Patent ID: 8394544

Claim:
A method for performing steam methane reforming in a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Power System said method comprising the steps of: introducing fuel into a circulating anode gas downstream from a first SOFC stack; reacting said circulating anode gas adiabatically in an adiabatic steam reformer to form a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane and steam; feeding said circulating mixture as an anode feed into a second SOFC stack to create a reformate gas; converting carbon monoxide in said circulating reformate gas to carbon dioxide; removing said carbon dioxide from said circulating reformate gas; removing water from said circulating reformate gas; and introducing at least a portion of said circulating reformate gas to a third SOFC stack as a circulating anode gas; wherein less that 10% of said circulating anode gas is vented from said system.