/04007
Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids: related to heat exchange
H01M 8/04022
Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants: heating by combustion
H01M 8/04097
Of gaseous reactants: with recycling of the reactants

Family

Application15/341,376Continuation in part · filed 2 Nov 2016
Application62/416,371Us provisional application · filed 2 Nov 2016
Application15/801,112Continuation in part
US 10,333,160 B2Related patent
US 10,340,534 B2Related patent
US 2018/0123150 A1Published application
US 2018/0123151 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.