Fuel cell power plant and method for operating the same

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Having thus described a typical embodiment of my invention, that which I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: 1.
In the method of operating a fuel cell power plant comprising a plurality of fuel cells, burner means, and fuel conditioning apparatus including a catalytic reactor for producing hydrogen, the steps of: burning a mixture of fuel cell anode and cathode exhausts in said burner means; feeding a carbonaceous fuel and a first portion of the burner means exhaust into said fuel conditioning apparatus and reacting the fuel therein; feeding the fuel conditioning apparatus output to the anode side of the fuel cells; and venting a second portion of the burner means exhaust.
2.
The method according to claim 1 wherein said fuel cells operate on pressurized air as the oxidant, and wherein said power plant includes a turbocharger for pressurizing the air fed to the cathode side of said fuel cells, the additional step of driving said turbocharger with said second portion of the burner means exhaust prior to venting said second portion.
3.
The method according to claim 1 including the step of preheating at least one of either the anode exhaust or cathode exhaust prior to introducing the exhaust into the burner means, said preheating being accomplished using the heat in the burner means exhaust.
4.
The method according to claim 2 wherein the burner means includes a recycle burner and a vent burner, each receiving a portion of the fuel cell cathode exhaust and a portion of the fuel cell anode exhaust, the first portion of the burner means exhaust being the recycle burner exhaust and the second portion of the burner means exhaust being the vent burner means exhaust.
5.
The method according to claim 4 wherein the vent burner is operated at or above stoichiometric conditions.
6.
The method according to claim 2 wherein said burner means operates at or above stoichiometric conditions.
7.
The method according to claim 5 wherein the mass flow rate of the first portion of the burner means exhaust is two to three times the mass flow rate of the second portion of the burner means exhaust