Lg Fuel Cell Systems Inc.

Rolls-royce Corporation

Cristiano Balestrino

Michele Bozzolo

Gerard D Agnew

A solid oxide fuel cell system () comprises a solid oxide fuel cell stack () and a gas turbine engine (). The solid oxide fuel cell stack () comprises a plurality of solid oxide fuel cells (). The gas turbine engine () comprises a compressor () and a turbine (). The compressor () supplies oxidant to the cathodes () of the fuel cells () via an oxidant ejector () and the oxidant ejector () supplies a portion of the unused oxidant from the cathodes () of the fuel cells () back to the cathodes () of the fuel cells () with the oxidant from the compressor (). The fuel cell system () further comprises an additional compressor (), an additional turbine (), a cooler () and a recuperator (). The compressor () supplies oxidant via the cooler () to the additional compressor () and the additional compressor () supplies oxidant to the oxidant ejector () via the recuperator (). The solid oxide fuel cell stack () supplies exhaust gases to the turbine () and the turbine () supplies the exhaust gases through the recuperator () to heat the oxidant flowing through the recuperator ().

Solid oxide fuel cell system

A solid oxide fuel cell system () comprises a solid oxide fuel cell stack () and a gas turbine engine (). The solid oxide fuel cell stack () comprises a plurality of solid oxide fuel cells (). The gas turbine engine () comprises a compressor () and a turbine (). The compressor () supplies oxidant to the cathodes () of the fuel cells () via an oxidant ejector () and the oxidant ejector () supplies a portion of the unused oxidant from the cathodes () of the fuel cells () back to the cathodes () of the fuel cells () with the oxidant from the compressor (). The fuel cell system () further comprises an additional compressor (), an electric motor () arranged to drive the additional compressor (), a cooler () and a recuperator (). The compressor () supplies oxidant via the cooler () to the additional compressor () and the additional compressor () supplies oxidant to the oxidant ejector () via the recuperator (). The solid oxide fuel cell stack () supplies exhaust gases to the turbine () and the turbine () supplies the exhaust gases through the recuperator () to heat the oxidant flowing through the recuperator ().

An electrolysis apparatus comprises an electrolysis cell to electrolyze a first fluid to generate a product fluid. The electrolysis apparatus also comprises a fuel cell to electrolyze an electrolytic fluid and to heat a second fluid. The electrolysis apparatus also includes a fluid transfer arrangement to transfer the heated second fluid from the fuel cell to the electrolysis cell to provide heat to drive the electrolysis of the first fluid in the electrolysis cell.

Electrolysis apparatus for the production of electricity and hydrogen

Solid oxide stacks used as fuel cells generate electricity from hydrogen or other sources. By an electrolysis process such standard fuel cells can be operated in order to create hydrogen or other electro chemical by-products. Unfortunately stacks generally operate at relatively high temperatures which will be difficult to sustain purely on economic grounds. In such circumstances less efficient operation can be achieved at lower temperatures where the air-specific resistance is higher by balancing with the electrical power input in order to cause the disassociation required. In such circumstances by provision of an incident heat source, whether that be through a heat exchanger heating the compressed air flow, or recycling of a proportion of exhaust from the stack, or combustion of a product from stack disassociation the result will be a sustaining electrolysis operation reducing the amount of expensive electrical supply required to achieve dissociation.

Growing community of inventors

LaSalle, Canada

Cristiano Balestrino