Patent · US Expired

Power generation plant including fuel cell

US5248567A · kind A · utility

65Cited by
3References
26Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 23, 1992
Grant dateSep 28, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 23, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P20/10
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A fuel cell power plant comprised of a fuel cell main unit to which a fuel is supplied, a containment vessel for housing the fuel cell main unit; a purge gas supply pipe for introducing a purge gas which excludes combustion elements in the containment vessel; and a combustion element removal apparatus which is provided with the purge gas supply pipe and which effectively removes combustion elements in the purge gas before the purge gas is introduced in the containment vessel. The fuel call power plant may include a fuel reformer having at least a reforming space, and may use a reformed fuel gas or a used fuel gas as the purge gas from which the combustion elements are removed. The fuel reformer may include a burner for a reforming reaction, and in this case, the power plant may use a burner exhaust gas as the purge gas from which the combustion elements are removed. The combustion elements mainly include oxygen and reactive carbon which are removed from the purge gas before being supplied to the containment vessel.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.