SOFC design with internal heat exchange and gas reforming

A design study was performed to reduce the amount of apparatus necessary for an SOFC integrated plant. By repositioning the heat exchange between inflowing and outflowing gases away from an external heat exchanger and into the fuel cell stack, apparatus requirements can be considerably reduced; for example, the volume for the hot part of the plant can be cut by a factor of five. This can be achieved in the design by positioning a further central channel, the heat exchanger channel, in the interconnect in addition to the anode and cathode channel. This design also permits the reforming of hydrocarbons within the stack, thus simultaneously cooling the stack. Furthermore, by internal recycling of anode off gas within the stack it is possible to avoid or at least reduce an external water supply.