Patent ID: 8197975

Claim:
A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell unit; a reformer coaxially arranged directly below the fuel cell unit and comprising a catalyst and heat pipes arranged around the catalyst; a combustor coaxially arranged directly below the reformer and connected to the heat pipes; a first fuel pipe sending first fuel into the reformer so that the first fuel is reformed in the reformer; a first air port sending atmospheric air into the reformer from the atmosphere; an anode pipe sending the reformed fuel into an anode of the fuel cell unit from the catalyst so that chemical reaction of the reformed fuel occurs in the fuel cell unit to provide electricity; a cathode pipe sending the atmospheric air into a cathode of the fuel cell unit from the reformer; a residual reformed fuel pipe sending residual reformed fuel into the combustor from the anode of the fuel cell unit; a heated air pipe sending residual heated air into the combustor from the cathode of the fuel cell unit so that the residual reformed fuel is mixed with the residual heated air and the mixture is combusted in the combustor; a second fuel pipe sending second fuel into the combustor if necessary; a second air port sending more atmospheric air into the combustor if necessary; and an exhaust port expelling exhaust.