Patent ID: 8850826

Claim:
A power generation system comprising: a carbon production apparatus in the form of an Electric Reaction Technology system having electric resistance heaters to decompose a hydrocarbon gas to hydrogen gas and carbon solids in an oxygen-free and oxidant-free environment, and without net production of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; a separator separating a combined flow of the hydrogen gas and carbon solids from the Electric Reaction Technology system into a hydrogen qas stream and a carbon solids stream; a direct carbon fuel cell to generate electricity and a carbon dioxide gas stream; the separator functionally connected to the direct carbon fuel cell to provide the carbon solids stream to the direct carbon fuel cell to generate electricity; wherein the power generation system is configured to power the Electric Reaction Technology system with a portion of the electricity generated from the direct carbon fuel cell; a gas turbine system having a combustor; and a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the separator, the direct carbon fuel cell, and the combustor to heat the hydrogen gas stream using the carbon dioxide gas stream, wherein the power generation system is configured so the heated hydrogen gas stream from the heat exchanger is input as fuel to the combustor.