# US 8,771,887 B2 · Method of operating a fuel cell apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,771,887 B2 - Document ID: US8771887B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/966,811 - Filed: 2013-08-14 - Published: 2014-01-09 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2007-08-29 - Assignees: KYOCERA Corporation - Applicants: Kyocera Corporation - Inventors: Naruto Takahashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771887B2 ## CPC - H01M 8/0606: with means for production of gaseous reactants - C01B 3/382: Processes with two or more reaction steps, of which at least one is catalytic, e.g. steam reforming and partial oxidation - H01M 8/04225: during start-up - H01M 8/04302: applied during start-up - H01M 8/04373: {of auxiliary devices, e.g. reformers, compressors, burners} - H01M 8/04776: {at auxiliary devices, e.g. reformer, compressor, burner} - H01M 8/0618: {Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming} - H01M 8/2432: Grouping of unit cells of planar configuration - C01B 2203/0233: the reforming step being a steam reforming step - C01B 2203/0244: the reforming step being an autothermal reforming step, e.g. secondary reforming processes - C01B 2203/0261: containing a catalytic partial oxidation step [CPO] - C01B 2203/066: with fuel cells - C01B 2203/1294: Evaporation by heat exchange with hot process stream - C01B 2203/1604: Starting up the process - C01B 2203/1619: Measuring the temperature - C01B 2203/169: Controlling the feed - H01M 8/04223: during start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells - H01M 2250/405: Cogeneration of heat or hot water - Y02B 90/10: Applications of fuel cells in buildings - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract Method of operating a fuel cell apparatus in which a reforming reaction in the reforming portion is selected by a controller at the starting time of the apparatus by comparing a first starting temperature of a reforming portion to a temperature T1 at which steam reforming can be performed and comparing a second starting temperature of a vaporizing portion to a temperature T2 at which a predetermined amount of steam can be generated by steam reforming. A reforming reaction starting with an autothermal reforming reaction is performed when the first starting temperature is not lower than T1 and the second starting temperature is lower than T2. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling a reforming reaction with a fuel cell apparatus, comprising: measuring a temperature of a reforming portion in the fuel cell apparatus at the starting time of the fuel cell apparatus; measuring a temperature of a vaporizing portion in the fuel cell apparatus at the starting time of the fuel cell apparatus; performing a first reforming reaction, at the starting time of the fuel cell apparatus, in which partial oxidation reforming, autothermal reforming and steam reforming are performed in that order as the reforming reaction when the temperature of the reforming portion is lower than T1, where T1 represents a temperature at which the steam reforming can be performed; performing a second reforming reaction, at the starting time of the fuel cell apparatus, in which autothermal reforming and steam reforming are performed in that order, without partial oxidation reforming, as the reforming reaction when the temperature of the reforming portion is not lower than T1 and the temperature of the vaporizing portion is lower than T2, where T2 represents a temperature at which a predetermined amount of steam can be generated by the steam reforming; and performing a third reforming reaction, at the starting time of the fuel cell apparatus, in which steam reforming is performed, without partial oxidation reforming and autothermal reforming, as the reforming reaction when the temperature of the reforming portion is not lower than T1 and the temperature of the vaporizing portion is not lower than T2. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third reforming reactions have predetermined reforming conditions, and the first reforming reaction has at least one predetermined reforming condition different from the corresponding predetermined reforming condition of at least one of the second and third reforming reactions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined reforming conditions are autothermal reforming conditions and the first reforming reaction has at least one autothermal reforming condition different from that of the second reforming reaction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the autothermal reforming conditions comprise at least the amount of a reforming target gas supplied from a reforming target gas supply portion and the amount of oxygen-containing gas supplied from an oxygen-containing gas supply portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: supplying reforming target gas so that the amount of reforming target gas supply for the autothermal reforming is the same between the first reforming reaction and the second reforming reaction; and supplying oxygen-containing gas so that the ratio of the amount of oxygen-containing gas supply to the reforming portion to the amount of reforming target gas supply to the reforming portion for the autothermal reforming by the second reforming reaction is smaller than that for the autothermal reforming by the first reforming reaction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined reforming conditions are steam reforming conditions and the first reforming reaction has a steam reforming condition different from that of the third reforming reaction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: supplying steam so that the amount of steam supply to the reforming portion for the autothermal reforming by the second reforming reaction is larger than that for the autothermal reforming by the first reforming reaction, and so that the amount of steam supply to the reforming portion for the steam reforming by the third reforming reaction is larger than that for steam reforming by the first reforming reaction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined reforming conditions are autothermal reforming conditions and steam reforming conditions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: supplying reforming target gas so that the amount of reforming target gas supply to the reforming portion for the autothermal reforming by the second reforming reaction is smaller than that for the autothermal reforming by the first reforming reaction, and so that the amount of reforming target gas supply to the reforming portion for the steam reforming by the third reforming reaction is smaller than that for the steam reforming by the first reforming reaction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: supplying oxygen-containing gas so that the amount of oxygen-containing gas supply to fuel cells in the fuel cell apparatus for the autothermal reforming by the second reforming reaction is larger than that for the autothermal reforming by the first reforming reaction, and so that the amount of oxygen-containing gas supply to the fuel cells for the steam reforming by the third reforming reaction is larger than that for the steam reforming by the first reforming reaction. ### Claim 11 A method for controlling a reforming reaction in a reforming portion of a fuel cell apparatus when the reforming portion is not operating, the method comprising: measuring a first starting temperature of a reforming portion of a fuel cell apparatus when the fuel cell apparatus starts operation; measuring a second starting temperature of a vaporizing portion of the fuel cell apparatus when the fuel cell apparatus starts operation; and starting operation of the reforming reaction, when the fuel cell apparatus starts operation, by starting an autothermal reforming reaction, without partial oxidation reforming, when the first starting temperature is not lower than T1 and the second starting temperature is lower than T2, where T1 represents a temperature at which the steam reforming reaction can be performed, and T2 represents a temperature at which a predetermined amount of steam can be generated by the steam reforming. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: starting operation of the reforming reaction by starting a steam reforming reaction when the first starting temperature is not lower than T1 and the second starting temperature is not lower than T2.