International Fuel Cells, LLC

Utc Fuel Cells, LLC

Doosan Fuel Cell America, Inc.

United Technologies Corporation

Clearedge Power Corporation

Hydrogensource LLC

Peter F Foley

John L Preston

Antonio M Vincitore

William T Unkert

James R Geschwindt

Roger R Lesieur

Glenn W Scheffler

Joshua David Isom

Donald F Szydlowski

Derek W Hildreth

Jay Garow

Charles L DeGeorge

Leonard J Bonville, Jr

Richard D Breault

Paul R Hanrahan

Richard A Sederquist

Thomas J Corrigan

Stephen G Pixton

Francis J Luczak

Ke Liu

Robert R Fredley

Stanley P Bonk

Eric A Rohrbach

Wayne G Wnuck

Francis A Kocum

James Davies

Christopher R Teeling

A reformer system () having a hydrodesulfurizer () provides desulfurized natural gas feedstock to a catalytic steam reformer (), the outflow of which is treated by a water gas shift reactor () and optionally a preferential CO oxidizer () to provide reformate gas () having high hydrogen and moderate carbon dioxide content. To avoid damage to the hydrodesulfurizer from overheating, any deleterious hydrogen reactants, such as the oxygen in peak shave gas or olefins, in the non-desulfurized natural gas feedstock () are reacted () with hydrogen () to convert them to alkanes (e.g., ethylene and propylene to ethane and propane) and to convert oxygen to water in a catalytic reactor () having no sulfide sorbent, and cooled (), below a temperature which would damage the reactor, by evaporative cooling with pressurized hot water (). Hydrogen for the desulfurizer and the hydrogen reactions may be provided as recycle reformate () or from a mini-CPO (), or from other sources.

Fuel processing of feedstocks having components harmful to hydrodesulfurization

A system and method for operating fuel cell power plantincludes enclosing fuel bearing components, such as fuel cell stackand reformer, into a fuel compartmentseparate from motorized components in a motor compartment, and consuming leaked fuel in the fuel compartmentusing a fuel bearing component such as cell stackand/or burner, thereby reducing fuel emissions from the plant.

System and method for reducing fuel cell power plant emissions

A sodium chloride electrolysis cell () receives a portion of its electrical power () from a phosphoric acid fuel cell () which receives fuel at its anode inlet () from a water cooled catalytic reactor () that converts oxygen in the byproduct output () of the sodium chlorate electrolysis cell to hydrogen and water. A utility grid () may provide through a converter () power to support the electrochemical process in the sodium chlorate electrolysis cell. Temperature of the water cooled catalytic reactor is determined by the vaporization of pressurized hot water, the pressure of which may be adjusted by a controller () and a valve () in response to temperature ().

Apparatus including sodium chlorate electrolysis cell connected by water cooled catalytic reactor to phosphoric acid fuel cell

Fuel processing by a reformer () and a shift reactor () converts hydrocarbon feedstock () and steam () to hydrogen-rich reformate (), such as for use in a fuel cell power plant (). Some of the reformate is recycled through a restriction () to the inlet () of a feedstock pump (), thereby increasing its pressure sufficiently to cause recycle flow through a hydrodesulfurizer () and the secondary inlet () of an ejector () driven by the steam (). Recycle pressure () is maintained by steam pressure through a valve () regulated by a controller ().

Hydrodesulfurizer recycle applied upstream of processor feedstock pressurization

In a hydrocarbon fueled reformed gas fuel cell system having a rated power, a process for cooling reformed gas from a fuel processor prior to feeding the reformed gas to a shift converter includes the steps of providing a cooling zone having a hot gas inlet, a cooled gas outlet and a water inlet, feeding the reformed gas at a temperature of between 600 to 900&#xb0; F. to the hot gas inlet, redirecting the reformed gas in the cooling zone so as to provide a swirling recirculating flow of the reformed gas in the cooling zone, atomizing water into droplets and contacting the droplets with the redirected reformed gas so as to cool the reformed gas and vaporize the water, and removing a stream of cooled reformed gas from the cooling zone wherein the reformed gas is at a temperature between 400 to 500&#xb0; F. and the stream is substantially free of water droplets.

Compact precooler and cooling process

A precooler for use in a fuel cell system between a thermal reformer and a shift converter includes an atomizing water inlet in combination with a swirling inducing reformed gas inlet which act to increase the resistance time of the reformed gas in the precooler so as to effectively cool same.

Compact precooler

Oxides of nitrogen are adsorbed onto the surfaces of gas passages ( ) in a bed ( ) that has relative rotation with respect to a gas inlet distributor ( ). The manifold has a baffle ( ) or ribs ( ) that causes constantly flowing engine exhaust ( ) to enter the gas passages over a large portion of a revolution of the adsorption bed or the distributor, and causes constantly flowing regeneration gas ( ) to thereafter pass through those passages during a small portion of each revolution. The passages may be formed by planar ( ) or helical ( ) radial walls ( ), a serpentine wall ( ), a monolith ( ), or a honeycomb ( ). Either the distributor ( ) or the bed ( ) may be rotated to distribute the gases.

Continuous flow, NOx-reduction adsorption unit for internal combustion engines

A compact and efficient fuel reformer which is operable to produce a hydrogen-enriched process fuel from a raw fuel such as natural gas, or the like includes a compact array of catalyst tubes which are contained in a heat-insulated housing. The catalyst tube array preferably includes a multitude of catalyst tubes that are arranged in a hexagonal array. The housing includes internal hexagonal thermal insulation so as to ensure even heating of the catalyst tubes. The diameter of the tubes is sized so that spacing between adjacent tubes in the array can be minimized for efficient heat transfer. The interior of each of the catalyst tubes includes a hollow dead-ended central tube which serves as a fines trap for collecting catalyst fines that may become entrained in the fuel stream. The catalyst tubes are also provided with an upper frusto-conical portion which serves to extend the catalyst bed and provide a catalyst reserve. The assembly includes a side-fired startup burner which allows for an improved diffusion burner orifice array at the top of the reformer. The catalyst tubes are supported by side walls of the assembly in a manner that stabilizes the tubes in the assembly. In the assembly, the internal transverse manifold plates are tied together by portions of the tube assemblies so as to form a composite beam that supports the weight of the catalyst tube array.

Hydrocarbon fuel gas reformer assembly for a fuel cell power plant

A fuel processing system is operable to remove substantially all of the sulfur present in an undiluted hydrocarbon fuel stock supply used to power a fuel cell power plant in a mobile environment, such as an automobile, bus, truck, boat, or the like, or in a stationary environment. The power plant hydrogen fuel source can be gasoline, diesel fuel, naphtha, light hydrocarbon fuels such as butane, propane, natural gas, or other like fuels which contain relatively high levels of organic sulfur compounds such as mercaptans, sulfides, disulfides, and the like. The undiluted hydrocarbon fuel supply is passed through a nickel desulfurizer bed wherein essentially all of the sulfur in the organic sulfur compounds react with the nickel reactant, and are converted to nickel sulfide while the desulfurized organic remnants continue through the remainder of the fuel processing system. The system does not require the addition of steam or a hydrogen source to the fuel stream prior to the desulfurizing step. The system operates at relatively low temperatures and can be used to desulfurize either a liquid or a gaseous fuel stream.

Method for desulfurizing a fuel for use in a fuel cell power plant

System for desulfurizing a fuel for use in a fuel cell power plant

Ammonia which is found in fuel cell fuel gases is removed therefrom by passing the fuel gas stream through a scrubber bed of porous carbon pellets containing phosphoric acid. The ammonia reacts with the phosphoric acid in the scrubber bed to form ammonium phosphate compounds which remain in the scrubber bed. The ammonia content of the fuel gas stream is thus lowered to a concentration of about one ppm or less. By maintaining the temperature of the fuel gas stream passing through the scrubber bed in a range of about 400.degree. F. to about 450.degree. F. sufficient phosphoric acid will also be evaporated from the scrubber bed to replace acid electrolyte lost during operation of the power plant. Adjustments in the temperature of the fuel gas flowing through the scrubber may be made in order to match electrolyte losses which occur during different operating phases of the power plant. The scrubber formed in accordance with this invention thus serves two functions, one being to remove ammonia from the fuel gas stream, and the other being to replenish electrolyte lost in the power plant during normal operation thereof.

System for treatment of acid fuel cell fuel gas stream

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Manchester, CT, United States of America

Peter F Foley