Patent ID: 7947401

Claim:
A preheating arrangement in a fuel cell apparatus, the fuel cell apparatus comprising at least a fuel cell unit, the fuel cells of which are solid oxide fuel cells or molten carbonate fuel cells and include an anode side and a cathode side and an electrolyte therebetween, the fuel cell apparatus further comprising at least a fuel inlet to the anode side and an oxygen-containing air inlet to the cathode side and a desulphurization unit, a reformer and an afterburner for combusting the exhaust gases of the anode and/or cathode side, the afterburner being provided with a separate fuel inlet channel for feeding fuel to the afterburner in at least the start-up phase of the fuel cell apparatus, and the arrangement further comprising a first channel leading from the afterburner directly to the desulphurization unit and a second channel leading from the afterburner directly to the reformer for directing at least a portion of the exhaust gases formed in the combustion of the separately fed fuel during the start-up phase of the fuel cell apparatus from the afterburner for heating at least the desulphurization unit and the reformer, wherein the first and second channels are provided with respective regulating valves or the like for adjusting the flow rates of the first and second channels.