CPC H01M 8/04089 (2013.01) [H01M 8/04302 (2016.02); H01M 8/04365 (2013.01); H01M 8/04373 (2013.01); H01M 8/04701 (2013.01); H01M 8/0612 (2013.01); H01M 8/0618 (2013.01); H01M 8/124 (2013.01); H01M 8/14 (2013.01); H01M 8/249 (2013.01); H01M 2008/1293 (2013.01); H01M 2008/147 (2013.01); Y02E 60/50 (2013.01); Y02P 70/50 (2015.11)] | 17 Claims |
1. A fuel-cell system comprising:
a system module including:
one or more fuel-cell stacks;
a first reformer for converting at least some of a first hydrocarbon fuel into a first hydrogen, and supplying the first hydrogen to the one or more fuel-cell stacks; and
a housing for receiving the one or more fuel-cell stacks, and the first reformer therein; and
a start-up module disposed outside the housing, removably coupled to the system module, and configured to supply a second hydrogen-containing fuel to the one or more fuel-cell stacks until a temperature of the one or more fuel-cell stacks reaches a predetermined temperature,
wherein the start-up module includes a second reformer for producing a second hydrogen from a second hydrocarbon fuel, such that the second reformer discharges the second hydrogen-containing fuel,
wherein the first reformer is connected to an external fuel supply unit and is configured to receive the first hydrocarbon fuel along a first pathway from the external fuel supply unit, to the one or more fuel-cell stacks, and supply the first hydrogen to the one or more fuel-cell stacks along the first pathway, the first pathway including the first reformer and the one or more fuel-cell stacks and does not include the second reformer,
wherein the second reformer is connected to the one or more fuel-cell stacks and is configured to supply the second hydrogen-containing fuel to the one or more fuel-cell stacks along a second pathway from the second reformer, to the one or more fuel-cell stacks, the second pathway including the first reformer, the second reformer, and the one or more fuel-cell stacks,
wherein the fuel-cell system further comprises a fuel supply device disposed along the first pathway, and configured to supply the first hydrocarbon fuel from the external fuel supply unit to the first reformer, and
wherein the start-up module further comprises another external fuel supply unit that is separate from the external fuel supply unit and configured to supply the second hydrocarbon fuel to the second reformer.
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