Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Ralph E Grimble

Edward V Somers

A fuel cell generator is made containing a plurality of fuel cells and fuel feed conduits exterior to and disposed between the fuel cells to distribute unreformed fuel feed to the exterior surface of the fuel cells, where the exterior surface of the fuel cells is effective to reform the fuel feed.

Fuel feed arrangement for a fuel cell generator

Disclosed is an improved method of reforming a gaseous reformable fuel within a solid oxide fuel cell generator, wherein the solid oxide fuel cell generator has a plurality of individual fuel cells in a refractory container, the fuel cells generating a partially spent fuel stream and a partially spent oxidant stream. The partially spent fuel stream is divided into two streams, spent fuel stream I and spent fuel stream II. Spent fuel stream I is burned with the partially spent oxidant stream inside the refractory container to produce an exhaust stream. The exhaust stream is divided into two streams, exhaust stream I and exhaust stream II, and exhaust stream I is vented. Exhaust stream II is mixed with spent fuel stream II to form a recycle stream. The recycle stream is mixed with the gaseous reformable fuel within the refractory container to form a fuel stream which is supplied to the fuel cells. Also disclosed is an improved apparatus which permits the reforming of a reformable gaseous fuel within such a solid oxide fuel cell generator. The apparatus comprises a mixing chamber within the refractory container, means for diverting a portion of the partially spent fuel stream to the mixing chamber, means for diverting a portion of exhaust gas to the mixing chamber where it is mixed with the portion of the partially spent fuel stream to form a recycle stream, means for injecting the reformable gaseous fuel into the recycle stream, and means for circulating the recycle stream back to the fuel cells.

Reforming of fuel inside fuel cell generator

Crescent shaped vanes are so disposed in an evaporative cooling tower that the vanes generally have their leading edges aligned with a plane which forms an acute angle with a vertical plane and that adjacent vanes form a continuous smooth curve flow path which is generally directed upwardly and changes less than 90.degree. in direction to form an effective, low-pressure drop drift eliminator.

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Finleyville, PA, United States of America

Ralph E Grimble