US 7,320,836 B2
Integral air preheater and start-up heating means for solid oxide fuel cell power generators
Robert Draper, Pittsburgh, Pa. (US); Michael P. Jaszcar, Murrysville, Pa. (US); Paolo R. Zafred, Murrysville, Pa. (US); James E. Gillett, Greensburg, Pa. (US); and Matthew Riggle, Ford City, Pa. (US)
Assigned to Siemens Power Generation, Inc., Orlando, Fla. (US)
Filed on Dec. 05, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/729,198.
Prior Publication US 2005/0123808 A1, Jun. 09, 2005
Int. Cl. H01M 8/00 (2006.01); H01M 8/04 (2006.01); H01M 8/10 (2006.01); H01M 2/00 (2006.01); H01M 2/14 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 429—13  [429/17; 429/26; 429/31; 429/34; 429/38] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
15. A method of operating a high temperature solid oxide electrolyte fuel cell generator which reacts feed fuel and feed oxidant at interior fuel cell surfaces comprising:
1.) feeding oxidant into at least one separate interior heat transfer zone within the fuel cell generator through oxidant feed tubes, where said zone contains oxidant feed tubes therethrough which pass to fuel cells, and where there is an annular space around the oxidant feed tubes within said zone;
2.) contacting the oxidant feed tubes within the at least one separate interior heat transfer zone with exhaust spent fuel and spent oxidant products from a separate combustion chamber disposed above the fuel cells and below the separate interior heat transfer zone, which spent products pass through the annular space around the oxidant feed tubes to a separate exhaust chamber above the interior heat transfer zone; and then
3.) exhausting cooled exhaust from the fuel cell generator.