Patent ID: 7704618

Claim:
A method of operating a solid oxide fuel cell system having a plurality of solid oxide fuel cell stacks, comprising: providing a hydrocarbon fuel and water vapor into a reformer; reforming the hydrocarbon fuel in the reformer to form a hydrogen containing reaction product; providing the reaction product into a solid oxide fuel cell stack during steady state operation of the stack; and heating the reformer during steady state operation of the stack using a stack cathode exhaust, a combustor which is thermally integrated with the reformer and at least one of radiative and convective heat generated by the stack; wherein: at least one wall of the reformer facing at least one of the plurality of the solid oxide fuel cell stacks is adapted to be heated by cathode exhaust of the stacks; the reformer surrounds the combustor conduit; the plurality of solid oxide fuel cell stacks surround the reformer, such that the reformer is sandwiched between the combustor conduit and the plurality of the solid oxide fuel cell stacks; and the at least one wall of the reformer in combination with the stacks form a cathode exhaust conduit of the stacks.