Method for generating a gas which may be used for startup and shutdown of a fuel cell
AssigneeLG Fuel Cell Systems Inc.
InventorsMark Vincent Scotto, Daniel P. Birmingham, Crispin L. DeBellis, Mark Anthony Perna, Gregory C. Rush
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method for generating a gas that may be used for startup and shutdown of a fuel cell. In a non-limiting embodiment, the method may include generating a nitrogen-rich stream; merging the nitrogen-rich stream with a hydrocarbon fuel stream into a feed mixture stream; and catalytically converting the feed mixture into a reducing gas.
Claims9
A method for generating a reducing gas having a variable combustibles content, comprising:
- providing a nitrogen-rich oxidant stream, the oxidant stream having a nitrogen content greater than that of ambient air, the oxidant stream also having an oxygen (O2) content;
- providing a hydrocarbon fuel stream;
- combining the hydrocarbon fuel stream and the oxidant stream into a feed mixture, the feed mixture having an oxidant/fuel ratio;
- reacting the feed mixture in a catalytic reactor to generate the reducing gas;
- and
- controlling both the O2 content of the oxidant stream and the oxidant/fuel ratio of the feed mixture to maintain a predetermined control temperature while also independently varying both the O2 content of the oxidant stream and the oxidant/fuel ratio of the feed mixture to obtain a selected combustibles content of the reducing gas.
A method for generating a reducing gas and using the reducing gas in a fuel cell, comprising:
- a step for providing an oxidant stream;
- a step for supplying a hydrocarbon fuel;
- a step for combining the oxidant and said hydrocarbon fuel into a feed mixture, the feed mixture having an oxidant/fuel ratio;
- a step for catalytically converting the feed mixture to generate a reducing gas;
- a step for controlling both the O2 content of the oxidant stream and the oxidant/fuel ratio of the feed mixture to maintain a predetermined temperature of the reducing gas while also independently varying at least one of the O2 content of the oxidant stream and the oxidant/fuel ratio of the feed mixture to obtain a selected combustibles content of the reducing gas;
- and
- a step for directing the reducing gas to the fuel cell.
A method for generating a reducing gas having a variable combustibles content, comprising:
- providing a nitrogen-rich oxidant stream, the oxidant stream having a nitrogen content greater than that of ambient air, the oxidant stream also having an oxygen (O2) content, wherein the nitrogen-rich oxidant stream is generated by extracting nitrogen from air using a nitrogen separation membrane;
- providing a hydrocarbon fuel stream;
- combining the hydrocarbon fuel stream and the oxidant stream into a feed mixture, the feed mixture having an oxidant/fuel ratio;
- reacting the feed mixture in a catalytic reactor to generate the reducing gas;
- and
- controlling both the O2 content of the oxidant stream and the oxidant/fuel ratio of the feed mixture to maintain a predetermined control temperature while also independently varying both the O2 content of the oxidant stream and the oxidant/fuel ratio of the feed mixture to obtain a selected combustibles content of the reducing gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.