Abstract: The present application provides combined cycle fuel cell systems that include a fuel cell, such as a solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC), comprising an anode that generates a tail gas and a cathode that generates cathode exhaust. The system or plant may include adding fuel, such as processed or refined tail gas, to the inlet air stream of a reformer to heat the reformer. The system or plant may include removing water from the tail gas and recycling the removed water into an inlet fuel stream. The inlet air stream may be the cathode exhaust stream of the fuel cell, and the inlet fuel stream may be input hydrocarbon fuel that is directed to the reformer to produce hydrogen-rich reformate. The system or plant may direct some of the processed or refined tail gas to a bottoming cycle.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for improving the performance of a membrane for use in a membrane distillation process, and a membrane produced by the method. The method includes subjecting the membrane to a pressure difference across the membrane in order to open closed pores in the membrane.

Abstract: A method for removing ionic species from a desalination unit, comprises: (a) circulating a wash stream in a closed loop comprising a desalination unit and a precipitation unit, the wash stream flowing at a linear velocity of at least 5 cm/second through the desalination unit, the wash stream becoming more saline after passage through the desalination unit; and (b) removing a portion of calcium sulfate from the wash stream by precipitation in the precipitation unit to obtain a supersaturation degree of calcium sulfate in the wash stream entering the desalination unit in a range of from about 1.0 to about 3.0.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes an anode connectable to a current tap and a charging medium in electrical contact with the anode. A switching device is configured to stop a charging operation of the electrochemical cell upon activation by the charging medium.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for boosting overall performance of a fuel cell while simultaneously separating a nearly pure stream of CO2 for sequestration or for use in generating electrical power to further increase overall efficiency of the process. The system and method employ a heat exchanger system configured to generate a stream of fuel that is returned to the inlet of the fuel cell anode with a higher molar concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) fuel than was initially present in the fuel cell anode outlet.

Abstract: An energy storage device includes a housing having an interior surface defining a volume and a plurality of solid electrolyte elements disposed in the volume. Each solid electrolyte element has a first surface that defines at least a portion of a first, cathodic chamber, and a second surface that defines a second, anodic chamber. A plurality of individual anodic chambers are thus provided, at least one of which is evacuated below atmospheric pressure. A majority of anodic chambers can be spaced from one another in a manner that provides a substantially uniform reaction rate throughout the cathodic chamber.

Abstract: A power generation system includes a fuel cell including an anode that generates a tail gas. The system also includes a hydrocarbon fuel reforming system that mixes a hydrocarbon fuel with the fuel cell tail gas and to convert the hydrocarbon fuel and fuel tail gas into a reformed fuel stream including CO2. The reforming system further splits the reformed fuel stream into a first portion and a second portion. The system further includes a CO2 removal system coupled in flow communication with the reforming system. The system also includes a first reformed fuel path coupled to the reforming system. The first path channels the first portion of the reformed fuel stream to an anode inlet. The system further includes a second reformed fuel path coupled to the reforming system. The second path channels the second portion of the reformed fuel stream to the CO2 removal system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for improving the efficiency of a combined-cycle power generation plant and desalination unit. The process includes supplying exhaust gases from a gas turbine set used to generate electrical power to a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and then directing the steam from the HRSG to a steam turbine set. Salinous water is supplied into an effect of the desalination unit. Steam exhausted from the steam turbine set is utilized in the effect of the desalination unit to produce a distillate vapor and brine from the effect by heat exchange. Additionally, steam is introduced steam from at least one additional heat source from the combined-cycle power generation plant to the effect to increase the mass flow rate of steam into the effect. In one embodiment, the additional heat source is an intercooler heat exchanger. Heated water from the intercooler heat exchanger is provided to a reduced atmosphere flash tank, and the steam flashed in the flash tank is provided to the effect.

Abstract: A desalination system wherein a latent heat of condensation produced by the temperature gradient across a membrane distillation (MD) module is transferred directly to a latent heat of vaporization during desalination of a liquid flow stream. The desalination system comprises the MD module disposed within an object and configured to receive an input feed stream for desalination and produce an output flow stream of a product. The system also comprises a vapor compressor in fluidic communication with the MD module and configured to introduce a hot steam to a high temperature side of the MD module and extract a cool steam, having a temperature less than the hot steam, from a low temperature side of the MD module, thereby creating a temperature gradient across of the MD module. A desalination method is also presented.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes an anode connectable to a current tap and a charging medium in electrical contact with the anode. A switching device is configured to stop a charging operation of the electrochemical cell upon activation by the charging medium.

Abstract: A device or system for operating one or more electrochemical cells, such as a rechargeable fuel cell, is provided. A plurality of subsystems include a humidity level control subsystem, a reagent gas delivery subsystem, and a gas scrubbing subsystem. A method for operating the device or system is also provided.

Abstract: A seal structure is provided for an energy storage device. The seal structure includes a first sealing glass composition and a second sealing glass composition joining an ion-conducting first ceramic to an electrically insulating second ceramic. The first sealing glass composition includes less than or equal to about 20 weight percent silica based on the weight of the first sealing glass composition. The second sealing glass composition includes greater than or equal to about 40 weight percent silica based on the weight of the second sealing glass composition. A method for making the seal structure is provided. An article comprising the seal structure is also provided.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for boosting overall performance of a fuel cell while simultaneously separating a nearly pure stream of CO2 for sequestration or for use in generating electrical power to further increase overall efficiency of the process. The system and method employ a heat exchanger system configured to generate a stream of fuel that is returned to the inlet of the fuel cell anode with a higher molar concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) fuel than was initially present in the fuel cell anode outlet.

Abstract: A combined cycle fuel cell includes a fuel cell such as a solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) comprising an anode that generates a tail gas. A hydrocarbon fuel reforming system that mixes a hydrocarbon fuel with the fuel cell tail gas downstream of the fuel cell partly or fully converts the hydrocarbon fuel into hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO). A fuel path diverts a first portion of the reformed fuel to the inlet of the fuel cell anode. A cooler such as an Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is optionally configured to remove heat from a residual portion of the reformed fuel and to deliver the cooled residual portion of the reformed fuel to a bottoming cycle that may be an external or internal combustion engine such as a reciprocating gas engine or gas turbine that is driven in response to the cooled residual portion of the reformed fuel.

Abstract: A planar fuel cell stack is provided. The planar fuel cell stack comprises an anode interconnect structure comprising a corrugated first internal manifold connected to a first anode flowfield; a cathode interconnect structure comprising a corrugated second internal manifold connected to a first cathode flowfield; and a thermally active, surface insulated metallic seal disposed between the corrugated parts of the anode and cathode interconnects, such that the thermally active metallic seal responds upon the application of heat to provide sealing between the anode interconnect structure and the cathode interconnect structure.

Abstract: A water recovery system for a cooling tower includes an intercooler having a first circuit portion and a second circuit portion. The first circuit portion is configured and disposed to receive a liquid desiccant and the second circuit portion is configured and disposed to receive coolant. A flash drum includes an inlet connected to the first circuit portion, a vapor outlet and a liquid desiccant outlet. A condenser is fluidly coupled to the vapor outlet of the flash drum. The condenser includes a condensate outlet. A cooling tower is fluidly connected to the liquid desiccant outlet of the flash drum and the condenser. The cooling tower includes a water stripper having a collector member, and a heat exchanger arranged below the water stripper. The collector member is configured to receive water laden liquid desiccant and the heat exchanger is configured and disposed to receive make-up water from the condenser.

Abstract: The present invention provides a water self-sufficient turbine system comprising: (a) a combustion turbine comprising a combustion chamber disposed between an upstream compressor coupled to a downstream turbine section; (b) a water recovery unit configured to contact a first liquid desiccant with a water-rich exhaust gas stream produced by the combustion turbine, and produce a water-enriched liquid desiccant and a water-depleted exhaust gas stream; and (c) a desiccant regenerator unit configured to contact the water-enriched liquid desiccant with hot compressed air to separate water from the water-enriched liquid desiccant to provide water-rich compressed air and to regenerate the first liquid desiccant; wherein the combustion turbine is configured to supply hot compressed air to the desiccant regenerator unit and receive water-rich compressed air from the desiccant regenerator unit, and wherein the desiccant regenerator unit is configured to supply the first liquid desiccant to the water recovery unit.

Abstract: A combined cycle power plant includes a gas turbine, a condensing stage, a steam turbine, and a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The HRSG is configured to generate steam for driving the steam turbine in response to heat transferred from exhaust gas received from the gas turbine at a first temperature and to transmit the exhaust gas to the condensing turbine at a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature.

Abstract: The present invention provides a water self-sufficient turbine system comprising: (a) a combustion turbine comprising a combustion chamber disposed between an upstream compressor coupled to a downstream turbine section; (b) a water recovery unit configured to contact a first liquid desiccant with a water-rich exhaust gas stream produced by the combustion turbine, and produce a water-enriched liquid desiccant and a water-depleted exhaust gas stream; and (c) a desiccant regenerator unit configured to contact the water-enriched liquid desiccant with hot compressed air to separate water from the water-enriched liquid desiccant to provide water-rich compressed air and to regenerate the first liquid desiccant; wherein the combustion turbine is configured to supply hot compressed air to the desiccant regenerator unit and receive water-rich compressed air from the desiccant regenerator unit, and wherein the desiccant regenerator unit is configured to supply the first liquid desiccant to the water recovery unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating oily wastewater comprising: pretreating the oily wastewater using at least one of electrocoagulation, flotation and absorbing to produce a pretreated water; and treating the pretreated water using membrane distillation to produce a product water. In another aspect, the invention relates to a system for treating oily wastewater comprising: a pretreatment apparatus for pretreating the oily wastewater to produce a pretreated water, the pretreatment apparatus comprising at least one of an electrocoagulation apparatus, a flotation apparatus and an absorbing apparatus; and a membrane distillation apparatus for treating the pretreated water to produce a product water.