Fuel fired hydrogen generator
AssigneeNuvera Fuel Cells, LLC
InventorLawrence Clawson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for making and storing hydrogen comprises an IC engine, a thermal reactor to convert hydrocarbon fuels to reformate, and a separation means to separate the reformate into a hydrogen stream and a hydrogen depleted reformate stream. The hydrogen stream is compressed and stored. The hydrogen depleted reformate stream is split and sent to a thermal reactor and the IC engine. The IC engine drives the compressor for hydrogen as well as the compressor for the fuel inlet to the system. The described system and process achieves high efficiency in fuel conversion and hydrogen storage.
Claims40
A system for producing compressed hydrogen, the system comprising:
- a fuel reformer, the reformer reacting fuel, water and air to produce a hydrogen-containing reformate;
- an internal combustion (IC) engine which produces mechanical energy for the system;
- means for providing a purified hydrogen stream from the reformate;
- a compressor for compressing the purified hydrogen;
- and
- one or more connectors to provide the compressed purified hydrogen to a hydrogen storage means.
A method of producing pressurized hydrogen for storage, comprising:
- in an internal combustion (IC) engine, combusting a fuel and an oxygen-containing gas to produce an oxygen-containing exhaust stream and mechanical energy;
- in a fuel reformer, reacting fuel, water, and an oxygen-containing gas to produce a hydrogen-containing reformate stream and a high-temperature reformer exhaust stream;
- pre-heating at least one of the fuel, water, and air inputs to the fuel reformer by heat transfer with at least one of the hydrogen-containing reformate stream and the high-temperature reformer exhaust stream;
- purifying the hydrogen-containing reformate stream to produce a purified hydrogen stream and a hydrogen-depleted reformate stream;
- providing the hydrogen-depleted reformate stream to at least one of the IC engine and the steam reformer for use as a fuel;
- and
- using mechanical energy from the IC engine to compress the purified hydrogen stream to a pressure suitable for storage.
A system for producing compressed hydrogen, the system comprising:
- a fuel reformer, the reformer reacting fuel, water and air to produce a hydrogen-containing reformate;
- an internal combustion (IC) engine which produces mechanical energy for the system;
- a compressor for compressing the hydrogen-containing reformate;
- and
- one or more connectors to provide the compressed hydrogen-containing reformate to a hydrogen storage means.
A method of producing pressurized hydrogen for storage, comprising:
- in an internal combustion (IC) engine, combusting a fuel and an oxygen-containing gas to produce an oxygen-containing exhaust stream and mechanical energy;
- in a fuel reformer, reacting fuel, water, and an oxygen-containing gas to produce a hydrogen-containing reformate stream and a high-temperature reformer exhaust stream;
- pre-heating at least one of the fuel, water, and air inputs to the fuel reformer by heat transfer with at least one of the hydrogen-containing reformate stream and the high-temperature reformer exhaust stream;
- and
- using mechanical energy from the IC engine to compress the hydrogen-containing reformate stream to a pressure suitable for storage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.