Solid oxide fuel cell power plant having a bootstrap start-up system

摘要

The bootstrap start-up system (42) achieves an efficient start-up of the power plant (10) that minimizes formation of soot within a reformed hydrogen rich fuel. A burner (48) receives un-reformed fuel directly from the fuel supply (30) and combusts the fuel to heat cathode air which then heats an electrolyte (24) within the fuel cell (12). A dilute hydrogen forming gas (68) cycles through a sealed heat-cycling loop (66) to transfer heat and generated steam from an anode side (32) of the electrolyte (24) through fuel processing system (36) components (38, 40) and back to an anode flow field (26) until fuel processing system components (38, 40) achieve predetermined optimal temperatures and steam content. Then, the heat-cycling loop (66) is unsealed and the un-reformed fuel is admitted into the fuel processing system (36) and anode flow (26) field to commence ordinary operation of the power plant (10).

主权项

1. A solid oxide fuel cell power plant, comprising:
at least one solid oxide fuel cell having:
an electrolyte;a cathode flow field configured to direct an oxidant reactant flow adjacent to a cathode electrode side of the electrolyte; andan anode flow field configured to direct a reducing fuel flow adjacent to an anode electrode side of the electrolyte; a fuel supply; a fuel processing system in fluid communication with the fuel supply and the anode flow field, the fuel processing system configured to process a hydrogen-rich fuel; a bootstrap start-up system that includes:
a burner;a cathode air heat exchanger;a forming gas supply;a burner exhaust line in fluid communication between the burner and the cathode air heat exchanger;a heat-cycling loop blower; anda heat-cycling loop configured to receive a predetermined fill-volume of a forming gas from the forming gas supply and to circulate the forming gas through the heat -cycling loop blower, through the fuel processing system, through the anode flow field adjacent to the anode electrode side of the electrolyte, and back to the heat-cycling loop blower, the heat -cycling loop configured to cycle heat from the electrolyte during a start-up phase of the power plant until the fuel cell and the fuel processing system reach predetermined start-up temperatures.