Direct antifreeze cooled fuel cell power plant system

Abstract

A direct antifreeze cooled fuel cell power plant system is disclosed for producing electrical energy from reducing and process oxidant fluid reactant streams. The system includes at least one fuel cell for producing electrical energy from the reducing and oxidant fluid streams; a thermal management system that directs flow of a cooling fluid for controlling temperature within the plant including a porous water transport plate adjacent and in direct fluid communication with a cathode catalyst of the fuel cell; a direct antifreeze solution passing through the water transport plate; and, fuel processing components secured in fluid communication with the thermal management system for processing a hydrocarbon fuel into the reducing fluid and for controlling a concentration of a direct antifreeze in the direct antifreeze solution. The fuel processing components may include a boiler that receives a portion of the direct antifreeze solution from the thermal management system; a steam separator that directs separated steam from the boiler to a reformer for reforming the hydrocarbon fuel to the reducing fluid, and that directs separated liquid direct antifreeze solution back to the thermal management system. A preferred direct antifreeze solution is an alkanetriol selected from the group consisting of glycerol, butanetriol, and pentanetriol.