Power generation systems and methods using solid oxide fuel cell(s) (SOFC) are provided. For example, a power generation system can include a catalytic partial oxidation (CPOx) reactor, an array of one or more fuel cell stacks, and a self-diagnostic system. The CPOx reactor is operable to generate a hydrogen rich gas from a hydrocarbon fuel. The array of one or more fuel cell stacks includes at least one SOFC and is coupled to the CPOx reactor. The fuel cell stacks are operable to generate electrical power and heat from an electrochemical reaction of the hydrogen rich gas and oxygen from an oxygen source. This power generation system can be composed of off-the-shelf parts and components, making this unit inexpensive to manufacture, operate and to maintain as well as easier to operate.

A method of integrating a fuel cell with a steam methane reformer is provided. The system includes at least one fuel cell including an anode and a cathode, and a steam methane reformer including a syngas stream, and a flue gas stream. The method includes introducing at least a portion of the flue gas stream to the cathode, thereby producing a CO2 depleted flue gas stream and introducing a hydrocarbon containing stream to the anode, thereby producing an electrical energy output and a carbon dioxide and hydrogen containing stream from the fuel cell.

A fluidized catalytic cracking unit system includes a fluidized catalytic cracking unit assembly comprising a cracking unit; a reformer-electrolyzer-purifier assembly comprising a reformer-electrolyzer-purifier cell, the reformer-electrolyzer-purifier cell comprising an anode section and a cathode section; and a carbon capture assembly. The anode section of the reformer-electrolyzer-purifier assembly is configured to receive an input stream comprising hydrocarbon gases and water. The cathode section of the reformer-electrolyzer-purifier assembly is configured to produce a cathode exhaust stream comprising oxygen and carbon dioxide. The fluidized catalytic cracking unit assembly is configured to receive the cathode exhaust stream and to produce a flue gas comprising carbon dioxide, water, and less than 5 mole % oxygen. The carbon capture assembly is configured to receive the flue gas from the fluidized catalytic cracking unit assembly, to separate the carbon dioxide contained in the flue gas, and to produce a gas stream that comprises at least 90 mole % carbon dioxide.

An energy storage system includes: a reformer configured to receive natural gas and steam and to output reformed natural gas; a combustion turbine configured to output heated sweep gas; and a molten carbonate electrolyzer cell (“MCEC”) including: an MCEC anode, and an MCEC cathode configured to receive the heated sweep gas from the combustion turbine. The energy storage system is configured such that: when no excess power is available, the combustion turbine receives the reformed natural gas from the reformer, and when excess power is available, the MCEC operates in a hydrogen-generation mode in which the MCEC anode receives the reformed natural gas from the reformer, and outputs MCEC anode exhaust that contains hydrogen.

An energy storage system includes: a combustion turbine configured to output heated sweep gas; a reformer configured to receive natural gas and steam and to output reformed natural gas; a molten carbonate electrolyzer cell (“MCEC”) comprising an MCEC anode and an MCEC cathode, wherein the MCEC is configured to operate in a hydrogen-generation mode in which: the MCEC anode receives the reformed natural gas from the reformer, and outputs MCEC anode exhaust that contains hydrogen, and the MCEC cathode is configured to receive heated sweep gas from the combustion turbine, and to output MCEC cathode exhaust; and a storage tank configured to receive the MCEC anode exhaust that contains hydrogen.

A method of operating a solid oxide cell system comprises generating an electrochemical conversion from one of: (i) water steam H.sub.2O(g); and (ii) a mixture comprising water steam H.sub.2O(g) and carbon dioxide CO.sub.2. A quantity of at least one other substance is added into the one of the water steam H.sub.2O(g) and the mixture comprising water steam H.sub.2O(g) and carbon dioxide CO.sub.2. The at least one other substance comprises a hydrocarbon C.sub.mH.sub.n. The quantity of the at least one other substance is converted into a syngas CO+H.sub.2. An endothermic reforming of the mixed-in hydrocarbons occurs by coupling-in waste heat from the electrochemical conversion. The additional quantity of the at least one substance is added compensate for effects of a degradation of the solid oxide cells of the solid oxide cell system. A total quantity of the hydrogen H.sub.2 generated by the solid oxide cell system is kept constant.

A fuel cell system comprising at least one fuel cell arranged for a reformation of a hydrocarbon and a hydrocarbon generation unit connected to an anode outlet of the fuel cell for generating the hydrocarbon from carbon monoxide and hydrogen included in a partially unconverted exhaust stream of the anode outlet of the fuel cell, where the fuel cell is thermally decoupled from the hydrocarbon generation unit so that the exothermal hydrocarbon generation reaction and the endothermal reformation reaction proceed without one reaction thermally interfering the other.

Electrochemical cells for the production of hydrogen from liquid fuels and methods of operating the cells to produce hydrogen and electricity are provided. The electrochemical cells are solid state cells that incorporate a thermochemical conversion catalyst and a hydrogen oxidation catalyst into the anode and utilize solid acid electrolytes. This cell design integrates thermally driven chemical conversion of a starting fuel with electrochemical removal of hydrogen from the conversion reaction zone.

A method of integrating a fuel cell with a steam methane reformer is provided. The system includes at least one fuel cell including an anode and a cathode, and a steam methane reformer including a syngas stream, and a flue gas stream. The method includes introducing at least a portion of the flue gas stream to the cathode, thereby producing a CO2 depleted flue gas stream and introducing a hydrocarbon containing stream to the anode, thereby producing an electrical energy output and a carbon dioxide and hydrogen containing stream from the fuel cell.

A steam methane reformer-integrated fuel cell system includes: at least one fuel cell including: an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte matrix separating the anode and the cathode; an anode gas oxidizer (AGO) configured to receive anode exhaust gas from the at least one fuel cell and a preheated air stream such that the anode exhaust gas reacts with the preheated air stream to produce a high-temperature exhaust stream, and configured to provide the high-temperature exhaust stream to the cathode of the at least one fuel cell; and a steam methane reformer configured to utilize heat from the high-temperature exhaust stream output from the AGO and to react methane with steam to produce a first product stream including hydrogen (H.sub.2), carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2), and carbon monoxide (CO).