(EP671058-A1)      In a fuel cell waste heat of cell reaction is used in a gas or steam turbine (120). Efficient radiative heat transfer occurs between the external columnar surface of the converter assembly (20) and the heat transfer assembly (30) contg. the working medium of a heat sink or source and by incoming reactants (17,19) being heated by the exhaust.    Converters are capable of high efficiencies, depending only on relation between the free energy and enthalpy of the electrochemical reaction , and are not limited by Carnot-cycle considerations.    USE/ADVANTAGE -   Flexible and efficient system design of fuel to electricity conversions in a fuel cell (electric generator) mode or electricity to fuel conversions in an electrolyser (fuel synthesiser) mode.    (JP8505491-W)      In a fuel cell waste heat of cell reaction is used in a gas or steam turbine (120). Efficient radiative heat transfer occurs between the external columnar surface of the converter assembly (20) and the heat transfer assembly (30) contg. the working medium of a heat sink or source and by incoming reactants (17,19) being heated by the exhaust.    Converters are capable of high efficiencies, depending only on relation between the free energy and enthalpy of the electrochemical reaction , and are not limited by Carnot-cycle considerations.    USE/ADVANTAGE -   Flexible and efficient system design of fuel to electricity conversions in a fuel cell (electric generator) mode or electricity to fuel conversions in an electrolyser (fuel synthesiser) mode.    (EP671058-B1)      An electrochemical converter system, the system comprising: an electrochemical converter assembly having a number of converter elements, the converter assembly including reactant supply means for supplying reactants to the electrochemical converter assembly and exhaust means for removing exhaust gases; electricity extraction means for extracting an electrical current from the assembly, regenerative, front-end, heat exchange means for heating the reactants to a selected operating temperature while simultaneously cooling the exhaust to effectuate a balanced thermal energy transfer between the incoming reactants and the outgoing exhaust gases, and an integrated heat transfer assembly having a number of heat transfer elements for transport of a working medium, the heat transfer elements disposed between the electrochemical converter elements without contacting the converter elements to provide efficient temperature regulation and serving to remove waste heat by radiant heat transfer from the columnar converter elements, the heat transfer assembly being adapted to couple directly the waste heat to a bottoming thermodynamic device, thereby substantially reducing the need for a supplemental cooling mass flow through the electrochemical converter elements.    (RU2127931-C1)      In a fuel cell waste heat of cell reaction is used in a gas or steam turbine (120). Efficient radiative heat transfer occurs between the external columnar surface of the converter assembly (20) and the heat transfer assembly (30) contg. the working medium of a heat sink or source and by incoming reactants (17,19) being heated by the exhaust.    Converters are capable of high efficiencies, depending only on relation between the free energy and enthalpy of the electrochemical reaction , and are not limited by Carnot-cycle considerations.    USE/ADVANTAGE -   Flexible and efficient system design of fuel to electricity conversions in a fuel cell (electric generator) mode or electricity to fuel conversions in an electrolyser (fuel synthesiser) mode.