Fuel cell systems and methods

Abstract

A fuel cell system comprising (i) at least one fuel cell stack () comprising at least one intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell, and having an anode inlet () and a cathode inlet () and (ii) a reformer () for reforming a hydrocarbon fuel to a reformate, and a reformer heat exchanger (); and defining: an anode inlet gas fluid flow path from a fuel source () to said reformer () to said fuel cell stack anode inlet (); a cathode inlet gas fluid flow path from an oxidant inlet () through at least one cathode inlet gas heat exchanger () to said reformer heat exchanger () to said fuel cell stack cathode inlet (); wherein said at least one cathode inlet gas heat exchanger () is arranged to heat relatively low temperature cathode inlet gas by transfer of heat from at least one of (i) an anode off-gas fluid flow path and (ii) a cathode off-gas fluid flow path; wherein said reformer heat exchanger is arranged for heating said anode inlet gas from said relatively high temperature cathode inlet gas to a temperature Tat the anode inlet that is below a temperature Tat the cathode inlet; and wherein oxidant flow control means () for controlled mixing of low temperature oxidant from the or each oxidant inlet () with high temperature cathode inlet gas to control a temperature Tat the cathode inlet () relative to a temperature Tat the anode inlet () and at a level higher than T.