Methods and devices and aspects thereof for generating power using PEM fuel cell power systems comprising a rotary bed (or rotatable) reactor for hydrogen generation are disclosed. Hydrogen is generated by the hydrolysis of fuels such as lithium aluminum hydride and mixtures thereof. Water required for hydrolysis may be captured from the fuel cell exhaust. Water is preferably fed to the reactor in the form of a mist generated by an atomizer. An exemplary 750 We-h, 400 We PEM fuel cell power system may be characterized by a specific energy of about 550 We-h/kg and a specific power of about 290 We/kg. Turbidity fixtures within the reactor increase turbidity of fuel pellets within the reactor and improve the energy density of the system.

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 fuel cell system includes a reformer, fuel cell stacks, and an exhaust-gas combustor. The reformer has a tubular shape extending in an axial direction and reforms raw fuel into combustion gas. The fuel cell stacks generate electric power from the fuel gas and oxidant gas. The fuel cell stacks are arranged radially outward of the reformer in a circumferential direction to face the reformer in a radial direction. The exhaust-gas combustor burns fuel gas that is not used and included in exhaust gas from the fuel cell stacks. The exhaust-gas combustor is arranged radially inward of the reformer to face the reformer in the radial direction. Each fuel cell stack includes flat plate type cells stacked in the radial direction. This achieves downsizing of the fuel cell system.

A thermally insulated housing for a heat-producing, heat-radiating device such as an integrated CPOX reformer and SOFC stack includes an assembly of thermal insulation sections that presents an indirect, or tortuous, path that inhibits the flow of IR vectors to the walls of the housing.

A plant includes a fuel supply line for supplying high-pressure fuel gas; and at least one expander disposed in the fuel supply line and configured to extract power from the high-pressure fuel gas by expanding the high-pressure fuel gas.

A method of generating hydrogen gas includes providing a colony of sulfur-reducing bacteria and a colony of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. The colonies can be submerged in a body of water. The colony of sulfur-reducing bacteria can be used to convert at least a portion of sulfates present in the body of water to hydrogen sulfide. The colony of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria can be used to convert the hydrogen sulfide to sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid can react with manganese to produce hydrogen gas and manganese sulfate.

A method of separating oxygen from a body of water includes providing a colony of denitrifying bacteria submerged in the body of water. The colony of denitrifying bacteria can be used to convert at least a portion of nitrogen oxides present in the body of water to nitrogen gas. The method can also include collecting the nitrogen gas and bubbling the nitrogen gas through a portion of water from the body of water to remove dissolved oxygen from the portion of water. This can form a mixture of the nitrogen gas and oxygen gas.

A fuel cell system including power modules including fuel cells, and an exhaust flue connected to the power modules. The exhaust flue includes an outer duct configured to receive relatively cool cabinet exhaust from the power modules, and an inner duct disposed inside of the outer duct and configured to receive relatively hot reaction exhaust from the power modules.

Methods and devices and aspects thereof for generating power using PEM fuel cell power systems comprising a rotary bed (or rotatable) reactor for hydrogen generation are disclosed. Hydrogen is generated by the hydrolysis of fuels such as lithium aluminum hydride and mixtures thereof. Water required for hydrolysis may be captured from the fuel cell exhaust. Water is preferably fed to the reactor in the form of a mist generated by an atomizer. An exemplary 750 We-h, 400 We PEM fuel cell power system may be characterized by a specific energy of about 550 We-h/kg and a specific power of about 290 We/kg. Turbidity fixtures within the reactor increase turbidity of fuel pellets within the reactor and improve the energy density of the system.

A thermally insulated housing for a heat-producing, heat-radiating device such as an integrated CPOX reformer and SOFC stack includes an assembly of thermal insulation sections that presents an indirect, or tortuous, path that inhibits the flow of IR vectors to the walls of the housing.