Integrated solid oxide fuel cell and reformer

A space heater that includes an apparatus for generating electrical power, the space heater comprising:

• a plurality of tubular open ended solid oxide fuel cells in a reaction chamber, each said cell having an inwardly facing reaction surface and an outwardly facing reaction surface, and electrodes associated with each said surface, and having one end of the said cell mounted in a manifold block,
• a first gases inlet path to supply first gases to said reaction chamber, said first gases to pass along the outside of said fuel cells,
• a second gases inlet path to supply a second gases to the mounted ends of said fuel cells to pass into the mounted said open end and along the inside of said fuel cells,
• an exhaust gases outlet path from said reaction chamber adjacent the other said open ends of said fuel cells away from said manifold block, for carrying exhaust gases to an exhaust outlet and for combusting unreacted gases with one another, and
• power collection means which connect to said electrodes on the insides and outsides of said fuel cells;
• one of said first and second gases being reformable fuel gases and the other being oxidizing gases, said gases paths thereby each for carrying one of reformable gases and oxidizing gases in accordance with the arrangement of the reaction surfaces of said fuel cells,
• said reformable gases carrying path including a reformation catalyst therein and being arranged in heat transfer relation with said exhaust gases path and said reaction chamber such that in steady state operation the gases therein are raised to a temperature at said catalyst at which reformation occurs, and
• said oxidizing gases carrying path is arranged in heat transfer relation with said exhaust gases path and said reaction chamber such that in steady state operation the gases therein are raised to a reaction temperature at said fuel cells at which said fuel cells operate;
• wherein said exhaust gases are utilized for space heating, and wherein the fuel cells of the space heater generate electrical power in addition to producing said exhaust gases for space heating.

A method for generating electrical power, the method comprising:

• providing a reaction chamber containing a plurality of open ended solid oxide fuel cells;
• flowing an oxidizing gas in an oxidizing gas conduit, a portion of which passes through an exhaust stream, such that the oxidizing gas is heated by the exhaust stream as the oxidizing gas flows;
• flowing a reformable fuel gas in a fuel gas conduit, a portion of which passes through the reaction chamber, such that the fuel gas is heated by the reaction chamber as the fuel gas flows;
• flowing the fuel gas in a fuel cell direction of flow, along one of an inside or outside surface of at least one of the fuel cells;
• flowing the oxidizing gas along a surface of the at least one fuel cell opposite the surface along which the fuel gas is flowing;
• and
• combusting an unreacted portion of the fuel gas in the exhaust stream with an unreacted portion of the oxidizing gas;
• wherein a direction of flow of the oxidizing gas for at least a portion of the oxidizing gas conduit is parallel and opposite to the fuel cell direction of flow, and wherein a direction of flow of the fuel gas for at least a portion of the fuel gas conduit is parallel and opposite to the fuel cell direction of flow.