Fuel cell power generation system
AssigneesKabushikikaisha Equos Research, Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
InventorsMitsuru Sato, Koichi Shiraishi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel cell power generation system including a reforming reactor for reacting a fuel with water to produce a hydrogen-rich reformed gas including carbon monoxide; a CO shift reactor for carrying out a CO shift reaction to decrease the concentration of carbon monoxide in the reformed gas; a CO removal reactor for oxidizing carbon monoxide in the reformed gas to carbon dioxide; and a fuel cell for generating electric power by reaction of the reformed gas with a gaseous oxidizing agent. Processors determine output required of the fuel cell and a proper space velocity for reformed gas entering the CO removal means, based on input values for the amount of the reformed gas fed to the CO removal means and the determined output required of the fuel cell.
Claims15
A fuel cell power generation system comprising:
- a reforming reactor for reacting fuel and water in a reforming reaction to produce a reformed gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide;
- CO shift reactor for subjecting said reformed gas to a CO shift reaction to decrease concentration of carbon monoxide in said reformed gas;
- CO removal means for oxidizing carbon monoxide in said reformed gas, exiting said CO shift reactor, to carbon dioxide;
- a fuel cell for generating electric power by reaction of a gaseous oxidizing agent and said reformed gas having been subjected to the shift reaction and the oxidizing reaction;
- power output determining means for determining an output power value required from said fuel cell to meet a load demand;
- space velocity determining means for determining a space velocity for feed of said reformed gas to said CO removal means, in accordance with the determined output value;
- and
- regulating means for regulating the feed of reformed gas to the CO removal means responsive to the determined space velocity.
A fuel cell power generating process comprising:
- reacting a fuel with water in gas phase in a reforming reaction to produce a reformed gas including carbon monoxide at a first concentration and hydrogen;
- feeding said reformed gas to a shift reactor for a CO shift reaction therein to decrease the concentration of carbon monoxide in said reformed gas to a second concentration lower than said first concentration;
- feeding said reformed gas to a CO reactor, having a plurality of sections, for an oxidation reaction therein to decrease the concentration of carbon monoxide in said reformed gas to a third concentration lower than said second concentration;
- feeding said reformed gas, containing carbon monoxide at said third concentration, and a gaseous oxidizing agent to a fuel cell for reaction to generate electric power;
- determining an output value for power required from said fuel cell as a function of a load demand;
- determining a space velocity value for said reformed gas entering said CO reactor based on input values for the feed rate of said reformed gas to said CO reactor and said determined output value;
- and
- controlling the number of said plurality of sections of said CO reactor receiving said reformed gas in accordance with the determined space velocity value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.