Hydrocarbon reformer system

A method for providing a homogeneous feedstream mixture of hydrocarbon fuel and other reactants to a hydrocarbon catalytic reformer, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a housing including a mixing element opening toward said reformer, said mixing element having a plurality of tangential slots formed in communication between outer and inner surfaces of said element;
• b) combining said hydrocarbon fuel and said various other reactants into a feedstream combination outside of said outer surface of said element;
• c) injecting said feedstream combination through said slots into said element tangentially along said inner wall of said element to form a vortical circulation within said element wherein said feedstream combination is homogenized;
• and
• d) providing said homogenized feedstream combination to said hydrocarbon catalytic reformer.

In a hydrocarbon reforming system having a feedstream delivery unit and a catalytic reforming unit for reforming hydrocarbon fuel and other reactants to produce a hydrogen-containing reformate,

• wherein the feedstream delivery unit includes a mixing element opening toward the catalytic reforming unit, the mixing element having a plurality of tangential slots formed in communication between outer and inner surfaces of the element, and
• wherein the catalytic reforming unit includes a catalyst bed requiring a minimum temperature for catalytic reforming of hydrocarbons to generate hydrogen-containing reformate,
• a method for operating the hydrocarbon reforming system comprising the steps of:
• a) starting up said system by
• i) combining said hydrocarbon fuel and said other reactants outside of said mixing element to form a feedstream combination,
• ii) injecting said feedstream combination through said slots into said element tangentially along said inner wall of said element to form a vortical circulation within said element wherein said feedstream combination is homogenized,
• iii) igniting said homogenized feedstream combination to produce hot combustion gases, and
• iv) passing said hot combustion gases through said catalyst bed to raise the temperature thereof to at least said minimum reforming temperature;
• and
• b) operating said system at steady state by
• i) extinguishing combustion in said mixing element,
• ii) continuing said combining and injecting steps, and
• iii) adjusting flow rates of said hydrocarbon fuel and said other reactants for optimal hydrocarbon reforming.