Patent ID: 8691462

Claim:
A fuel cell system, comprising: a fuel cell stack; an anode recuperator heat exchanger which is adapted to heat an anode feed stream using heat from an uncombusted fuel cell stack anode exhaust stream; a cathode recuperator heat exchanger which is adapted to heat an air inlet stream using heat from a fuel cell stack cathode exhaust stream; and an air preheater heat exchanger which is adapted to heat the air inlet stream using heat from the uncombusted fuel cell stack anode exhaust stream, wherein the air preheater heat exchanger is located upstream of the cathode recuperator heat exchanger with respect to the air inlet stream, wherein the anode recuperator heat exchanger is located upstream of the air preheater heat exchanger with respect to the uncombusted fuel cell anode exhaust stream, and wherein: the cathode recuperator heat exchanger is adapted to provide the cathode exhaust stream exiting the cathode recuperator heat exchanger at a temperature of at least 200° C.; the fuel cell stack, the anode recuperator heat exchanger and the cathode recuperator heat exchanger are located inside a hot box; and the air preheater heat exchanger and an air blower which provides the air inlet stream are located outside the hot box.