Patent ID: 6303243
Filing Date: 2001-10-16
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
A plant with high temperature fuel cells (20) for producing electrical power from gaseous or liquid fuel (50) supplied to the plant, comprising:a stack (2) of a plurality of high temperature fuel cells (20), each fuel cell (20) being planar, and disposed about a common axis;a reformer (4) arranged for an endothermic conversion of the fuel at least partially into CO and H.sub.2 in the presence of H.sub.2 O;a supply point (5) for the fuel (50) to one end of the reformer (4) for introducing fuel for the endothermic conversion;each high temperature fuel cell (20) including a path for the endothermically converted fuel to at least partially react exothermically with air to produce electrical power;an afterburner chamber (6) for further burning of the fuel with the air flowing out of the high temperature fuel cells, the afterburner chamber (6) surrounding the stack of high temperature fuel cells (20);a feedback line (61) from the afterburner chamber (6) to the supply point (5);a heat exchanger (7) having heat carrier means (79) placed in the feedback line (61);a first portion of the exhaust gas (60') directly from the afterburner chamber before the heat exchanger is fed to the feedback line (61);a second portion of the exhaust gas directly from the afterburner chamber fed to the heat exchanger to recover heat from said second portion of the exhaust gas directly from the afterburner chamber to give a cooled down exhaust gas, and a first portion of the cooled down exhaust gas (70) discharged after the heat exchanger.