# US 2020/0403255 A1 · Cpox reactor control system and method

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- Number: US 2020/0403255 A1
- Document ID: US20200403255A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/007,421
- Filed: 2020-08-31
- Published: 2020-12-24
- Earliest claimed: 2015-10-20
- Assignees: Upstart Power, Inc.
- Applicants: Upstart Power, Inc.
- Inventors: Nathan Palumbo; Siddhant Singhal; Matthew Otis; Tyler Cote; Richard Flathers; Paul Osenar
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200403255A1

## CPC

- H01M 8/04373: {of auxiliary devices, e.g. reformers, compressors, burners}
- B01J 4/001: {Feed or outlet devices as such, e.g. feeding tubes}
- B01J 12/007: {in the presence of catalytically active bodies, e.g. porous plates}
- C01B 3/38: using catalysts
- C01B 3/386: Catalytic partial combustion
- H01M 4/8621: {containing only metallic or ceramic material, e.g. made by sintering or sputtering}
- H01M 8/04365: {of other components of a fuel cell or fuel cell stacks}
- H01M 8/04619: {of fuel cell stacks}
- H01M 8/04731: {of other components of a fuel cell or fuel cell stacks}
- H01M 8/04738: {of auxiliary devices, e.g. reformer, compressor, burner}
- H01M 8/04753: {of fuel cell reactants}
- H01M 8/04776: {at auxiliary devices, e.g. reformer, compressor, burner}
- H01M 8/0618: {Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming}
- H01M 8/0631: {Reactor construction specially adapted for combination reactor/fuel cell (hydrogen C01B3/00; reactors for physicochemical processes B01J19/00)}
- H01M 8/2425: High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes
- C01B 2203/066: with fuel cells
- C01B 2203/1619: Measuring the temperature
- 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
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- 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

A fuel reformer module (8005) for initiating catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) to reform a hydrocarbon fuel oxidant mixture (2025, 3025) to output a syngas reformate (2027) to solid oxide fuel cell stack (2080, 5040). A solid non-porous ceramic catalyzing body (3030) includes a plurality of catalyst coated fuel passages (3085). A thermally conductive element (9005, 10005, 11005, 13005), with a coefficient of thermal conductivity of 50 W/m° K or greater is thermally conductively coupled with the catalyzing body. A first thermal sensor (8030) is thermally conductively coupled with the thermally conductive element. A second thermal sensor is thermally conductively coupled with a surface of the fuel cell stack. A control method independently modulates an oxidant input flow rate, based on first thermal sensor signal values, a hydrocarbon fuel input flow rate, based on second thermal sensor signal values.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel reformer module for initiating catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) to reform a hydrocarbon fuel oxidant mixture and deliver a syngas reformate therefrom comprising:
a catalyzing body, having an input end and an output end comprising a solid non-porous ceramic substrate formed to include a plurality of catalyst fuel passages extending between the input end and one of the output end of the catalyzing body and a fuel passage output end that is not at the output end of the catalyzing body;
a catalyst layer, comprising a material selected to initiate the CPOX reaction, formed onto an inside surface of each of the plurality of catalyst fuel passages;
a thermally conductive element, comprising a material having a coefficient of thermal conductivity of 50 W/m° K or greater, thermally conductively coupled with the catalyzing body over a contact surface area; and
a first thermal sensor, thermally conductively coupled with the thermally conductive element, for generating a first temperature signal corresponding with a temperature sensed by the first thermal sensor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel reformer of claim 1 wherein the input end and the output end are separated by a first longitudinal dimension that extends along a longitudinal axis of the catalyzing body and the contact surface area has a second longitudinal dimension that extends along the longitudinal axis, wherein the second longitudinal dimension is at least one quarter of the first longitudinal dimension.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The fuel reformer of claim 2 wherein the second longitudinal dimension is in a range of one quarter to one half of the first longitudinal dimension.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The fuel reformer of claim 2 wherein the second longitudinal dimension is in a range of one quarter of to equal to the first longitudinal dimension.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The fuel reformer of claim 1 wherein the catalyzing body is cylindrical with a first longitudinal dimension that extends along a first longitudinal axis of the catalyzing body between the input end and the output end and with an outside diameter dimension that is centered by the longitudinal axis.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The fuel reformer of claim 5 wherein the first longitudinal dimension is 25 mm or larger and outside diameter dimension is 25 mm or larger.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The fuel reformer of claim 1 wherein the contact surface area is sized to promote a high enough rate of thermal conductivity between the catalyzing body and the thermally conductive element for the first thermal sensor to sense a change in an average temperature of the contact surface area of 1 to 2 degrees centigrade in less than 30 seconds.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The fuel reformer of claim 1 wherein a material volume of the thermally conductive element is sized to promote a high enough rate of thermal conductivity between the catalyzing body and the thermally conductive element for the first thermal sensor to sense a change in an average temperature of the contact surface area of 1 to 2 degrees centigrade in less than 30 seconds.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The fuel reformer of claim 1 wherein each of the contact surface area and a material volume of the thermally conductive element is sized to promote a high enough rate of thermal conductivity between the catalyzing body and the thermally conductive element for the first thermal sensor to sense a change in an average temperature of the contact surface area of 1 to 2 degrees centigrade in less than 30 seconds.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The fuel reformer of claim 1 wherein the input end and the output end are separated by a first longitudinal dimension that extends along a longitudinal axis of the catalyzing body and wherein each of the plurality of catalyst fuel passages extends, between the input end and the output end, along different fuel passage longitudinal axis that is parallel the first longitudinal axis.

### Claim 11 (depends on 5)

The fuel reformer of claim 5 wherein the non-porous ceramic substrate comprises a solid, non-porous ceramic foam material, and the plurality of catalyst fuel passages comprises a plurality of interconnecting open cells extending between the input end, and one of, the output end of the catalyzing body, and the fuel passage output end that is not at the output end of the catalyzing body.

### Claim 12 (depends on 5)

The fuel reformer of claim 5 wherein the thermally conductive element comprises a prismatic rod disposed in mating contact with the outside diameter of the catalyzing body and wherein a longitudinal axis of the prismatic rod is oriented substantially parallel with the first longitudinal axis.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The fuel reformer of claim 11 wherein the thermally conductive element comprises a prismatic rod disposed in mating contact with the outside diameter of the catalyzing body and wherein a longitudinal axis of the prismatic rod is oriented substantially parallel with the first longitudinal axis.

### Claim 14 (depends on 5)

The fuel reformer of claim 5 wherein the thermally conductive element comprises a cylindrical segment disposed in mating contact with the outside diameter of the catalyzing body and wherein a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical segment is oriented substantially parallel with the first longitudinal axis and wherein the cylindrical segment includes a contact surface area that is formed with a radius of curvature that is matched with a radius of curvature of an outside circumferential surface of the cylindrical catalyzing body.

### Claim 15 (depends on 5)

The fuel reformer of claim 5 wherein the thermally conductive element comprises a hollow cylinder, having an inside diameter thereof, disposed in mating contact with the outside diameter of the catalyzing body, wherein a longitudinal axis of the hollow cylinder is oriented substantially parallel with the first longitudinal axis, wherein the hollow cylinder is formed with an inside diameter sized to substantially match the outside diameter of the catalyzing body, and the hollow cylinder is formed with an outside diameter sized to provide a desired thickness of an annual wall formed by the hollow cylinder.

### Claim 16 (depends on 5)

The fuel reformer of claim 5 wherein the thermally conductive element comprises a spiral portion of a hollow cylinder, having an inside diameter thereof, disposed in mating contact with the outside diameter of the catalyzing body, wherein a longitudinal axis of the spiral portion of the hollow cylinder is oriented substantially parallel with the first longitudinal axis, wherein the spiral portion of the hollow cylinder is formed with an inside diameter sized to substantially match the outside diameter of the catalyzing body, and with an outside diameter, of the spiral portion of the hollow cylinder, sized to provide a desired thickness of a spiral annual wall formed by the spiral portion of the hollow cylinder.

### Claim 17 (depends on 5)

The fuel reformer of claim 5 wherein the catalyzing body is formed to include a central cylindrical cavity that extends completely through or partly through the cylindrical catalyzing body, wherein the central cylindrical cavity is formed with an inside diameter, wherein the thermally conductive element comprises a solid cylindrical element disposed inside the central cylindrical cavity, wherein the central cylindrical cavity inside diameter is sized to substantially match an outside diameter of the solid cylindrical element and wherein the contact surface area formed between the solid cylindrical element and the central cylindrical cavity and the material volume of the solid cylindrical element are each sized to promote a high enough rate of thermal conductivity between the catalyzing body and the thermally conductive element for the first thermal sensor to sense a change in an average temperature of the contact surface area of 1 to 2 degrees centigrade in less than 30 seconds.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

An SOFC system comprising the fuel reformer module of claim 1 and further comprising:
a fuel oxidant control module configured to generate the hydrocarbon fuel oxidant mixture by mixing hydrocarbon fuel received from a hydrocarbon fuel supply source with oxidant received from an oxidant supply source for delivery into the input end of the catalyzing body, wherein the fuel oxidant control module includes a hydrocarbon fuel flow rate modulator disposed between the hydrocarbon fuel source and the input end and an oxidant flow rate modulator disposed between the oxidant source and the input end;
an electronic controller operating to transmit independent command and control signals to each of the hydrocarbon fuel flow rate modulator and the oxidant flow rate modulator;
a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack comprising a plurality individual SOFC fuel cells each comprising a solid oxide anode electrode layer, wherein the syngas reformate, output from the fuel reformer module, flows over the solid oxide anode electrode layers to initiate and maintain an SOFC reaction;
a hot zone enclosure comprising a plurality of hot zone enclosure walls joined together to enclose a hot zone cavity surrounding the SOFC stack wherein the hot zone enclosure walls are formed from materials having a coefficient of thermal conductivity of 100 W/m° K or greater and joined together to form a first continuous thermally conductive pathway;
a second thermal sensor, thermally conductively coupled with a surface of the first thermally conductive pathway, for generating a second temperature signal corresponding with a temperature of the surface of the first thermally conductive pathway;
a range of first set point temperature values, stored by the electronic controller, wherein the range of first set point values corresponds with a calibrated operating temperature range corresponding with a range of first temperature signal values that is known to produce the syngas reformate with a desired syngas composition;
a range of second set point temperature values, stored by the electronic controller, wherein the range of second set point values corresponds with a calibrated operating temperature range of second temperature signal values that is known to produce a desired performance characteristic of the SOFC stack;
wherein the electronic controller operates a first control loop based on sampling the first thermal sensor signal values, wherein the first control loop commands the oxidant flow rate modulator to increase or decrease the oxidant flow rate to maintain the sampled first temperature signal values within the range of first set point values; and,
wherein the electronic controller operates a second control loop based on sampling second thermal sensor signal values, wherein the second control loop commands the hydrocarbon fuel flow rate modulator to increase or decrease the hydrocarbon fuel flow rate to maintain the sampled second temperature signal values within the range of second set point values.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

A method comprising:
delivering, by a fuel oxidant control module, into the fuel reformer module of claim 1, the hydrocarbon fuel oxidant mixture, wherein the fuel oxidant control modulator includes, a hydrocarbon fuel flow rate modulator disposed between a hydrocarbon fuel supply source and the input end of the catalyst body, and an oxidant flow rate modulator disposed between an oxidant supply source and the input end of the catalyst body;
delivering first command and control signals, from an electronic controller, to the oxidant flow rate modulator, to modulate an oxidant flow rate;
delivering second command and control signals, from an electronic controller, to the hydrocarbon fuel flow rate modulator, to modulate a hydrocarbon fuel flow rate;
delivering, the syngas reformate output, from the catalyst body, to a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack, wherein the SOFC stack comprises a plurality individual SOFC fuel cells each including a solid oxide anode electrode layer in fluid communication with the syngas reformate output from the catalyst body, wherein the syngas reacts with the solid oxide anode electrode layers to initiate an SOFC reaction at an SOFC reaction temperature;
sampling, by the electronic controller, first temperature control signal values generated by the first temperature sensor;
sampling, by the electronic controller, second temperature control signal values generated by a second temperature sensor, wherein the second thermal sensor is positioned to sense a temperature of a surface that changes temperature in proportion with temperature changes of the SOFC reaction temperature;
storing, by the electronic controller, a range of first set point temperature values wherein the range of first set point values corresponds with a calibrated operating temperature range corresponding with a range of first temperature signal values that is known to produce the syngas reformate with a desired syngas composition;
storing, by the electronic controller, a range of second set point temperature values wherein the range of second set point values corresponds with a calibrated operating temperature range corresponding with a range of second temperature signal values that is known to produce a desired performance characteristic of the SOFC stack;
operating, by the electronic controller, a first control loop based on sampling first temperature sensor signal values, wherein the first control loop commands the oxidant flow rate modulator to increase or decrease the oxidant flow rate to maintain the sampled first temperature signal values within the range of first set point values; and,
operating, by the electronic controller, a second control loop based on sampling second thermal sensor signal values, wherein the second control loop commands the hydrocarbon fuel flow rate modulator to increase or decrease the hydrocarbon fuel flow rate to maintain the sampled second temperature signal values within the range of second set point values.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19 wherein the step of storing, by the electronic controller, a range of first set point temperature values corresponding with a desired composition of the syngas reformate being output from the fuel reformer module further comprises, storing by the electronic controller, a plurality of ranges of first set point temperature values with each range of first set point values corresponding with a plurality of different hydrocarbon fuel types, wherein the plurality of different hydrocarbon fuel types at least includes anyone of methane, (CH4), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), and butane (C4H10).