Patent ID: 8124289

Claim:
A multistage combustor configured for starting a fuel cell system, said fuel cell system including a first component and a second component, comprising: a partial oxidation (POX) burner having an inlet for receiving a flow of a fuel/oxidant mixture, said POX burner being configured to partially oxidize a fuel in said fuel/oxidant mixture to yield a partially oxidized gas; a first output coupled to said fuel cell system and configured to provide a first amount of said partially oxidized gas as a first output gas from said multistage combustor to said first component; a second burner coupled to said POX burner, said second burner being configured to receive a second amount of said partially oxidized gas from said POX burner and to oxidize at least some of a remaining fuel in said second amount of said partially oxidized gas to yield a second output gas from said multistage combustor different from said first output gas; and a second output coupled to said second fuel cell system component and configured to provide said second output gas to said second fuel cell system component.