Patent ID: 8623533

Claim:
A system for heating a high temperature fuel cell, the system comprising: a high temperature fuel cell for generating power to an external load, wherein the high temperature fuel cell is coupled to a fuel source and an oxygen source; and an electrical heater adjacent to the high temperature fuel cell; wherein the system is programmed to utilize a hibernation mode and an operation mode, whereby in the hibernation mode the high temperature fuel cell is programmed to not generate power and shutoff the fuel source and the oxygen source, and whereby in the operation mode the high temperature fuel cell is programmed to generate power with a fuel and an oxygen flow from the fuel source and the oxygen source; and wherein during the hibernation mode the system is further programmed to draw power from an alternate power source to power the electric heater and provide heat to the fuel cell during the hibernation mode in order to maintain the temperature of the high temperature fuel cell proximate to an operation mode temperature of the fuel cell.