# US 2013/0152879 A1 · Fuel Processor With Mounting Manifold > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0152879 A1 - Document ID: US20130152879A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/749,658 - Filed: 2013-01-24 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-25 - Assignees: Westport Power Inc. - Inventors: Kalen Nathaniel Lees; Minh C. Tran - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130152879A1 ## CPC - F02B 43/00: Engines characterised by operating on gaseous fuels; Plants including such engines (engines characterised by the gas-air charge being ignited by compression ignition of an additional fuel F02B7/06; engines convertible from gas to other fuel consumption F02B69/04) - F01N 3/36: Arrangements for supply of additional fuel - F02M 25/12: the apparatus having means for generating such gases (using rays and simultaneously generating ozone F02M27/06) - F01N 2240/30: a fuel reformer - F01N 2610/03: the substance being hydrocarbons, e.g. engine fuel - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - F01N: GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with gas exhaust of propulsion units in vehicles B60K13/00; combustion-air intake silencers specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines F02M35/00; protecting against, or damping, noise in general G10K11/16) - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract An engine system comprises a fuel processor that is supplied with air and a fuel reactant stream to produce a hydrogen-containing gas stream. The fuel processor comprises a mounting manifold, a housing, and an internal reaction chamber. The mounting manifold can fluidly interconnect an upstream engine exhaust conduit and a downstream engine exhaust conduit via internal passageways in the manifold, attach and position the fuel processor within the engine exhaust conduit, and fluidly connect external reactant supply conduits to the internal reaction chamber of the fuel processor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An engine system comprising: (a) an engine that during operation produces an exhaust stream; (b) a fuel processor for producing a product stream, said fuel processor further comprising: (i) a mounting manifold; (ii) a housing coupled to said mounting manifold, and (iii) a reaction chamber defined at least in part by said housing, (c) an upstream engine exhaust conduit located between said engine and said fuel processor; (d) a downstream engine exhaust conduit located downstream of said fuel processor; wherein said mounting manifold attaches and positions said housing within said downstream engine exhaust conduit, and wherein said mounting manifold comprises a passageway that fluidly interconnects said upstream engine exhaust conduit with said downstream engine exhaust conduit, and further comprises at least one port for connecting said reaction chamber to a reactant supply conduit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The engine system of claim 1 wherein said mounting manifold defines a portion of said reaction chamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The engine system of claim 1 wherein said mounting manifold further comprises an access port for coupling a sensor to said reaction chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The engine system of claim 1 wherein said mounting manifold further comprises an ignition device for initiating a reaction within said reaction chamber. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The engine system of claim 1 wherein said passageway in said mounting manifold is substantially annular. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The engine system of claim 1, said system further comprising a hydrogen-consuming device, wherein said fuel processor further comprises a product stream conduit to supply a hydrogen-containing product stream to said hydrogen consuming device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The engine system of claim 1 wherein said housing is substantially cylindrical, and said mounting manifold attaches and positions said housing substantially axially within said downstream engine exhaust conduit. ### Claim 8 An engine system comprising: (a) an engine that during operation produces an exhaust stream; (b) a fuel processor for producing a product stream, said fuel processor further comprising: (i) a mounting manifold; (ii) a housing coupled to said mounting manifold, and (iii) a reaction chamber defined at least in part by said housing, (c) an engine exhaust conduit connected to receive said exhaust stream from said engine, and (d) an exhaust after-treatment assembly, located downstream of said fuel processor, for at least periodically reducing regulated emissions in said exhaust stream, wherein said mounting manifold attaches and positions said housing within said engine exhaust conduit, and wherein said mounting manifold comprises a passageway that fluidly interconnects said engine exhaust conduit with said exhaust after-treatment assembly, and further comprises at least one reactant supply port for connecting said reaction chamber to a reactant supply conduit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The engine system of claim 8 wherein said mounting manifold defines a portion of said reaction chamber. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The engine system of claim 8 wherein said mounting manifold further comprises an access port for coupling a sensor to said reaction chamber. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The engine system of claim 8 wherein said mounting manifold further comprises an ignition device for initiating a reaction within said reaction chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The engine system of claim 8 wherein said passageway in said mounting manifold is substantially annular. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The engine system of claim 8, said system further comprising a hydrogen-consuming device, wherein said fuel processor further comprises a product stream conduit to supply a hydrogen-containing product stream to said hydrogen consuming device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The engine system of claim 8 wherein said exhaust after-treatment assembly is connected to selectively receive said product stream from said fuel processor. ### Claim 15 A fuel processor comprising: (a) a mounting manifold; (b) a housing coupled to said mounting manifold, and (c) a reaction chamber defined at least in part by said housing, wherein said mounting manifold is for attaching and positioning said housing within a surrounding conduit, wherein said mounting manifold comprises a passageway that fluidly interconnects upstream and downstream portions of said surrounding conduit, and further comprises at least one port for connecting said reaction chamber to a reactant supply conduit. ### Claim 16 A method of operating an engine system comprising an engine, an engine exhaust conduit, and a fuel processor located within said engine exhaust conduit, said fuel processor comprising a mounting manifold coupled to a housing, and a reaction chamber defined at least in part by said housing, said method comprising: (a) operating said engine system to produce an engine exhaust stream; (b) introducing a fuel and an oxidant reactant stream into said reaction chamber via said mounting manifold and operating said fuel processor to produce a product stream; and (c) directing at least a portion of said engine exhaust stream through a passageway within said mounting manifold, into said engine exhaust conduit and over at least a portion of said fuel processor housing. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein, during operation of said fuel processor, sensible heat is transferred to said engine exhaust stream via said housing. ### Claim 18 A method of operating an engine system comprising an engine, an exhaust after-treatment assembly, and a fuel processor comprising a mounting manifold coupled to a housing, and a reaction chamber defined at least in part by said housing, said method comprising: (a) operating said engine system to produce an engine exhaust stream; (b) directing at least a portion of said engine exhaust stream to at least one exhaust after-treatment device in said exhaust after-treatment assembly, for reducing regulated emissions in said engine exhaust stream; (c) introducing a fuel and an oxidant reactant stream into said reaction chamber via said mounting manifold and operating said fuel processor to produce a product stream; and (d) at least periodically introducing at least a portion of said product stream into said exhaust after-treatment device for heating or regenerating said exhaust after-treatment device, wherein during operation of said engine at least a portion of said engine exhaust stream flows through a passageway within said mounting manifold, over at least a portion of said fuel processor housing and into said exhaust after-treatment assembly. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein, during operation of said fuel processor, sensible heat is transferred to said engine exhaust stream via said housing, and said sensible heat is beneficially employed in said exhaust after-treatment assembly. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein said product stream is a syngas stream. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein said product stream is a flue gas stream. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein said fuel reactant stream and said oxidant reactant stream are introduced tangentially into to said reaction chamber. ### Claim 23 A method of operating a fuel processor comprising a mounting manifold coupled to a housing, and a reaction chamber defined at least in part by said housing, said method comprising: (a) directing a process stream through passageways in said mounting manifold and over at least a portion of said housing, and (b) introducing a fuel and an oxidant reactant stream into said reaction chamber via said mounting manifold and operating said fuel processor to produce a product stream and sensible heat; wherein during operation of said fuel processor sensible heat is transferred to said process stream via said housing. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein said sensible heat is beneficially employed by a downstream device or process from said fuel processor. ### Claim 25 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein said product stream is beneficially employed by a downstream device or process from said fuel processor. ### Claim 26 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein said product stream is introduced into said process stream and beneficially employed by a downstream device and/or process from said fuel processor.