Patent ID: 8062803
Filing Date: 2011-11-22
Classification: F23C,H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A method of producing electricity, comprising: electrochemically reacting an oxidant and a fuel across fuel cell stacks, thereby establishing a temperature profile along said fuel cell stacks, the temperature profile comprising a decreasing temperature gradient from a stack fuel entrance to a stack fuel exit; and catalytically combusting surplus reactants of said reaction to create a heat generation profile with a temperature gradient that is opposite the temperature gradient of the temperature profile along the stacks to normalize said temperature profile; wherein the catalytic combusting is within a catalytic combustor disposed between the fuel cell stacks, and the heat generation profile within the catalytic combustor comprises an increasing temperature gradient from an area in the catalytic combustor adjacent to the stack fuel entrance to an area in the catalytic combustor adjacent to the stack fuel exit.