Combinational control strategy for fuel processor reactor shift temperature control

An apparatus for use in controlling the reaction temperature of a fuel processor, comprising:

• means for determining a first component for a setting adjustment for a coolant flow rate governing a measured temperature in a reaction section of a reactor from the measured temperature and a setpoint for the measured temperature;
• means for determining a second component for the setting adjustment from a hydrogen production rate for the fuel processor;
• and
• means for determining the setting adjustment from the first and second components.

A program storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computing device, perform a method for use in controlling the reaction temperature of a fuel processor, the method comprising:

• determining a first component for a setting adjustment for a coolant flow rate governing a measured temperature in a reaction section of a reactor from the measured temperature and a setpoint for the measured temperature;
• determining a second component for the setting adjustment from a hydrogen production rate for the fuel processor;
• and
• determining the setting adjustment from the first and second components.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a fuel processor reactor, the reactor including a water gas shift reaction section;
• a temperature sensor disposed within the reaction section;
• a coolant flow line through the reaction section;
• an automated control system capable of:
• determining a first component for a setting adjustment for a coolant flow rate through the coolant flow line from the measured temperature and a setpoint for the measured temperature;
• determining a second component for the setting adjustment from a hydrogen production rate for the fuel processor;
• and
• determining the setting adjustment from the first and second components.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a fuel processor reactor, the reactor including a water gas shift reaction section;
• means for sensing a temperature within the reaction section;
• means for passing a coolant through the reaction section;
• means for controlling the temperature in the reaction section, including:
• means for determining a first component for a setting adjustment for a coolant flow rate through the coolant flow means from the measured temperature and a setpoint for the measured temperature;
• means for determining a second component for the setting adjustment from a hydrogen production rate for the fuel processor;
• and
• means for determining the setting adjustment from the first and second components.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a processor;
• a bus system;
• a storage communicating with the processor over the bus system;
• a data structure residing on the storage, the data structure including the modeled data for the performance of a fuel processor;
• a control application residing in the storage that, when invoked by the processor, is capable of determining a setting adjustment for a coolant flow rate governing a measured temperature in a reactor of a fuel processor, the determination predicated on the measured temperature, a setpoint for the measured temperature, a hydrogen production rate for the fuel processor, and the modeled data.