A fuel cell system including: a first fuel cell performing power generation using a fuel gas; a separation membrane separating at least one of carbon dioxide or water vapor from an anode off gas discharged from the first fuel cell; a second fuel cell disposed in the downstream of the separation membrane and performing power generation using the anode off gas, the anode off gas having at least one of carbon dioxide or water vapor separated therefrom; and a distribution channel disposed on a permeation side of the separation membrane and distributing any of the following: a raw material gas serving as the fuel gas to be reformed and used for the power generation of the first fuel cell, a cathode gas including oxygen to be used for the power generation of the first fuel cell, an anode off gas discharged from the second fuel cell, a cathode off gas discharged from the first fuel cell and to be supplied to the second fuel cell, or a cathode off gas discharged from the second fuel cell, in which at least one of permeability coefficient ratio α1 of the separation membrane or permeability coefficient ratio α2 of the separation membrane is 30 or higher.

Disclosed is a carbon dioxide utilization system capable of recharging and undergoing reactions. The system includes a cathode unit provided with a first aqueous solution accommodated in a first accommodation space, and a cathode at least a part of which is submerged in the first aqueous solution; an anode unit provided with an alkaline second aqueous solution accommodated in a second accommodation space, and a metal anode at least a part of which is submerged in the second aqueous solution; and a connection unit provided with a connection channel connecting the first and second accommodation spaces in open communication, and a porous ion transfer member, disposed in the connection channel, for blocking the movement of the first and second aqueous solutions but allowing the movement of ions.

Disclosed is a carbon dioxide utilization system capable of recharging and undergoing reactions. The system includes a cathode unit provided with a first aqueous solution accommodated in a first accommodation space, and a cathode at least a part of which is submerged in the first aqueous solution; an anode unit provided with an alkaline second aqueous solution accommodated in a second accommodation space, and a metal anode at least a part of which is submerged in the second aqueous solution; and a connection unit provided with a connection channel connecting the first and second accommodation spaces in open communication, and a porous ion transfer member, disposed in the connection channel, for blocking the movement of the first and second aqueous solutions but allowing the movement of ions.

A controller according to an embodiment controls a hydrogen system including at least a hydrogen production system in which received power is planned in advance and a hydrogen production amount changes in accordance with the received power. The controller includes: a processor that calculates, in a preparation time period before a demand adjustment time period in which a target value of the received power is set in advance, a control command value such that input power to be inputted as the received power to the hydrogen production system matches the target value at a start of the demand adjustment time period; and a command controller that outputs the control command value calculated by the processor to the hydrogen production system.

A fuel cell system comprising (i) at least one fuel cell stack (30) comprising at least one intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell, and having an anode inlet (41) and a cathode inlet (61) and (ii) a reformer (70) for reforming a hydrocarbon fuel to a reformate, and a reformer heat exchanger (160); and defining: an anode inlet gas fluid flow path from a fuel source (90) to said reformer (70) to said fuel cell stack anode inlet (41); a cathode inlet gas fluid flow path from an oxidant inlet (140, 140′, 140″) through at least one cathode inlet gas heat exchanger (110, 150) to said reformer heat exchanger (160) to said fuel cell stack cathode inlet (61); wherein said at least one cathode inlet gas heat exchanger (110, 150) is arranged to heat relatively low temperature cathode inlet gas by transfer of heat from at least one of (i) an anode off-gas fluid flow path and (ii) a cathode off-gas fluid flow path; wherein said reformer heat exchanger is arranged for heating said anode inlet gas from said relatively high temperature cathode inlet gas to a temperature T.sub.3 at the anode inlet that is below a temperature T.sub.1 at the cathode inlet; and wherein oxidant flow control means (200) for controlled mixing of low temperature oxidant from the or each oxidant inlet (140, 140′, 140″) with high temperature cathode inlet gas to control a temperature T.sub.1 at the cathode inlet (61) relative to a temperature T.sub.3 at the anode inlet (41) and at a level higher than T.sub.3.

A method for generating electric current comprises the method steps of providing an organic compound having at least one ether function, reacting the organic compound with water in a reaction chamber having an acidic environment to form an enriched hydrogen carrier medium, converting the enriched hydrogen carrier medium into electricity to form a depleted hydrogen carrier medium in a fuel cell, obtaining water, and providing electric current generated during said conversion into electricity.

A method for generating electric current comprises the method steps of providing an organic compound having at least one ether function, reacting the organic compound with water in a reaction chamber having an acidic environment to form an enriched hydrogen carrier medium, converting the enriched hydrogen carrier medium into electricity to form a depleted hydrogen carrier medium in a fuel cell, obtaining water, and providing electric current generated during said conversion into electricity.

A method of maintaining a thermal balance in a solid oxide reversible fuel cell system comprising a solid oxide reversible fuel cell, an air intake for providing air to the solid oxide reversible fuel cell, and a steam reformer fluidly coupled to the solid oxide fuel cell for providing fuel to the solid oxide reversible fuel cell. The method comprising operating the solid oxide reversible fuel cell system in a forward mode in which the steam former receives natural gas and produces hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide to be provided to the solid oxide reversible fuel cell, and operating the solid oxide reversible fuel cell system in a reverse mode in which the steam reformer receives hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide from the solid oxide reversible fuel cell and produces natural gas and water.

A fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack comprising at least one fuel cell and having an anode inlet, a cathode inlet, an anode off-gas outlet, a cathode off-gas outlet, and defining separate flow paths for flow of anode inlet gas, cathode inlet gas, anode off-gas and cathode off-gas. The fuel cell system further comprises a reformer for reforming a fuel to a reformate, the reformer comprising a reformer inlet for anode inlet gas, a reformer outlet for exhausting anode inlet gas, and a reformer heat exchanger. There is also provided a a pre-heater for heating cathode inlet gas, the cathode inlet gas pre-heater comprising a pre-heater inlet for cathode inlet gas, a pre-heater outlet for exhausting cathode inlet gas, and a pre-heater heat exchanger, and a heat source for providing heat source gas.

The present invention is a method for producing electricity comprising a fuel cell which makes it possible to valorize the heat given off by the cell to generate fuel for said fuel cell by a process of thermal dissociation, applied to the product of the same chemical composition than that produced by the cell, at least part of the heat given off by the cell being supplied to at least one of the endothermic reactions of said dissociation process.