Application of fuel cells to power generation systems

An electrical power generation system comprising:

• a supply of a hydrogen-containing fuel;
• a reformer for reforming said hydrogen-containing fuel to obtain hydrogen;
• a supply of oxygen;
• a fuel cell for producing electrical power, said fuel cell being fed with reactants including the hydrogen and the oxygen;
• a supply of material for producing an exothermic reaction;
• means for feeding the hydrogen and means for feeding the oxygen to the fuel cell for producing electrical power;
• means for disposing of waste products arising from the fuel cell and other parts of the electrical power generation system;
• a control means for regulating components of the electrical power generation system and for regulating flow streams of the system;
• and
• heat exchange means for substantially balancing the heating and cooling requirements within said system;
• wherein the reformer comprises:
• (i) a reforming chamber having an outer first wall, inlet means for feeding said hydrogen-containing fuel to the reforming chamber, and outlet means for removing hydrogen from the reforming chamber,
• (ii) a second chamber concentrically surrounding said reforming chamber and bounded on its inner side by said first wall and on its outer side by a second wall, said second chamber including inlet means for feeding said material for producing an exothermic reaction to the second chamber and outlet means for removing reaction products from the second chamber, and
• (iii) a preheating chamber concentrically surrounding the second chamber for preheating the hydrogen-containing fuel, said concentric preheating chamber being bounded on its inner side by said second wall and on its outer side by a third wall, and having an inlet means for feeding the hydrogen-containing fuel to the preheating chamber and an outlet means for removing preheated hydrogen-containing fuel from the preheating chamber and feeding the fuel to the reforming chamber;
• said first wall including a plurality of first fins passing through said first wall and extending into the second chamber and into the reforming chamber, respectively, said first fins being operative to conduct heat from the second chamber to the reforming chamber, said second wall including a plurality of second fins passing through said second wall so as to extend into the preheating chamber and into the second chamber respectively, said second fins being operative to conduct heat from the second chamber to the preheating chamber;
• and wherein the flow of material through the second chamber is co-current with respect to the flow of hydrogen-containing fuel through the reforming chamber and is counter-current with respect to the flow of hydrogen-containing fuel to be reformed passing through the preheating chamber.