Automotive fuel cell has afterburner chamber void filled with open pored silicon carbide foam ceramic foam block with glow plug ignition with regulated input of combustion gases

摘要

An automotive fuel cell has an afterburner which processes residual gases arising from the reforming process and/or from a fuel cell operation. The afterburner has a jet (2) delivering fuel and residual gases to the combustion chamber (8) and an air supply. The combustion chamber has a void which especially is filled by an opened/pored ceramic foam block (4). The foam block is made in part or whole of silicon carbide and formed by reticulation. The foam block is electrically heated and in direct contact with the burner chamber wall, to which it surrenders heat. The foam block bears a catalytic coating of platinum. The afterburner further has an ignition system which is a heated helical wire (14) or glow plug. The ignition system is located between the ceramic block and jet, or within the foam block. The jet has a swirl nozzle or a multi-hole nozzle.