US 11,973,247 B2
Fuel cell system including anode exhaust diversion and method of operating the same
David Weingaertner, Sunnyvale, CA (US); and Michael Petrucha, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/053,605.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/364,843, filed on May 17, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/269,072, filed on Mar. 9, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/278,762, filed on Nov. 12, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0155144 A1, May 18, 2023
Int. Cl. H01M 8/12 (2016.01); H01M 8/04014 (2016.01); H01M 8/04223 (2016.01); H01M 8/04225 (2016.01); H01M 8/04302 (2016.01); H01M 8/1231 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/04014 (2013.01) [H01M 8/04225 (2016.02); H01M 8/04268 (2013.01); H01M 8/04302 (2016.02); H01M 8/1231 (2016.02); H01M 2008/1293 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel cell system, comprising:
a stack of fuel cells configured to output an anode exhaust and a cathode exhaust;
an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) configured to oxidize the anode exhaust from the stack of fuel cells;
a cathode exhaust conduit configured to output the cathode exhaust and the anode exhaust from the fuel cell system;
a bypass conduit configured to divert the anode exhaust from the stack of fuel cells to the cathode exhaust conduit;
a bypass valve configured to control a flow of the anode exhaust through the bypass conduit;
an ATO conduit configured to provide the anode exhaust from the stack of fuel cells to the ATO;
an anode recuperator configured to heat fuel provided to the stack of fuel cells using the anode exhaust from the stack of fuel cells;
an anode exhaust conduit configured to provide the anode exhaust output from the stack of fuel cells to the anode recuperator;
and an anode exhaust cooler configured to heat air provided to the stack of fuel cells using the anode exhaust from the anode recuperator,
wherein the bypass conduit is configured to divert the anode exhaust from the stack of fuel cells that passed through the anode recuperator or that passed through both the anode recuperator and the anode exhaust cooler.