Hydrocarbon reformer for electrochemical cells

An electrochemical fuel cell generator apparatus, comprising:

• a generator chamber containing at least one fuel cell bundle, the bundle containing a plurality of parallel, elongated electrochemical fuel cells, each cell including an exterior fuel electrode, an interior air electrode, and a solid oxide electrolyte disposed between the fuel electrode and the air electrode;
• an oxidant gas inlet connected to the interior of the fuel cells;
• a fuel gas inlet connected to the generator chamber and to the exterior of the fuel cells;
• a combustion chamber connected to the generator chamber for combusting a spent oxidant and a portion of spent fuel gas exiting from the generator chamber;
• at least one exhaust gas channel connected to the combustion chamber for passing hot combusted exhaust gas exiting from the combustion chamber;
• at least one spent fuel gas recirculation channel connected to the generator chamber for recirculating a second portion of the spent fuel gas exiting from the generator chamber;
• at least one reforming chamber connected to the generator chamber, said at least one reforming chamber including an iron oxide bed, heating means for said iron oxide bed, inlet means for introducing a fresh hydrocarbon gas over said iron oxide bed, and a fuel gas outlet channel from the at least one reforming chamber connected to the fuel gas inlet to the generator chamber;
• a fresh hydrocarbon gas inlet connected to the reforming chamber;
• a mixing chamber connected to the fresh hydrocarbon gas inlet and the spent fuel gas recirculation channel for combining a portion of the spent fuel gas containing water vapor and carbon dioxide in the spent fuel gas recirculation channel with a fresh hydrocarbon feed gas prior to entering the reforming chamber;
• at least one reforming catalyst regeneration chamber connected to the generator, said at least one reforming catalyst regeneration chamber including an iron metal bed, heating means for said iron metal bed, and a fuel gas outlet channel from the at least one reforming catalyst regeneration chamber connected to the fuel gas inlet to the generator chamber;
• a spent fuel inlet channel connected to the reforming catalyst regeneration chamber for introducing a portion of the spent fuel gas containing water vapor and carbon dioxide in the spent fuel recirculation channel to the reforming catalyst regeneration chamber;
• control means connected to the at least one reforming chamber and the at least one reforming catalyst regeneration chamber, said control means interchanging, one for the other, the at least one reforming chamber and the at least one reforming catalyst regeneration chamber upon exhaustion of the iron oxide reforming catalyst bed and the iron metal bed in each chamber, respectively, to continuously reform a hydrocarbon gas and supply a fuel gas to an electrochemical generator fuel cell for electrochemical conversion to electrical energy.