CPC H01M 8/04074 (2013.01) [H01M 8/04708 (2013.01); H01M 8/04716 (2013.01)] | 8 Claims |
1. A method of thermal management of a solid oxide fuel cell system, comprising:
(a) splitting a primary cathode air stream into a first cathode air stream with a first cathode air stream control valve and a second cathode air stream with a second cathode air stream control valve;
(b) passing the first cathode air stream into a cool side of a cathode feed heat exchanger;
(c) feeding from a burner a combustion stream directly into a hot side of the cathode feed heat exchanger and transferring heat from the combustion stream to the first cathode air stream so as to produce a heated first cathode air stream exiting the cathode feed heat exchanger, wherein a burner cooling air stream is fed into the combustion stream downstream of the burner;
(d) bypassing the second cathode air stream around the cathode feed heat exchanger and a preheat exchanger and merging said second cathode air stream into the heated first cathode air stream so as to produce a combined cathode air stream;
(e) feeding the combined cathode air stream into a first side of an equalizer heat exchanger;
(f) feeding an anode fuel stream into a second side of the equalizer heat exchanger; and transferring heat between the first and second sides of the equalizer heat exchanger so as to provide a cathode inlet stream to a solid oxide fuel cell at a cathode inlet stream target temperature and to provide an anode inlet stream to the solid oxide fuel cell at an anode inlet stream target temperature.
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