Production of energy in fuel cell system comprises introducing hydrocarbon into cracking reactor, endothermically cracking, introducing water vapor, endothermically gasifying the obtained carbon and further treating

摘要

Production of energy in a fuel cell system comprises introducing a hydrocarbon into the cracking reactor, endothermically cracking with exclusion of oxygen, removing the gas mixture, interrupting the feed and introducing water vapor, endothermically gasifying the obtained carbon with water vapor, introducing gas mixture into fuel cell and oxidizing the hydrogen in the fuel cell to recover heat and electrical energy. Production of energy in a fuel cell system consisting of a cracking reactor and a fuel cell comprises: (a) introducing a hydrocarbon into the cracking reactor having a chamber with exclusion of oxygen; (b) endothermically cracking the hydrocarbon in the reactor with exclusion of oxygen into carbon and a hydrogen-containing gas mixture and removing the gas mixture; (c) interrupting the feed of the hydrocarbon into the reactor; (d) introducing water vapor into the reactor; (e) endothermically gasifying the carbon obtained in the cracking stage with water vapor to form a gas mixture containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen and re-using in the fuel cell system; and (f) introducing the gas mixture obtained formed in the endothermic cracking stage into the fuel cell and oxidizing the hydrogen in the fuel cell to recover heat and electrical energy. An Independent claim is also included for a device for carrying out the process. Preferred Features: The cracking reactor has at least three chambers divided into at least two chamber groups. The hydrogen-containing gas mixture fed to the fuel cell is treated to lower its carbon monoxide content before being introduced into the fuel cell.