Patent ID: 7008707

Claim:
A process comprising: providing a fuel cell system including a fuel reforming processor having a catalyst therein constructed and arranged to produce a reformate stream including hydrogen and carbon monoxide, a water gas shift reactor downstream of the fuel reforming processor and wherein the water gas shift reactor includes a catalyst therein constructed and arranged to reduce the amount of carbon monoxide in the reformate stream, a preferential oxidation reactor downstream of the water gas shift reactor and wherein the preferential oxidation reactor includes a catalyst therein constructed and arranged to preferentially oxidize carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and to produce a hydrogen-rich stream, and a fuel cell stack downstream of the preferential oxidation reactor constructed and arranged to produce electricity from the hydrogen-rich stream, a first direct water vaporizing combustor constructed and arranged to combust fuel producing a first high-temperature fuel combustion byproduct exhaust and producing steam from water sprayed into the combustion byproduct exhaust and wherein the first direct water vaporizing combustor is plumbed to the fuel reforming reactor to charge steam therein, and a second direct water vaporizing combustor constructed and arranged to combust a fuel to produce a second high-temperature fuel combustion byproduct exhaust and producing steam from water sprayed into the fuel combustion byproduct exhaust and wherein the second direct water vaporizing combustor is plumbed to the water gas shift reactor to charge steam therein; flowing air into the first direct water vaporizing combustor and onward into the fuel reforming reactor; flowing air into the second direct water vaporizing combustor; delivering combustible fuel into the first and second direct water vaporizing combustors and igniting the combustible fuel and air in each combustor to produce the first and second high-temperature fuel combustion byproduct exhaust in each combustor; spraying water into each of the first and second high-temperature fuel combustion byproduct exhaust to produce a combustor effluent stream from each combustor including fuel combustion byproducts and steam, and charging the fuel reforming reactor with the first combustor effluent stream and charging the water gas shift reactor with the second combustor effluent stream; charging the fuel reforming processor with a hydrogen-rich stream; delivering air to the preferential oxidation reactor and to the fuel cell stack; determining when the catalysts in the fuel reforming reactor, water gas shift reactor and preferential oxidation reactor are above their respective light off temperatures, and after the catalysts have reached the respective light off temperatures, then turning off the hydrogen-rich stream being charged to the fuel reforming reactor and delivering a reformable fuel to the fuel reforming reactor; and drawing current from the fuel cell stack when available.