{
  "patent_number": "US 9553321",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How Fuel Cells Capture Carbon Dioxide While Making Electricity",
  "original_title": "Integrated power generation and carbon capture using fuel cells",
  "summary": "This patent describes a system that uses special fuel cells to generate electricity and capture carbon dioxide from power plant exhaust, by recycling unused fuel back into the system.",
  "what_it_does": "The patent details a method for simultaneously generating electricity and capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from a combustion source, like a power plant. It uses molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs). First, exhaust gas containing oxygen and CO2 enters the fuel cell's cathode (Claim 1). Inside the fuel cell, carbonate from the cathode reacts with hydrogen (H2) at the anode to produce electricity and an anode exhaust stream containing CO2 and H2 (Claim 1). A key step involves processing this anode exhaust: it's passed through a water gas shift reaction stage, then CO2 is separated out, and finally, the remaining hydrogen-rich stream is recycled back to the fuel cell anodes (Claim 1). This recycling ensures that hydrogen that wasn't used the first time gets another chance, making the process more efficient. The system is designed so that the fuel cells use at most 55% of the incoming fuel (Claim 1), leaving plenty of hydrogen to be recycled.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Methods where the fuel cells use more than 55% of the incoming fuel (Claim 1).",
    "Systems that do not recycle a portion of the CO2-depleted anode exhaust back to the fuel cell anodes (Claim 1).",
    "Processes that recycle anode exhaust directly or indirectly to the cathodes (Claim 9).",
    "Carbon capture methods that do not integrate electricity generation using molten carbonate fuel cells.",
    "Fuel cell systems that do not include a separation stage for CO2 from the anode exhaust (Claim 1)."
  ],
  "filed": "2014-03-13",
  "granted": "2017-01-24",
  "expires": "2034-03-13",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "ExxonMobil Research and Engineering",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/exxonmobil-research-and-engineering",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Timothy Andrew Barckholtz",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/timothy-andrew-barckholtz"
    },
    {
      "name": "Frank Hershkowitz",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/frank-hershkowitz"
    },
    {
      "name": "Paul J. Berlowitz",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/paul-j-berlowitz"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 3,
  "tags": [
    "energy",
    "clean_energy",
    "chemical_engineering",
    "power_generation",
    "carbon_capture",
    "fuel_cells"
  ],
  "abstract": "Systems and methods are provided for capturing CO 2 from a combustion source using molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs). At least a portion of the anode exhaust can be recycled for use as part of anode input stream. This can allow for a reduction in the amount of fuel cell area required for separating CO 2 from the combustion source exhaust and/or modifications in how the fuel cells can be operated.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9553321/integrated-power-generation-and-carbon-capture-using-fuel-cells",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9553321/integrated-power-generation-and-carbon-capture-using-fuel-cells/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US9553321",
  "relatedPatents": []
}