A system and method satisfies temperature and pressure requirements of solid oxide fuel cell system 10 in a manner that increases the overall efficiency and decreases the overall weight of system 10. The system and method include a secondary blower 30 for boosting air stream pressure level sufficien
A system and method satisfies temperature and pressure requirements of solid oxide fuel cell system 10 in a manner that increases the overall efficiency and decreases the overall weight of system 10. The system and method include a secondary blower 30 for boosting air stream pressure level sufficient for operation of a reformer 12 that is designed to minimize pressure drop; an integrated heat exchanger 18 for recovering heat from exhaust 36 and comprising multiple flow fields 18A, 18B, 18C for ensuring inlet temperature requirements of a solid oxide fuel cell 14 are met; and a thermal enclosure 46 for separating hot zone 48 components from cool zone 50 components for increasing thermal efficiency of the system and better thermal management.
대표청구항▼
1. A method comprising: operating a solid oxide fuel cell that includes an anode flow field and a cathode flow field;exhausting the anode flow field and the cathode flow field into an exhaust flow field;directing a first portion of the exhaust flow field through a heat exchanger that includes an ano
1. A method comprising: operating a solid oxide fuel cell that includes an anode flow field and a cathode flow field;exhausting the anode flow field and the cathode flow field into an exhaust flow field;directing a first portion of the exhaust flow field through a heat exchanger that includes an anode heat exchanger flow field and a cathode heat exchanger flow field;operating a fuel reformer;providing air at a first pressure level into a first fluid flow stream, the first fluid flow stream directing a first portion of the air to the cathode heat exchanger flow field and the cathode flow field;providing a second pressure level into a second fluid flow stream from a second portion of air from the first fluid flow stream, the second pressure level being greater than the first pressure level;generating a reformate stream from the fuel reformer by directing the second portion of air with the second fluid flow stream to the fuel reformer; anddirecting at least a portion of the reformate stream from the fuel reformer to the anode flow field. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein a first blower provides the first portion of air at the first pressure level into the first fluid flow stream, and wherein a second blower provides the second portion of air from the first fluid flow stream into the second fluid flow stream at the second pressure level. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pressure level is sufficient to overcome a pressure drop across the cathode heat exchanger flow field and the cathode flow field. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second pressure level is sufficient to overcome a pressure drop across the fuel reformer, the anode heat exchanger flow field, and the anode flow field. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel reformer further comprises: an atomizer housing comprising an inner surface and an upstream interior region;a reactor housing connected to the atomizer housing and comprising a downstream interior region;a spray port between the upstream interior region and the downstream interior region, the spray port comprising a mouth open to the upstream interior region, a chamfer portion downstream of the mouth, a throat portion downstream of the chamfer, and a spray orifice downstream of the throat portion and open to the downstream interior region, the mouth having a diameter larger than a diameter of the spray orifice;an insert positioned in the upstream interior region comprising an outer surface, a first end, a second end, and a fuel conduit, the fuel conduit comprising a tip portion that extends beyond the second end and past the mouth, and is recessed relative to the spray orifice, the tip portion comprising a fuel outlet orifice; andan air swirler positioned in the upstream interior region having an air flow field, wherein the air flow field extends between the outer surface of the insert and the inner surface of the atomizer housing for directing air through the upstream interior region, spray port, and into the downstream interior region. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the diameter of the spray orifice is less than about 5 mm, the chamfer is at an angle of less than about 60 degrees relative to the mouth, the tip portion extends beyond the second end by a distance of less than about 7 mm, the tip portion is recessed relative to the spray orifice by a distance of less than about 3 mm, the air swirler comprises vanes having an angle of less than about 30 degrees, and wherein fuel travels through the fuel conduit at a liquid flow rate of less than or equal to 1 kg/h, and air travels through the air flow field at an air-to-fuel mass ratio of about 4 to about 6. 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the downstream interior region of the reactor housing further comprises a partial oxidation catalyst. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing a second portion of the exhaust flow field through a catalytic burner prior to directing the first portion of the exhaust flow field through the heat exchanger. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising thermally enclosing the heat exchanger, fuel reformer, solid oxide fuel cell, catalytic burner, and exhaust flow field. 10. A method comprising: operating a solid oxide fuel cell system, the solid oxide fuel cell system including a solid oxide fuel cell having an anode flow field and a cathode flow field, the operating including: providing air from an air source;directing a first portion of air into a first fluid flow stream at a first pressure level;directing the first fluid flow stream to a heat exchanger cathode flow field and the cathode flow field;directing a second portion of air into a second fluid flow stream at a second pressure level;directing the second fluid flow stream to a fuel reformer;generating a reformate stream from the fuel reformer by mixing fuel supplied from a fuel source with the second portion of air in the fuel reformer;directing a first portion of the reformate stream to the anode flow field; andexhausting the anode flow field and the cathode flow field to an exhaust flow field. 11. The method of claim 10 further comprising pressurizing the first portion of air to the first pressure level by directing the air through a primary blower. 12. The method of claim 11 further comprising pressurizing the second portion of air to the second pressure level by directing the second portion of air through a secondary blower, the second pressure level being greater than the first pressure level. 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the secondary blower is positioned directly downstream of the primary blower. 14. The method of claim 10, further comprising: cooling the first portion of the reformate stream, the cooling including mixing the first portion of the reformate stream with a second portion of the reformate stream, directing the second portion of the reformate stream through a first anode heat exchanger flow field. 15. The method of claim 10 further comprising generating a third portion of air into a third fluid flow stream from the second portion of air, directing the third fluid flow stream to a second anode heat exchanger flow field and the fuel reformer. 16. A system comprising: a solid oxide fuel cell that includes an anode flow field and a cathode flow field;an exhaust flow field configured to receive exhaust from the anode flow field and the cathode flow field;a heat exchanger configured to receive a first portion of the exhaust flow field, the heat exchanger including an anode heat exchanger flow field and a cathode heat exchanger flow field;a fuel reformer configured to generate a reformate stream;a first fluid flow stream configured to receive air at a first pressure, the first fluid flow stream being configured to direct a first portion of air to the cathode heat exchanger flow field and the cathode flow field;a second fluid flow stream configured to receive a second portion of air at a second pressure from the first fluid flow stream, the second fluid flow stream configured to direct the second portion of air to the fuel reformer to generate the reformate stream, the second pressure being greater than the first pressure; anda third fluid flow stream configured to direct at least a first portion of the reformate stream from the fuel reformer to the anode flow field. 17. The system of claim 16, further comprising: a fourth fluid flow stream configured to direct a second portion of the reformate stream from the fuel reformer to the anode heat exchanger flow field. 18. The system of claim 16 wherein the first fluid flow stream is directed through a primary blower and the second fluid flow stream is directed through a secondary blower. 19. The system of claim 18 wherein the secondary blower is positioned directly downstream of the primary blower.
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