Patent ID: 6451465
Filing Date: 2002-09-17
Classification: B01B,B60L,C01B,F23C,F23N,H01M,Y02E,Y02P,Y02T

Abstract:
A method of operating a combustor to heat a fuel processor in a fuel cell system, in which the fuel processor includes a reactor which generates a hydrogen containing stream, a first portion of which is consumed in a fuel cell stack and a second portion of which is discharged from the fuel call stack and supplied to the combustor, and wherein first and second streams are supplied to the combustor, the first stream being a hydrocarbon fuel stream and the second stream consisting of said second portion of said hydrogen containing stream, the method comprising the steps of:monitoring a temperature of the reactor in the fuel processor with a controller; determining a quantity of the first stream in said controller according to said reactor temperature; regulating said quantity of the first stream to the combustor via said controller; and comparing said quantity of the first stream with a predetermined value or range of predetermined values.