The present invention provides a methanol solid oxide fuel cell and a power generation system comprising the same, wherein the fuel cell is a tubular SOFC cell stack, the tubular SOFC cell stack comprises a plurality of tubular SOFC single cells, and a side wall of an inner pipe of the tubular SOFC single cell at a fuel inlet is of a porous layer structure; an inner wall of the inner pipe is coated with a methanol pyrolysis catalyst layer, and the thickness of the catalyst layer gradually increases along a moving direction of the fuel in the inner pipe. The methanol solid oxide fuel cell can effectively relieve carbon deposition of the anode of the methanol SOFC, and can ensure that the temperature of the whole cell is more uniform and the cell performance is more stable.

Various designs and configurations of and methods of operating fuel cell units, fuel cell systems and combined heat and power systems are provided that permit efficient thermal management of such units and systems to improve their operation.

The present invention relates to a burner system for providing thermal energy comprising an evaporator device for evaporating a liquid alcohol fuel, a burner air supply means, a burner device for burning a fuel mixture comprising vaporized fuel and burner air to provide an exhaust gas stream, a functions device for controlling the thermal energy of the exhaust gas flow, wherein the burner device provides the thermal energy for evaporation in the evaporator device during operation.

Integrated liquid fuel catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) reformer and fuel cell systems can include a plurality or an array of spaced-apart CPOX reactor units, each reactor unit including an elongated tube having a gas-permeable wall with internal and external surfaces. The wall encloses an unobstructed gaseous flow passageway. At least a portion of the wall has CPOX catalyst disposed therein and/or comprising its structure. The catalyst-containing wall structure and open gaseous flow passageway enclosed thereby define a gaseous phase CPOX reaction zone, the catalyst-containing wall section being gas-permeable to allow gaseous CPOX reaction mixture to diffuse therein and hydrogen rich product reformate to diffuse therefrom. The liquid fuel CPOX reformer also can include a vaporizer, one or more igniters, and a source of liquid reformable fuel. The hydrogen-rich reformate can be converted to electricity within a fuel cell unit integrated with the CPOX reactor unit.

A fuel cell module includes a first area where an exhaust gas combustor and a start-up combustor are provided, a second area where a reformer and a heat exchanger are provided, a third area where an evaporator is provided, and a condensed water recovery mechanism for recovering condensed water produced by condensation of water vapor contained in the combustion gas by allowing the condensed water to flow from the third area to the second area and then flow from the second area to the first area.

A high-temperature operating fuel-cell module includes a fuel-cell stack; a fuel-cell stack container in which the fuel-cell stack is contained and cathode off-gas discharged from the fuel-cell stack flows; a cathode off-gas collector that is provided in the fuel-cell stack container and in which the cathode off-gas is collected; an anode off-gas passage through which anode off-gas discharged from the fuel-cell stack flows; and a combustor that combusts the cathode off-gas collected in the cathode off-gas collector and the anode off-gas flowing through the anode off-gas passage, the combustor comprising: a combustion chamber in which the anode and cathode off-gas are mixed and combusted, an ejector that is connected to the anode off-gas passage and ejects the anode off-gas into the combustion chamber, and a diffusion plate that surrounds the ejector so that the ejector is located at the center of the diffusion plate, and ejects the cathode off-gas into the combustion chamber.

A system (0) includes an electrical load system (54) with a load network battery (82), and a fuel cell system (1). Operation is simplified, especially during start of the fuel cell system (1) if the fuel cell system (1) has a system battery (56). A system voltage across the system battery (56) can be supplied to electrical system loads (80) of the fuel cell system (1) and, via a load voltage converter (77) and at least one additional voltage converter (86), to the load system (54) and secondary electrical loads (84, 85).

A fuel cell power module is coupled to a fuel supply reactor module by way of an adaptor which includes some of the control elements for controlling reaction of reactants in the reactor module. The adaptor includes a housing and a first connection interface in the housing for detachably coupling the adaptor to a fuel cell power module fuel inlet port and a second connection interface in the housing for detachably coupling the adaptor to a reactor module fuel outlet port. A fluid line extends between the first connection interface and the second connection interface. The adaptor includes a motive unit of a flow control mechanism configured to provide motive power to a flow circuit of a reactor module when the reactor module is coupled to the adaptor. The adaptor enables a fuel cell power module to be interfaced with different types of reactor modules having different form factor and different control requirements.

A fuel cell unit with a plurality of fuel cells defining a longitudinal axis and a main flow direction coaxial to the longitudinal axis. Fuel cell inlets and fuel cell outlets are arranged at opposite ends of the fuel cell unit and in line with the main flow direction. Also, a component comprising first fluid conduits arranged parallel to the main flow direction, the first fluid conduits comprising first fluid inlets and first fluid outlets arranged at opposite ends of the component and in line with the main flow direction. The component is arranged adjacent the fuel cell unit such that at least one of the first fluid inlets and the first fluid outlets of the component are arranged adjacent at least one of the fuel cell outlets and the fuel cell inlets such that a fluid flow may flow substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus in the first fluid conduits of the component and in the fuel cell unit and when passing from the component to the fuel cell unit or vice versa.

A raw fuel inlet pipe, an air inlet pipe, and a combustion gas exhaust pipe are provided for a casing of a start-up combustor. A raw fuel supply chamber connected to the raw fuel inlet pipe and an air supply chamber connected to the air inlet pipe form double layer structure. A chamber having a partition wall is provided for the raw fuel supply chamber, and a slit connected to the air supply chamber is formed in the partition wall. A plurality of raw fuel through holes are formed on a side surface of the partition wall with which the slit is formed.