Low pressure drop fuel processor for use with portable fuel cells

A fuel processor for producing hydrogen from a fuel, the fuel processor comprising:

• a reformer configured to receive reformer fuel and to output hydrogen;
• and
• a burner that includes
• i) a burner chamber with a volume less than about 5 cubic centimeters,
• ii) a burner chamber air inlet configured to receive air,
• iii) a burner chamber fuel inlet configured to receive burner fuel,
• iv) a catalyst in the burner chamber that is selected to facilitate combustion of the burner fuel,
• v) a burner chamber outlet configured to output combustion exhaust from the burner chamber,
• vi) no turns in the burner chamber from the burner chamber air inlet to the burner chamber outlet,
• vii) a length less than about 15 centimeters between the burner chamber air inlet and the burner chamber outlet,
• wherein the burner is configured to permit air flow from the burner chamber air inlet to the burner chamber outlet and though the burner chamber with a pressure drop less than about 50 Pa.

A portable fuel cell system comprising:

• a fuel processor
• a reformer that includes a reformer chamber including i) a reformer chamber inlet configured to receive reformer fuel, ii) a catalyst selected to facilitate processing the reformer fuel to produce hydrogen, and iii) a reformer chamber outlet configured to output hydrogen from the reformer chamber, and
• a burner that includes a burner chamber including i) a burner chamber air inlet configured to receive air, ii) a burner chamber fuel inlet configured to receive burner fuel, and iii) a catalyst selected to facilitate combustion of the burner fuel, and iv) a burner chamber outlet configured to output combustion exhaust from the burner chamber;
• a fuel cell configured to receive hydrogen from the fuel processor and to output electrical energy;
• and
• a low pressure air supply positioned to move air through the burner chamber, wherein the low pressure air supply is configured to provide a pressure that is less than about 50 Pa and is configured to supply air at a flow rate that is less than about 50 liters per minute to the burner chamber.