Patent ID: 6896988

Claim:
A hybrid fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell having an anode section and a cathode section; a heat engine having a compressor cycle and an expansion cycle, said compressor cycle compressing oxidant supply gas; a heat recovery unit responsive to exhaust gas from the cathode section of said fuel cell, said heat recovery unit supplying heat to said compressed oxidant supply gas; the heated compressed oxidant supply gas being expanded in the expansion cycle of said heat engine to provide an expanded oxidant supply gas and produce mechanical energy for conversion to electrical energy in a generator; a bypass assembly for segmenting said expanded oxidant supply gas into a first expanded oxidant supply gas portion and a second expanded oxidant supply gas portion; and said first expanded oxidant supply gas portion being used to provide the oxidant supply gas input to the cathode section of said fuel cell and the second expanded oxidant supply gas portion being excluded from said fuel cell.