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AssigneeHyradix, Inc.
InventorsBradley Russell, John Harness, Paul Blommel, Daniel Sioui, Suheil Abdo, Kurt Vanden Bussche, Robert Sanger
Estimating the term…
Hydrogen generators and integrated hydrogen generator/fuel cells systems are operated by determining the condition of the hydrogen generator and the condition of the fuel to the hydrogen generator for selection of predetermined flow rates for each of the externally-provided raw materials. The processes of the invention can provide rapid transitions between hydrogen production rates while enabling enhanced efficiency and stability during transient operations.
In a process for operating a hydrogen generator having a variable hydrogen production rate output
In a process for changing the rate of hydrogen production by a hydrogen generator by changing the feed rates of externally-provided raw materials into the hydrogen generator, said materials comprising fuel, oxygen-containing gas, and water, whereby fuel is reformed at elevated temperature in the presence of steam to produce a reformate containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide contained in the reformate is converted to carbon dioxide said process having a transition rate-limiting operation, the improvement comprising controlling the rate of change of the feed rate of each of the externally-provided raw materials in accordance with a predetermined rate commensurate with the rate of change in the transition rate-limiting operation.
In a process for transitioning during a transition period a hydrogen generator in which reforming a fuel is reformed in the presence of steam to produce a reformate containing hydrogen and carbon oxides including carbon monoxide and carbon monoxide in the reformate is converted to carbon dioxide to provide a hydrogen product, from a first hydrogen product rate having a first steady state operating condition including a ratio of at least one externally provided raw material to fuel, to a second hydrogen product rate having a second steady state operating condition including the ratio of said at least one externally provided raw material to fuel, the improvement comprising providing the ratio of said at least one externally provided raw material to fuel at a value different than such ratios at the steady state condition for the first hydrogen product rate and at the steady state condition for the second hydrogen product rate for at least a portion of the transition period to enhance the transition.
A method for maintaining low levels of carbon monoxide in a hydrogen fuel processor, said method comprising adjusting a water to hydrocarbon fuel ratio and an air to hydrocarbon fuel ratio in accordance with a predetermined algorithm, wherein said fuel processor comprises a supply of said hydrocarbon fuel, and water and steam supplied to a reactor to produce hydrogen fuel comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, followed by the reduction in concentration of said carbon monoxide in said hydrogen fuel by passing said hydrogen fuel first to at least one water gas shift reactor and then to at least one preferential oxidation reactor, wherein said water is added to the hydrocarbon fuel prior to said hydrocarbon fuel entering said reactor, and wherein air is added to said at least one preferential oxidation reactor in accordance with said algorithm, wherein said algorithm comprises determining a target hydrocarbon fuel flow (B) and a current hydrocarbon fuel flow (A), then determining a present difference (D)=(B)−(A), and then comparing said difference (D) with a predetermined threshold value to determine whether said fuel processor is turning up production of hydrogen, turning down production of hydrogen or operating at a steady state mode and wherein a higher ratio of water to fuel and air to fuel is added when said fuel processor is turning up production for a preset period of time than when said fuel processor is operating at a steady state mode and wherein a lower ratio of water to fuel and air to fuel is added when said fuel processor is in a turning down of production mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.