FUEL CELL POWER PLANT USED AS REFORMATE GENERATOR

摘要

A method for operating a fuel cell power plant to provide end-use electricity, end-use heat and end-use reformate (24) includes the steps of providing a fuel cell power plant that consumes reformate to provide electricity and heat, said fuel cell power plant having a nominal reformate flow rate and including a fuel processor system (34) for generating reformate from a hydrocarbon fuel; operating the fuel processor system (34) so as to provide a reformate flow at a rate greater than the nominal reformate flow rate; operating the fuel cell power plant (14) using a first portion of the reformate flow to generate the electricity and the heat, the first portion being less than or equal to the nominal reformate flow rate; and providing a second portion of the reformate flow as the end-use reformate.