Patent ID: 7138197

Claim:
A method of operating a fuel cell power plant comprising a reactor for the production of a reformate supply stream using a reactant stream comprising a reactor oxidant stream and a reactor hydrocarbon fuel stream, wherein said reformate supply stream comprises water; and a fuel cell comprising an anode input for said reformate supply stream, a cathode input for a cathode oxidant supply stream, an anode output for an anode effluent stream, a cathode output for an cathode effluent stream, wherein either or both of said anode effluent stream and said cathode effluent stream comprise water produced by said fuel cell; said method comprising: (a) transferring water from said reformate supply stream to one or both of said reactant streams in a first water transfer device that has a high pressure side and a low pressure side, by transporting said one or both of said reactant streams through said low pressure side, and by transporting said reformate supply stream through said high pressure side; and (b) transferring water from one or both of said effluent streams to one or more of said reactor oxidant stream, said reformate supply stream, and said cathode oxidant supply stream in a second water transfer device that has a high pressure side and a low pressure side, by transporting said one or more of said reactor oxidant stream, said reformate supply stream, and said cathode oxidant supply stream through said low pressure side, and by transporting one or both of said effluent streams through said high pressure side.