WO2009061299A1 - Combustion catalytique d'échappement d'anode de pile à combustible en amont de la combustion homogène du reformat de démarrage - Google Patents

Combustion catalytique d'échappement d'anode de pile à combustible en amont de la combustion homogène du reformat de démarrage Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2009061299A1
WO2009061299A1 PCT/US2007/023507 US2007023507W WO2009061299A1 WO 2009061299 A1 WO2009061299 A1 WO 2009061299A1 US 2007023507 W US2007023507 W US 2007023507W WO 2009061299 A1 WO2009061299 A1 WO 2009061299A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
burner
fuel cell
air
power plant
cell power
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2007/023507
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Paul R. Margiott
Zakiul Kabir
Joshua D. Isom
John L. Preston
Randy D. Da Ros
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
UTC Power Corp
Original Assignee
UTC Power Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by UTC Power Corp filed Critical UTC Power Corp
Priority to PCT/US2007/023507 priority Critical patent/WO2009061299A1/fr
Publication of WO2009061299A1 publication Critical patent/WO2009061299A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
    • H01M8/04007—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids related to heat exchange
    • H01M8/04014—Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants
    • H01M8/04022—Heating by combustion
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/06—Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues
    • H01M8/0662—Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/10—Fuel cells with solid electrolytes
    • H01M2008/1095—Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
    • Y02E60/50—Fuel cells

Definitions

  • a burner apparatus and method for producing steam such as for generating reformate in a fuel cell power plant, includes homogeneous burning, during startup, of unused reformate and optionally a startup fuel, downstream of a catalytic burner used for combusting fuel cell anode exhaust gas during normal operation.
  • PEM fuel cells operate at relatively low temperatures, typically in the range of about 100 0 F (38°C) to about 200 0 F (93°C), and often at essentially ambient pressure.
  • PEM fuel cells using any form of steam reformer steam production from the cell stack waste heat is not an option, so alternative steam production methods are required.
  • a PEM fuel cell anode exhaust gas stream primarily contains a small amount of H 2 , CO 2 , water vapor and, in the case of an autothermal reformer, some N 2 .
  • the fuel remaining in the anode exhaust gas stream after it passes through the fuel cell power plant needs to be consumed in the operation of the PEM cell power plant.
  • this cannot be done with a conventional homogeneous burner because of a) the high water and CO 2 content in the anode exhaust stream, and b) the low hydrogen content of the anode exhaust stream.
  • the hydrogen in the anode exhaust stream is typically below the normal combustibility level, so a catalytic burner is required.
  • a suitable combustion device includes (i) a combination burner/mixer assembly comprising a homogeneous burner (a) that burns a startup fuel, such as gasoline, natural gas, ethanol, methanol, hydrogen or some other combustible material, and (b) that serves as a mixer for anode exhaust and air, followed by (ii) a catalytic burner member.
  • the burner assembly also includes one or more heat exchange coils through which water flows, the water being converted to steam by either startup fuel combustion or anode exhaust stream combustion.
  • U.S. patent 6,958,195 illustrates a manner of handling startup reformate and utilizing anode exhaust in a single apparatus as shown in Fig. 1 herein.
  • a known mixer/burner steam generator apparatus 14 for a fuel cell power plant includes a first mixer/burner chamber 74 where the startup fuel, such as gasoline in a conduit 52, and air in a conduit 70 are combusted in a swirl-stabilized combustion burner during startup to produce steam in a conduit 20.
  • the hot exhaust of the burner 74 passes through a first heat exchanger 82, which reduces the temperature of the burner exhaust to an acceptable level for the catalytic burner 2.
  • the catalytic burner 2 is heated by the burner exhaust stream, and it is also used to reduce the carbon monoxide emissions from the burner.
  • a gas stream diffuser 3 can be used to provide a diffuse flow of burner exhaust to the catalytic burner 2.
  • the hot gas from the burner 74 is used to transfer heat into water which is pumped by a circulating pump 78 through the first heat exchanger 82 and thence through a second heat exchanger 88 and a third heat exchanger 89.
  • the circulating pump flow rate is sufficiently high to maintain two-phase (liquid/gas) flow in the heat exchangers 82, 88 and 89 at all times.
  • the two-phase flow simplifies control requirements and limits heat exchanger size.
  • This two-phase flow is pumped into a steam accumulator 76, where the liquid water is recirculated back through the heat exchangers 82, 88 and 89, while saturated steam is extracted in conduit 20 from the accumulator 76 for use in a fuel processing system.
  • Feed water 64 is provided to the circulating pump 78 to maintain an appropriate liquid level in the accumulator. As the fuel processing system begins to generate low- quality reformate, this reformate bypasses the anode of the fuel cell and is fed in conduit 52 into the mixing section of the burner 74 to be combusted together with air in conduit 70.
  • the fuel cell anode exhaust is supplied in conduit 68 to the mixer/burner 74 together with air.
  • the mixer/burner 74 then functions as an anode exhaust air mixer.
  • the resultant mixture is fed into the catalytic burner 2 where the anode exhaust mixture is combusted catalytically.
  • Radiant and convective heat from the catalytic burner 2 is transferred to the heat exchanger coils 88, with the remainder of the convective heat transfer occurring in the heat exchanger 89.
  • the heat exchanger 82 does not derive any heat from the catalytic burner 2.
  • the sole purpose of the heat exchanger 82 is to reduce the temperature of the hot gas from the burner 74, as a result of burning a startup fuel but more particularly as a result of burning unused reformate before the fuel cell power plant goes on line and consumes the reformate.
  • the heat exchanger 82 reduces the temperature of the gases from the burner 74 so as to avoid sintering of the catalyst in the catalytic burner 2.
  • the heat exchanger 82 is typically made of stainless steel, and has fins and other characteristics which make it very expensive. It also consumes space and adds weight to any system. These characteristics can be intolerable in a vehicle operated by an electric motor which is provided power from a fuel cell power plant utilizing the apparatus 14 in its fuel processing system.
  • the heat exchanger 82 is eliminated by rendering it unnecessary. This is accomplished by switching the relative positions of the homogeneous burner 74 and the catalytic burner 2. By positioning the catalytic burner upstream of the homogenous burner, the temperature of the exhaust of the homogenous burner is no longer a potential hazard for the catalyst in the catalytic burner 2.
  • the homogeneous burner may have heat exchange apparatus associated with it so as to capture and utilize some of the heat given off while consuming reformate prior to utilization thereof by the fuel cell power plant.
  • a small quantity of air is provided to a mixer at the inlet to the catalytic burner, but additional air may also be provided directly ahead of the homogenous burner so as to support the level of combustion desired to convert all of the unused reformate.
  • the catalytic burner reaction is self-initiating, and will reach operating temperature on its own.
  • FIG. 1 is a simplified, stylized schematic illustration of a burner/steam generating apparatus for use in a fuel cell power plant fuel processing system, known to the prior art.
  • FIG. 2 is a simplified, stylized schematic illustration of a burner/steam generating apparatus for use in a fuel cell power plant fuel processing system having a catalytic burner upstream of a homogenous burner.
  • the homogenous burner 74a is placed downstream of the catalytic burner 2a thereby eliminating the need for a heat exchanger 82 (Fig. 1 ) in the apparatus 14a.
  • a mixer 93 may be provided to assure adequate mixing of anode exhaust gas in the line 68 with air in the line 70.
  • a mixer 95 will mix air in the line 70a with startup fuel in the line 72, which may be preheated or ignited by a glow plug 96 in order to cause the homogeneous burner 74a to initially reach an operating temperature.
  • the mixer also will mix air in the line 70a with unused reformate in the line 52 during startup of the fuel cell power plant system.
  • a plurality of valves 100-104 allow adjustment of flows by a controller 107 in the various mixes just described.
  • the valve 104 controls the amount of air provided to the homogenous burner. Typically, during initial startup, when startup fuel may be provided to the mixer, little or no air may be provided to the homogenous burner 74a. However, once reformate is beginning to be produced, but not sufficiently to be used by the fuel cell power plant, the controller 107 will cause the valve 104 to provide a significant amount of air on the line 70a to assure complete burning of the unused reformate in the homogenous burner 74a. During this time, the valve 101 will allow little or no air into the mixer 93, so that the catalytic burner 2a will not reach high flame temperatures and thereby avoid sintering of the catalyst within the catalytic burner 2a. Once the fuel cell power plant is consuming the reformate, the valve 104 may cause no air to be provided to the homogenous burner 74a.
  • the apparatus 14a in the line 68 may provide sufficient air so as to consume some portion of the anode exhaust being provided to the apparatus 14a in the line 68 in order to support heat requirements of an auxiliary apparatus (not shown) which may utilize heated water or other medium circulated from the auxiliary apparatus in a conduit 109, through a heat exchanger 1 10, and through a conduit 1 11 back to the auxiliary apparatus.
  • an auxiliary apparatus (not shown) which may utilize heated water or other medium circulated from the auxiliary apparatus in a conduit 109, through a heat exchanger 1 10, and through a conduit 1 11 back to the auxiliary apparatus.
  • the apparatus 14a may provide energy recovered from the anode exhaust for other usage.
  • the apparatus 14a may be used in a fuel cell power plant in which reformate is generated by a catalytic partial oxidizer, requiring no steam, and the recovered energy may be used to preheat the reformer reactants - air and fuel.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Fuel Cell (AREA)
  • Hydrogen, Water And Hydrids (AREA)

Abstract

Un brûleur homogène (110) dans un générateur de vapeur (14a) pour le traitement de combustible dans une centrale électrique à pile à combustible consomme le reformat contenant de l'hydrogène non utilisé pendant le démarrage de la centrale électrique à pile à combustible, sans endommager un brûleur catalytique (2a) qui se trouve en amont du brûleur homogène et qui consomme l'échappement d'anode et produit de la vapeur (20) pendant le fonctionnement normal de la centrale électrique à pile à combustible. Pendant le démarrage, un peu d'air (70) est fourni au brûleur catalytique et beaucoup d'air (70a) est fourni au brûleur homogène; pendant le fonctionnement normal, un peu d'air est fourni au brûleur homogène, mais suffisamment d'air est fourni au brûleur catalytique pour consommer tout l'échappement d'anode.
PCT/US2007/023507 2007-11-07 2007-11-07 Combustion catalytique d'échappement d'anode de pile à combustible en amont de la combustion homogène du reformat de démarrage Ceased WO2009061299A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2007/023507 WO2009061299A1 (fr) 2007-11-07 2007-11-07 Combustion catalytique d'échappement d'anode de pile à combustible en amont de la combustion homogène du reformat de démarrage

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2007/023507 WO2009061299A1 (fr) 2007-11-07 2007-11-07 Combustion catalytique d'échappement d'anode de pile à combustible en amont de la combustion homogène du reformat de démarrage

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2009061299A1 true WO2009061299A1 (fr) 2009-05-14

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PCT/US2007/023507 Ceased WO2009061299A1 (fr) 2007-11-07 2007-11-07 Combustion catalytique d'échappement d'anode de pile à combustible en amont de la combustion homogène du reformat de démarrage

Country Status (1)

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WO (1) WO2009061299A1 (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102009060679A1 (de) * 2009-12-28 2011-06-30 J. Eberspächer GmbH & Co. KG, 73730 Betriebsverfahren für ein Brennstoffzellensystem
EP2490289A1 (fr) * 2011-02-17 2012-08-22 Vaillant GmbH Système de cellules combustibles
WO2021078632A1 (fr) * 2019-10-22 2021-04-29 Ceres Intellectual Property Company Limited Système de pile à combustible et ensemble brûleur à gaz résiduaire et procédé

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20030157380A1 (en) * 2002-02-19 2003-08-21 Assarabowski Richard J. Steam generator for a PEM fuel cell power plant

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20030157380A1 (en) * 2002-02-19 2003-08-21 Assarabowski Richard J. Steam generator for a PEM fuel cell power plant

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102009060679A1 (de) * 2009-12-28 2011-06-30 J. Eberspächer GmbH & Co. KG, 73730 Betriebsverfahren für ein Brennstoffzellensystem
DE102009060679B4 (de) * 2009-12-28 2026-01-15 Eberspächer Climate Control Systems GmbH & Co. KG Betriebsverfahren für ein Brennstoffzellensystem
EP2490289A1 (fr) * 2011-02-17 2012-08-22 Vaillant GmbH Système de cellules combustibles
EP2490289B1 (fr) 2011-02-17 2017-04-05 Vaillant GmbH Système de cellules combustibles
WO2021078632A1 (fr) * 2019-10-22 2021-04-29 Ceres Intellectual Property Company Limited Système de pile à combustible et ensemble brûleur à gaz résiduaire et procédé
JP2022553971A (ja) * 2019-10-22 2022-12-27 セレス インテレクチュアル プロパティー カンパニー リミテッド 燃料電池システムおよびテールガス燃焼器組立体、ならびに方法
JP7564201B2 (ja) 2019-10-22 2024-10-08 セレス インテレクチュアル プロパティー カンパニー リミテッド 燃料電池システムおよびテールガス燃焼器組立体、ならびに方法

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