Methods, microbial fuel cells and microbial consortia for generating electrical current are provided according to the present invention which include providing a microbial consortium to an anode chamber of a microbial fuel cell, wherein the microbial consortium includes: 1) an engineered methanogen that contains a heterologous nucleic acid sequence encoding methyl-coenzyme M reductase derived from an anaerobic methane oxidizer, 2) an exoelectrogen microbe that produces electrically-conductive appendages and/or one or more types of electron carrier, and 3) a sludge, methane-acclimated sludge, a sludge isolate component, a methane-acclimated sludge isolate component chosen from Paracoccus spp., Geotoga spp., Geobacter spp., Methanosarcina spp., Garciella spp., humic acids; or a combination of any two or more thereof.

The present disclosure provides a fuel cell, comprising: an anode; a cathode; and a membrane electrode assembly disposed between the anode and the cathode. The anode may comprise a gas diffusion layer with one or more channels for directing a source material through the gas diffusion layer of the anode to facilitate processing of the source material to generate an electrical current. The one or more channels may comprise one or more features configured to enhance a diffusion of the source material through the gas diffusion layer of the anode. The source material may comprise hydrogen and nitrogen.

The present invention discloses a desulfurization unit, a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system and a vehicle, the desulfurization unit comprises a container for holding a desulfurizing agent, wherein the container comprises: an inner wall and an outer wall, a water cavity is formed between the inner wall and the outer wall, a water inlet and a water outlet in communication with the water cavity are arranged on the outer wall, the top of the container is provided with a gas outlet and the bottom of the container is provided with a gas inlet; and a double threaded bush arranged at the gas outlet, wherein the double threaded bush comprises an inner bush and an outer bush that adopt threaded connection, the outer wall of the outer bush is connected to the hole wall of the gas outlet in a threaded manner, and the inner wall of the inner bush is connected to an adapter in a threaded manner. The structural design of the desulfurization unit of the SOFC system can effectively solve the problem of slow temperature rise of the desulfurizing agent in the desulfurization unit of the SOFC system.

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell configured to generate electricity by receiving a working gas, a combustor configured to combust an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell, a heat exchange device configured to supply the working gas to the fuel cell, and perform heat exchange with a discharged gas from the combustor, and a manifold disposed between the fuel cell and the combustor, and between the fuel cell and the heat exchange device. The manifold includes an off-gas flow path along which the off-gas discharged from the fuel cell is guided to the combustor and a discharged gas flow path along which the discharged gas discharged from the combustor is guided to the heat exchange device.

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell configured to generate electricity by receiving a working gas, a combustor configured to combust an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell, a heat exchange device configured to supply the working gas to the fuel cell, and perform heat exchange with a discharged gas from the combustor, and a manifold disposed between the fuel cell and the combustor, and between the fuel cell and the heat exchange device. The manifold includes an off-gas flow path along which the off-gas discharged from the fuel cell is guided to the combustor and a discharged gas flow path along which the discharged gas discharged from the combustor is guided to the heat exchange device.

The present invention is concerned with improved swirl burners, particularly, but not limited to, swirl burners used in fuel cell systems.

An ejector receives steam at a primary inlet and natural gas at a secondary inlet. A computer responds to a signal indicating current in the load of a fuel cell as well as a signal indicating temperature of a steam reformer to move a linear actuator to control a needle that adjusts the size of the steam orifice. Reformate is fed to a separator scrubber which cools the reformate to its dew point indicated by a sensor. From that, a controller generates the fuel/carbon ratio for display and to bias a signal on a line regulating the amount of steam passing through an ejector to the inlet of the reformer. Alternatively, the reformate may be cooled to its dew point by a controllable heat exchanger in response to pressure and temperature signals.

A power production system includes a flue gas generator configured to generate a flue gas that includes carbon dioxide and oxygen; a fuel supply; a fuel cell assembly that includes: a cathode section configured to receive the flue gas generated by the flue gas generator, and output cathode exhaust, and an anode section configured to receive fuel from the fuel supply, and output anode exhaust that contains hydrogen and carbon dioxide; a methanator configured to receive the anode exhaust, convert at least a portion of the hydrogen in the anode exhaust to methane, and output methanated anode exhaust; a chiller assembly configured to cool the methanated anode exhaust to a predetermined temperature so as to liquefy carbon dioxide in the methanated anode exhaust; and a gas separation assembly configured to receive the cooled methanated anode exhaust and separate the liquefied carbon dioxide from residual fuel gas.

A high efficiency hydrogen fuel system for an aircraft at high altitude which utilizes compressors to compress air to a sufficiently high pressure for the fuel cell. Liquid hydrogen is compressed and then utilized in heat exchangers to cool the compressed air, maintaining the air at a temperature low enough for the fuel cell. The hydrogen is also used to cool the fuel cell as it is also depressurized prior to its entry in the fuel cell cycle. A water condensation system allows for water removal from the airstream to reduce impacts to the atmosphere. The hydrogen fuel system may be used with VTOL aircraft, which may allow them to fly at higher elevations. The hydrogen fuel system may be used with other subsonic and supersonic aircraft, such as with asymmetric wing aircraft.

A method for operating a fuel cell system is provided. The method includes controlling a provision of fuel to the fuel cell system operating in a steady-state mode. The catalyst sensor is operated by providing a portion of the fuel and anode exhaust generated by the system to the catalyst sensor. Further, a change in an outlet temperature of the catalyst sensor is detected. Thereafter, it is determined whether a reformation catalyst of the catalyst sensor is poisoned by contaminants in the fuel based on the detected change in the outlet temperature.