Reformer system and method reforming

Abstract

A reformer system has a reformer for converting a hydrocarbon-containing fuel to a hydrogen-gas-rich reformate gas, and an HC adsorber, which is connected to an output side of the reformer and adsorbs, as a function of temperature, hydrocarbons contained in the reformate gas, or for desorbing previously adsorbed hydrocarbons to the reformate gas. The reformer system transmits the reformate gas after passing through the HC adsorber to a consuming device. The chronological progression of the adsorption/desorption behavior of the HC adsorber during an operating phase of the reformer as a function of the reformate gas temperature occurring in the operating phase and/or a temperature gradient of the reformate gas occurring in the operating phase is coordinated with the chronological progression of the operating behavior of the consuming device such that a significant desorption of hydrocarbons from the HC adsorber takes place only when the consuming device is in an operating condition in which the desorbed hydrocarbons are processed by the consuming device such that the hydrocarbon fraction of the gases expelled from the consuming device and/or the function of the consuming device is/are not significantly influenced by the desorbed hydrocarbons.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.