Patent ID: 6331366
Filing Date: 2001-12-18
Classification: C01B,H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
An operating system for a fuel cell power plant that generates electrical energy from a reducing fluid and an oxidant fluid, the system comprising:a. at least one fuel cell means for producing the electrical energy from the reducing and oxidant fluids;b. fuel processing component means including a reformer and a burner for processing a hydrocarbon fuel into the reducing fluid;c. a direct mass and heat transfer device means secured in fluid communication with both a primary oxidant passage that directs the oxidant fluid as a process oxidant stream into the fuel cell means and also with a plant exhaust passage that directs a plant exhaust stream out of the plant for directly transferring mass and heat exiting the plant within the plant exhaust stream back into the plant within the process oxidant stream, wherein the direct mass and heat transfer device means includes a transfer medium means for sorbing a fluid substance consisting of polar molecules within the plant exhaust stream and for desorbing the fluid substance consisting of polar molecules into the process oxidant stream, and a separator housing means for supporting the transfer medium means in mass transfer relationship with the plant exhaust stream leaving the plant and process oxidant stream entering the fuel cell so that both streams contact the mass transfer medium means, and for preventing bulk mixing of the Plant exhaust and process oxidant streams; and,d. a split oxidant passage that directs the process oxidant stream into and through the fuel cell means and directs a reformer feed portion of the process oxidant stream through at least one reformer feed branch of the split oxidant passage to the fuel processing component means, and directs an exhaust portion of the process oxidant stream through an exhaust branch of the split oxidant passage into the plant exhaust passage.