Solid oxide fuel cell systems

Abstract

Enhanced high temperature fuel cell systems, such as solid oxide fuel cell systems and molten carbonate fuel cell systems are disclosed. Embodiments of the disclosure include solid oxide and molten carbonate fuel cell systems incorporating gas separation apparati facilitating the recycle of hydrogen fuel from fuel cell anode exhaust for supply to the fuel cell anode inlet. Further embodiments of the disclosure include solid oxide and molten carbonate fuel cell systems incorporating inventive combinations of anode materials conducive to combination with enriched hydrogen fuel. Other embodiments of the disclosure include gas separation apparatus for providing enriched oxygen feed to the cathode inlet of solid oxide and molten carbonate fuel cells.

Description

[0001] Cross References to Related Applications [0002] This application claims U.S. Provisional Application 60 / 414,607, filed September 27, 2002, U.S. Provisional Application 60 / 472,036, filed May 19, 2003, U.S. Provisional Application 60 / 500,532, filed September 5, 2003 , and the formal United States Patent Application filed September 26, 2003 (serial number not yet assigned), all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. technical field [0003] This application is related to high temperature fuel cell systems, such as solid oxide fuel cell systems, particularly high temperature fuel cell systems combined with gas separation devices, and related copending patent applications of QuestAir Technologies, including U.S. Patent Application 09 / 591,275, 09 / 808,715, 10 / 039,940, and 10 / 352,361, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background technique [0004] Fuel cells provide an environmentally friendly power source. One type of high temperature...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Considering the additional combustion, the heat generated by it can only be effectively absorbed through the thermal bottom cycle, so that more of the original combustion value cannot be used for relatively efficient electrochemical power generation

In addition, the oxygen / nitrogen of the cathode gas is even lower than ambient air, further reducing the cell voltage and thus shifting more of the generation load to the thermal bottoming cycle equipment less efficiently

[0021] Another disadvantage of high temperature fuel cell power plant systems known in the prior art is that such previously known systems do not provide an effective means of mitigating the emissions of "greenhouse" gases and other environmentally harmful gases produced by fossil fuel power generation

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