Solid-oxide fuel cell system having an integrated air supply system
AssigneeDelphi Technologies, Inc.
InventorsSean M. Kelly, Trevor T. Grover
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solid-oxide fuel cell system having an integrated air supply system, including a central air pump, distribution manifold, air control valves, mass air flow sensors, and supply ducts, for controllably supplying oxygen for the fuel cell reaction, both through and controllably bypassing cathode air heat exchangers; combustion air for a combustor of tail gas from the anodes; cooling air for electronic controls; and reforming air to a liquid fuel vaporizer integral with a hydrocarbon fuel reformer.
Claims11
A fuel cell system for generating electric power by combination of oxygen with hydrogen-containing fuel, comprising:
- a) a plurality of individual fuel cells organized into at least one fuel cell stack assembly including a plurality of cathodes and anodes;
- b) manifold means having passageways for conveying said fuel and said oxygen in the form of air to said stack assembly and passageways for returning spent cathode air and tail gas from said stack assembly;
- c) an integrated reformer and tail gas combustor connected to said manifold means for reforming hydrocarbons to provide said fuel to said stack assembly and for combusting tail gas returned from said stack assembly;
- and
- d) an integrated air supply system for controllably supplying air to said stack assembly, said reformer and said combustor via said manifold means.
An automotive vehicle, comprising a fuel cell system for generating auxiliary power for said vehicle, said system including
- a plurality of individual fuel cells organized into at least one fuel cell stack assembly including a plurality of cathodes and anodes,
- manifold means having passageways for conveying said fuel and said oxygen in the form of air to said stack assembly and passageways for returning spent cathode air and tail gas from said stack assembly;
- an integrated reformer and tail gas combustor unit connected to corresponding passageways of said manifold means for reforming hydrocarbons to provide said fuel to said stack assembly and for combusting tail gas returned from said stack assembly;
- and
- an integrated air supply system for controllably supplying air to said stack assembly, said reformer and said combustor via said manifold means.
A fuel cell system for generating electric power by combination of oxygen with hydrogen-containing fuel, comprising:
- a stack housing, at least one fuel cell stack assembly disposed within said stack housing, a plurality of stack housing inlets and stack housing outlets defined by said stack housing;
- manifold means having passageways in fluid communication with corresponding stack housing inlets for conveying said fuel and said oxygen to said stack assembly, and passageways in fluid communication with corresponding stack housing outlets for conveying spent cathode air and tail gas from said stack assembly;
- an integrated reformer and tail gas combustor unit connected to said manifold means for reforming hydrocarbons to provide said fuel to said stack assembly and for combusting tail gas returned from said stack assembly;
- and
- an integrated air supply system for controllably supplying air to said stack assembly, said reformer and said combustor via said manifold means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.