Patent ID: 7160343

Claim:
A fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack and a carbon monoxide clean-up system in communication with the fuel cell stack, said carbon monoxide clean-up system comprising: a cooled first water gas shift reactor having a first water gas shift catalyst; a first hydride heat exchanger having a first metal hydride disposed therein, wherein said first hydride heat exchanger is in communication with said first water gas shift reactor, and wherein said first hydride heat exchanger is disposed such that a reactant stream may pass through said first water gas shift reactor prior to passing through said first heat exchanger; and a second water gas shift reactor having a second water gas shift catalyst, wherein said second water gas shift reactor is in communication with said first heat exchanger, and wherein said second water gas shift reactor is disposed such that said reactant stream may pass through said second water gas shift reactor after passing through said first heat exchanger, wherein the carbon monoxide clean-up system is disposed such that said reactant stream passes through and exits the carbon monoxide clean-up system and passes through said fuel cell stack without passing through partial oxidation or methanation units, and is configured such that said reactant stream passes through said first hydride heat exchanger after passing through said second water gas shift reactor.