INTEGRATED FUEL PROCESSOR, FURNACE, AND FUEL CELL SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING HEAT AND ELECTRICAL POWER TO A BUILDING

摘要

An integrated system (10) includes a fuel cell assembly (40) for supplying electrical power to a building, a furnace (20) having a heating chamber (22) and a heat exchanger (24) for supplying heat to the building, and a reformer (50) for providing a supply of reformate directly to the furnace (20) and the fuel cell assembly (40). The system may include a controller (80) for apportioning the supply of reformate to the fuel cell assembly (40) and the furnace (20) in response to heating and electrical power needs of the building. In another embodiment, an integrated system (100) includes a fuel cell assembly (140) for providing electrical power to a building, a reformer/furnace unit (130) comprising a chamber (132) and a heat exchanger (134) for providing heat to a building, and wherein fuel is reformed/oxidized in a fuel-rich environment in said chamber to produce a supply of reformate for said fuel cell assembly (140), and in a fuel-lean environment in said chamber for releasing heat. The system (100) may also include a controller (180) for operating the chamber (132) between a fuel-rich and a fuel-lean environment in response to heating and electrical power needs of the building.