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.

An ammonia fuel cell system and an electric device are described. The ammonia fuel cell system includes an ammonia decomposition reaction device, a heating device, a hydrogen fuel cell, a DC/DC converter and an inverter connected successively, a battery pack and a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger of the system, can preheat ammonia gas by energy generated by ammonia decomposition, thereby recycling heat waste. The battery pack supports a quick response and stable output to quickly cope with the acceleration and deceleration of the electric device. This improves the stability of the system operation, and electric energy generated by the hydrogen fuel cell or electric energy in the battery pack can be transferred to the outside. The battery pack or the heating device can provide energy to the ammonia decomposition reaction device, so there is no need to supply outside energy to the ammonia decomposition reaction device.

Provided is a fuel cell system capable of further increasing electric power generation efficiency, compared to the current circumstances, with respect to a fuel cell SOFC that generates electric power by supplying a reformed gas obtained by steam reforming to a fuel electrode. A steam reformer that reforms a hydrocarbon fuel by a steam reforming reaction; a fuel cell that operates by introducing a reformed gas to a fuel electrode; and an anode off-gas circulation path that removes condensed water while cooling an anode off-gas, and introduces the anode off-gas to the steam reformer are provided. A condensation temperature in a condensing device is controlled by a control unit that controls a steam partial pressure of the anode off-gas circulated to the steam reformer, and S/C adjustment is adapted to high-efficiency electric power generation.

Provided is a method of controlling a fuel cell system having a fuel cell stack, a reformer configured to reform a raw fuel and supply the reformed raw fuel to the fuel cell stack, a fuel flow rate control unit configured to control a flow rate of the raw fuel supplied to the reformer, an air supply pipe configured to supply oxygen to the raw fuel, and a combustor configured to mix a cathode discharged gas and an anode discharged gas discharged from the fuel cell stack and combust the mixed gas. The method of controlling the fuel cell system includes detecting at least one of a current value generated from the fuel cell stack and an oxygen supply amount supplied from the air supply pipe; estimating a composition of the anode discharged gas on the basis of at least one of the current value and the oxygen supply amount; and controlling a temperature of the combustor by adjusting the flow rate of the raw fuel using the fuel flow rate control unit on the basis of the estimated composition of the anode discharged gas.

An electrochemical element including a plate-like support provided with an internal passage therein. The plate-like support includes a gas-permeable portion through which gas is permeable between the internal passage and the outside of the plate-like support and an electrochemical reaction portion that is formed by stacking at least a film-like electrode layer, a film-like electrolyte layer, and a film-like counter electrode layer in the stated order in a predetermined stacking direction on an outer face of the plate-like support so as to entirely or partially cover the gas-permeable portion. A first gas, that is one of reducing component gas and oxidative component gas, flows through the internal passage, and the internal passage is provided with a turbulence forming body that forms a turbulence state of the first gas.

In a fuel cell module, a reformer and an evaporator provided adjacent to each other each extend to surround at least part of outer periphery of an exhaust gas combustion chamber as viewed in the direction of arrangement of the reformer and the evaporator. An auxiliary device case surrounds the outer periphery of the reformer and the evaporator with clearance. Both ends of the evaporator in the extension direction thereof are spaced from each other. The evaporator and the auxiliary device case are connected only by a first connector section at one position. The evaporator and the reformer are connected only by a second connector section at one position. Both ends of the reformer in the extension direction thereof are spaced from each other. The reformer and the auxiliary device case are connected only by a third connector section at one position.

A fuel cell module may include: a cell stack device including a cell stack including an array of a plurality of fuel cells, a manifold which supplies a fuel gas to each of the fuel cells, and a reformer which reforms a raw fuel; an oxygen-containing gas flow channel through which the oxygen-containing gas flows; an oxygen-containing gas introduction plate which supplies the oxygen-containing gas to each of the plurality of fuel cells; a housing including a box body of which one side is opened to provide an opening and a lid (closed plate) which closes the opening; a gas pipe joint, an ignition heater, a thermocouple, etc. which are a plurality of insertion members inserted from an outside of the housing into an accommodation chamber, the respective insertion members being inserted through one surface (lid surface) of the housing.

A fuel cell system 2 is provided with: a contaminated exhaust gas line for supplying a contaminated exhaust gas containing a contaminant discharged from a facility; and a contaminated exhaust gas purification part for purifying the contaminated exhaust gas supplied from the contaminated exhaust gas line by using heat of reaction of a fuel cell.

The present disclosure provides methods for turbine-based energy recovery from exhaust streams in fuel cell systems. The fuel cell systems can include an expansion turbine (200) arranged to capture electrical energy from cathode exhaust streams. The cathode exhaust streams (151a, 151b, 151c) can be flowed through an intercooler (250) to be preheated prior to entering the expansion turbine (200), with heat added by transferring heat from a compressed air flow. The methods can include operating the fuel cell system in a temperature-boost mode that includes reducing fan operation related to a condenser to reduce liquid recapture from an exhaust stream and increase exhaust stream temperature for use in turbine-based energy recovery. The temperature-boost mode can be controlled to limit the operation time based on coolant fluid levels in the fuel cell system.

Aspects of methods and systems to reduce degradation of a fuel cell (110) during start-up and shut-down cycles are disclosed. An anode exhaust stream (201′) is periodically directed via fluid communication through an oxygen capture media (86). After shut-down of the fuel cell and before or during start-up said media (86) removes oxygen in the anode exhaust stream. Periodically, heating the oxygen capture media (86) is employed to purge the oxygen collected and regenerate the media.