Patent ID: 8679700

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a first Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) having a first anode and a first cathode, wherein hydrogen is introduced to the first anode, CO 2 is introduced to the first cathode, CO 2 is finally cracked into CO and H 2 O, main chemical reactions at the first anode comprises: H 2 (g)→H 2 (the first anode)→2H + (the first anode)+2e− and 2H + (the first anode)+O 2− (the first anode)→H 2 O (g), or an overall chemical reaction at the first anode is H 2 (g)+O 2− (the first anode)→H 2 O (g)+2e−; main chemical reactions at the first cathode comprises CO 2 (g)→CO 2 (the first cathode)→CO (the first cathode)+½O 2 (the first cathode), CO (the first cathode)→CO (g) and ½O 2 (the first cathode)+2e−→O 2− (the first cathode); a main chemical reaction in an electrolyte of the first SOFC is oxygen ion conduction: O 2− (the first cathode)→O 2− (the first anode); and an overall chemical reaction in the first SOFC is H 2 (g)+CO 2 (g)→H 2 O (g)+CO(g); and a second SOFC having a second anode and a second cathode, connected in series to the first SOFC, wherein CO generated after CO 2 is cracked in the first SOFC is introduced to the second anode, air is introduced to the second cathode, CO 2 generated after power generation in the second SOFC is introduced into the first cathode, main chemical reactions at the second anode comprise CO (g)→CO (the second anode) and O 2− (the second anode)+CO (the second anode)→CO 2 (the second anode)+2e−; a main chemical reaction at the second cathode is ½O 2 (g)→½O 2 (the second cathode)+2e−→O 2− (the second cathode); a main chemical reaction in an electrolyte of the second SOFC is oxygen ion conduction: O 2− (the second cathode)→O 2− (the second anode); and an overall chemical reaction in the second SOFC is CO (g)+½O 2 (g)→CO 2 (g).