Patent ID: 8221928

Claim:
A preheating arrangement in a fuel cell apparatus, the fuel cell apparatus comprising at least a fuel cell unit, the fuel cells of which comprise an anode side and a cathode side with an electrolyte therebetween, the fuel cell apparatus comprising a fuel inlet on the anode side and an oxygen-containing air inlet on the cathode side as well as a sulphur removal unit, a fuel modifying unit and a burner for combusting exhaust gases from the anode and cathode side, the afterburner being provided with a separate fuel inlet channel for introducing fuel to the afterburner during the start-up phase of the fuel cell apparatus, the arrangement comprising: a channel from the afterburner to the sulphur removal unit for directing exhaust gas from the afterburner to the sulphur removal unit and an outlet channel for removing exhaust gas from the sulphur removal unit, and a channel from the afterburner to the modifying unit for directing exhaust gas from the afterburner to the modifying unit and an outlet channel for removing exhaust gas from the modifying unit, wherein the outlet channel of the sulphur removal unit is provided with an adjustment means for adjusting the exhaust gas flow rate and with a heat exchanger between the adjustment means and the sulphur removal unit, and the outlet channel of the modifying unit is provided with an adjustment means for adjusting the exhaust gas flow rate and the outlet channel is provided with a heat exchanger between the adjustment means and the modifying unit.