Patent ID: 8748052

Claim:
A heat and electricity storage system comprising a reversible solid oxide fuel cell having a first electrode and a second electrode separated by an ionically conducting electrolyte, at least two chambers adapted to hold reactant and/or a reaction product, and a heat regulator containing a heating element to provide heat and a cooling circuit to circulate heat, wherein the system is substantially closed such that the fuel cell is configured to generate heat as a product of the reaction in response to an initial provision of heat and steam, and the system is configured to operate without active supply of fresh reactants or removal of reaction products from the system such that the cooling circuit of the heating regulator is configured to circulate the heat generated as a product of the reaction by the fuel cell in order to provide a portion of the heat (i) to the solid oxide fuel cell to facilitate achievement and maintenance of an optimum operating temperature and (ii) to maintain water within the heat and electricity storage system in a gaseous state.