Hydrocarbon wave reformer and methods of use

A process of using a wave rotor to decompose a hydrocarbon fluid into a hydrogen fluid and carbon particulate, the process comprising the steps of:

• providing a wave rotor having at least one fluid inlet port and at least one fluid outlet port;
• introducing a supply of hydrocarbon fluid at a first pressure to one of said inlet ports of said wave rotor;
• introducing a second supply of fluid at a second pressure to one of said inlet ports of said wave rotor, said second hydrocarbon fluid pressure being greater than the pressure of said hydrocarbon fluid supply;
• using pressure waves in one or more stages of compression or expansion to reform some or all of the hydrocarbon fluid supplied into said hydrogen fluid and said carbon particulate;
• collecting the hydrogen fluid and carbon particulate from said wave rotor through said at least one outlet port;
• and
• separating the solid carbon particulate from the hydrogen fluid.

A system for decomposing a hydrocarbon fluid into a hydrogen fluid and a solid particulate, the system comprising:

• a radial wave rotor having an axis and an axial length, an inner and an outer wall, said inner and outer walls together forming an annular space within said wave rotor, and a plurality of rotor vanes that connect the wave rotor inner and outer walls and serve to divide said annular space within said wave rotor into a plurality of wave rotor channels;
• a supply of hydrocarbon fluid at a first pressure;
• an annular wave rotor inlet end plate having at least one inlet port, each inlet port connected to said hydrocarbon fluid source at a first pressure and sequentially aligning with said channels formed within said radial wave rotor as said rotor rotates about said wave rotor axis permitting flow of hydrocarbon fluid into said wave rotor channels;
• an annular wave rotor outlet end plate having at least one outlet port, said at least one outlet port connected and sequentially aligning with said channels formed within said radial wave rotor as said rotor rotates about said rotor axis permitting flow of hydrogen fluid and solid particulate out of said wave rotor channels;
• a motor to cause said waver rotor to rotate;
• a supply of a driver fluid at a second pressure, said second pressure being different that than said first pressure, said driver fluid passing through said at least one inlet port to enter at least one of said plurality of wave rotor channels containing said hydrocarbon fluid at said first pressure, wherein a pressure difference between said hydrocarbon fluid and said driver fluid within said wave rotor channel creates pressure waves to reform at least a portion of the hydrocarbon fluid into the hydrogen fluid and solid particulate.

A method for employing a wave rotor for reforming a hydrocarbon fluid, the method comprising:

• providing a wave rotor having at least one inlet and at least one outlet;
• introducing at least one hydrocarbon fluid to be reformed to said wave rotor through said at least one inlet;
• and
• using pressure waves in one or more stages of compression or expansion to reform some or all of the hydrocarbon fluid introduced into a hydrogen fluid and solid particulates.

A method of employing a wave rotor to reform a hydrocarbon fluid into a hydrogen fluid and solid particulate, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a wave rotor having one or more fluid inlet ports and one or more fluid outlet ports;
• introducing a supply of hydrocarbon fluid at a first pressure to said wave rotor through one of said fluid inlet ports of said wave rotor;
• introducing a supply of a fluid at a pressure different than said hydrocarbon fluid supply first pressure to said wave rotor through one of said fluid inlet ports of said wave rotor;
• using pressure waves in more than one stage of compression or more than one stage of expansion to reform some or all of the hydrocarbon fluid supplied within said wave rotor into said hydrogen fluid and solid particulates;
• and
• exhausting the hydrogen fluid and solid particulates and any partially reformed hydrocarbon fluid from said wave rotor through one of said fluid outlet port.