Patent ID: 6492050
Filing Date: 2002-12-10
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
Apparatus for generating electrical power comprising:a plurality of tubular open ended solid oxide fuel cells in a reaction chamber, each said cell having an inwardly facing reaction surface and an outwardly facing reaction surface, and electrodes associated with each said surface, and having one end of the said cell mounted in a manifold block, a first gases inlet path to supply first gases to said reaction chamber, said first gases to pass along the outside of said fuel cells, a second gases inlet path to supply a second gases to the mounted ends of said fuel cells to pass into the mounted said open end and along the inside of said fuel cells, an exhaust gases outlet path from said reaction chamber adjacent the other said open ends of said fuel cells away from said manifold block, for carrying exhaust gases to an exhaust outlet and for combusting unreacted gases with one another, and power collection means which connect to said electrodes on the insides and outsides of said fuel cells; one of said first and second gases being reformable fuel gases and the other being oxidizing gases, said gases paths thereby each for carrying one of reformable gases and oxidizing gases in accordance with the arrangement of the reaction surfaces of said fuel cells, said reformable gases carrying path including a reformation catalyst therein and being arranged in heat transfer relation with said exhaust gases path and said reaction chamber such that in steady state operation the gases therein are raised to a temperature at said catalyst at which reformation occurs, and said oxidizing gases carrying path is arranged in heat transfer relation with said exhaust gases path and said reaction chamber such that in steady state operation the gases therein are raised to a reaction temperature at said fuel cells at which said fuel cells operate.