Safety and Shutdown Controls

A more normal shutdown sequence would first flush the fuel cell, reformer, and scrubber with nitrogen or C02 (if it is safe for the cell design). This step is followed by a slow bleed of air and nitrogen to repassivate the fuel cell and reformer under temperature control. If this is not done gradually, the reformer can reach temperatures high enough to violate its containment (meltdown) and become unrecoverable. The reformer performance does decrease after this treatment, but over 90% of its capacity can be retained. Similar problems are present when reforming the fuel cells themselves. 

High-temperature fuel cells are governed by the same gas safety regulations as are fired heaters and boilers, because they, too, operate at above the auto- 

Post-Oil Energy Technology After the Age of Fossil Fuels 

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