Fraunhofer-gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.v.

Sebastian Reuber

Mareike Wolter

Mihails Kusnezoff

Rico Belitz

Thomas Pfeifer

Markus Barthel

Stefanie Koszyk

Christian Schlemminger

The invention relates to a system having high-temperature fuel cells, for example SOFCs. A reformer connected upstream of the high-temperature fuel cells at the anode side, a start burner for the preheating of the cathodes of the high-temperature fuel cells, an afterburner and an operating heat exchanger are present at the system in accordance with the invention. Oxidizing agent can be supplied to the high-temperature fuel cell cathodes through the operating heat exchanger. In addition, it can be heated with the exhaust gas of the high-temperature fuel cells. Exhaust gas conducted through the operating heat exchanger can flow in an exhaust gas line together with environmental air and can then be conducted away into the environment as cooled exhaust gas.

System having high-temperature fuel cells

The invention relates to a high-temperature fuel cell system having a start burner. Such fuel cell systems are in particular operated at temperatures between 650&#xb0; C. and 1000&#xb0; C. due to the ion-conductive properties of the electrolytes used. It is necessary for this reason to carry out a heating before the actual operation of the systems, which takes place by an external supply of energy. The exhaust gas of a start burner of the high-temperature fuel cell system is supplied to a heat exchanger or to two heat exchangers in a series connection for the preheating of an oxidizing agent which can be supplied to at least one fuel cell at the cathode side. In this respect, the oxidizing agent and the exhaust gas of the start burner are conducted over the total surfaces of the one heat exchanger or of the two heat exchangers available for the heat exchange and hot, returned exhaust gas from the total system is conducted over one heat exchanger of the two heat exchangers arranged in series or in a second zone B of a single heat exchanger having two zones A and B over a part region of the surface available for the heat exchange.

High-temperature fuel cell system having a start burner

The invention relates to a high-temperature fuel cell system which can be operated with at least one hydrocarbon compound, preferably with methane or a gas containing methane such as natural gas or biogas. It is the object of the invention to increase the efficiency of high-temperature fuel cell systems and to allow a more flexible operation. In the system in accordance with the invention, individual fuel cells are present which are connected electrically in series and form the stacks. The stacks are flowed through after one another by fuel gas which contains hydrogen and which flows into a first stack of the system from a reformer and a suitable hydrocarbon compound is supplied via further connection lines in the flow direction of the introduced fuel gas sequentially into further stacks to the respective stack for a direct internal reforming of a hydrocarbon compound at anodes of the fuel cells of the stack and air is supplied as an oxidation means at the cathode side to the individual fuel cells of the system.

High-temperature fuel cell system

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Dresden, Germany

Sebastian Reuber