Lg Fuel Cell Systems Inc.

Lg Electronics Inc.

Rolls-royce Corporation

Lg Fuell Cell Systems Inc.

Rolls-royce Fuel Cell Systems Limited

Michele Bozzolo

Gerard D Agnew

Cristiano Balestrino

Robert Hay Cunningham

Alberto Traverso

Francesco Caratozzolo

David Silveira Erel

Gary John Saunders

Eric W Dean

James M Townsend

Robert R Moritz

Gerry D Agnew

Olivier C Tarnowski

Gerald Daniel Agnew

Peter McNeely

Adam Pierce

Gerard Daniel Agnew

James Martin Townsend

Gary Saunders

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a fuel cell system configured to modulate the flow of oxidant through the fuel cell system to maintain a desired temperature at the fuel cell stack. The fuel cell system is configured to control the flow of oxidant to maintain the desired temperature in the fuel cell stack based on temperature measurements of fluid outside of the fuel cell stack.

System and method for fuel cell stack temperature control

A fuel cell system and corresponding methods are provided. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack configured for in-block reforming, as well as a pre-reformer. The fuel cell stack may include a plurality of fuel cells. The fuel cell stack may also include a fuel supply manifold, a fuel exhaust manifold, an oxidant supply manifold, and an oxidant exhaust manifold. The fuel supply manifold may be configured to receive fuel, and to supply the fuel to the fuel cell stack for in-block reforming. The fuel exhaust manifold may be configured to expel fuel exhaust from the fuel cell stack. The oxidant supply manifold may be configured to receive an oxidant and to supply the oxidant to the fuel cell stack for in-block reforming. The oxidant exhaust manifold may be configured to expel oxidant exhaust from the fuel cell stack.

Methods of operating fuel cell systems with in-block reforming

Fuel cell systems with in-block reforming

A fuel cell system having at least one fuel cell and a cathode loop for recycling a portion of an unused oxidant from the fuel cell for reuse in the same fuel cell is presented. The cathode loop may comprise an oxidant inlet manifold in the fuel cell configured to supply oxidant to the fuel cell, an oxidant exhaust manifold in the fuel cell configured to receive unused oxidant from said fuel cells, and a cathode ejector configured to receive oxidant from an oxidant source and the oxidant exhaust manifold and to supply oxidant to the oxidant inlet manifold, wherein a portion of said unused oxidant is supplied directly to said oxidant inlet manifold from said oxidant exhaust manifold via said cathode ejector.

Revised fuel cell cycle for in block reforming fuel cells

A fuel cell system having a cathode, anode and auxiliary loop is provided. The anode loop may be configured to deliver reformed and unreformed fuel to the fuel cells. Unreformed fuel may be provided to the fuel cells by bypassing a portion of the fuel around a reformer. The unreformed fuel may be reformed in the fuel cell block. The cathode loop may direct a portion of oxidant exhausted from said fuel cells back to the fuel cell through a cathode ejector. The ejector may be supplied with pressurized oxidant that may be heated prior to entering the cathode ejector. The auxiliary loop may combust unused fuel and oxidant to provide the heat transferred to the oxidant prior to the oxidant entering the cathode loop.

Integrated fuel cell block with a revised fuel cell cycle for in block reforming fuel cells

A solid oxide fuel cell system () comprises a solid oxide fuel cell stack () and an electrochemical device (). The solid oxide fuel cell stack () comprises at least one solid oxide fuel cell () and each solid oxide fuel cell () comprises an electrolyte (), an anode () and a cathode (). An oxidant supply () is arranged to supply oxidant to the cathode () of the at least one solid oxide fuel cell () and a fuel supply () is arranged to supply fuel to the anode () of the at least one solid oxide fuel cell (). The electrochemical device () comprises an electrolyte (), an anode () and a cathode (). Means () to supply a portion of the unused fuel from the anode () of the at least one solid oxide fuel cell () to the anode () of the electrochemical device (), means () to supply a portion of the unused fuel from the anode () of the at least one solid oxide fuel cell () to the cathode () of the electrochemical device (). In use the electrochemical device () is arranged to remove oxygen from the unused fuel at the cathode () of the electrochemical device () and the electrochemical device () is arranged to transfer oxygen through the electrolyte () from the unused fuel at the cathode () of the electrochemical device () to the unused fuel at the anode () of the electrochemical device (). The electrochemical device () is arranged to oxidise the unused fuel at the anode () of the electrochemical device () and means () to supply the portion of oxygen depleted unused fuel from the cathode () of the electrochemical device () to the anode () of the at least one solid oxide fuel cell ().

Solid oxide fuel cell system and a method of operating a 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 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

A fuel cell arrangement comprises at least one fuel cell module, each fuel cell module comprises a plurality of fuel cells. Each fuel cell module is hollow and defines a chamber. Each fuel cell module is arranged within an inner vessel and the inner vessel is arranged within an outer pressure vessel. Means to supply oxidant is arranged to supply oxidant to the space within the inner vessel so as to supply oxidant to the cathode electrodes. Means to supply fuel is arranged to supply fuel to the chamber in each fuel cell module so to supply fuel to the anode electrodes. The outer pressure vessel is protected from the high temperature environment of the fuel cells by the inner vessel. The outer pressure vessel forms the main pressure containment of the arrangement and operates at a lower temperature and operates with a greater safety margin than a single pressure vessel arrangement.

Fuel cell arrangement

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.

Electrolysis apparatus

A system comprising a solid oxide fuel cell stack and a gas turbine engine. The stack comprises a plurality of solid oxide fuel cells, each fuel cell comprises an electrolyte, an anode and a cathode. The gas turbine engine comprises a compressor and a turbine with the compressor supplying oxidant to the cathodes. There are means to supply fuel to the anodes and to supply a portion of the unused oxidant from the solid oxide fuel cells to the cathodes. The means to supply a portion of the unused oxidant comprises a combustor and an ejector with the combustor burning a portion of the unused fuel from the solid oxide fuel cells in the portion of the unused oxidant from the fuel cells and is arranged to supply products of the combustor to the oxidant supplied by the compressor to the cathodes to preheat the oxidant supplied by the compressor.

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Derby, United Kingdom

Michele Bozzolo