# US 2016/0257565 A1 · Fuel treatment device

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2016/0257565 A1
- Document ID: US20160257565A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/546,432
- Filed: 2012-07-11
- Published: 2016-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2012-07-11
- Assignees: Eberspaecher Climate Control Systems GmbH & Co. KG
- Inventors: Karsten REINERS; Andreas KAUPERT
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160257565A1

## CPC

- H01M 8/04223: during start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells
- B01J 19/2485: {Monolithic reactors}
- C01B 3/16: using catalysts
- C01B 3/386: Catalytic partial combustion
- C01B 3/56: by contacting with solids; Regeneration of used solids
- H01M 8/04225: during start-up
- H01M 8/0618: {Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming}
- H01M 8/0625: {in a modular combined reactor/fuel cell structure}
- H01M 8/0675: {Removal of sulfur}
- B01J 2219/2416: Additional heat exchange means, e.g. electric resistance heater, coils
- B01J 2219/2428: Catalysts coated on the surface of the monolith channels
- C01B 2203/0261: containing a catalytic partial oxidation step [CPO]
- C01B 2203/0283: containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step
- C01B 2203/042: Purification by adsorption on solids
- C01B 2203/0455: Purification by non-catalytic desulfurisation
- C01B 2203/0485: the impurity being a sulfur compound
- C01B 2203/066: with fuel cells
- C01B 2203/1276: Mixing of different feed components
- C01B 2203/1288: Evaporation of one or more of the different feed components
- H01M 8/04097: {with recycling of the reactants (H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence)}
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A fuel treatment device (2) converts a hydrocarbon-containing fuel into a fuel for a fuel cell (3). The fuel treatment device (2) has for this purpose a mixture formation space (7) for forming and processing a mixture of fuel and another component, a reformer (8) for converting the mixture into a synthesis gas and a desulfurization stage (9) for removing sulfur from the synthesis gas or from the mixture. The reformer (8) and desulfurization stage (9) are arranged adjacent to each other in a housing (10) along an axis of the housing (10).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel treatment device for converting a hydrocarbon-containing fuel into a fuel for a fuel cell, the fuel treatment device comprising:
a housing;
a mixture formation space for forming and processing a mixture of fuel and another component;
a reformer for converting the mixture into a synthesis gas; and
a desulfurization stage for removing sulfur from the synthesis gas or from the mixture, wherein the reformer and the desulfurization stage are arranged adjacent to each other in the housing along a longitudinal axis of the housing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A fuel treatment device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reformer and/or the desulfurization stage comprises a coated carrier body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A fuel treatment device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reformer and the desulfurization stage have the same cross-sectional geometry.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A fuel treatment device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reformer and the desulfurization stage are integrated in a one-piece unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A fuel treatment device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mixture formation space is arranged adjacent to the reformer or the desulfurization stage in the housing along a longitudinal axis of housing.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A fuel treatment device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reformer and/or the desulfurization stage comprises a coated metal carrier body.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A fuel treatment device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reformer and/or the desulfurization stage has a coated metal carrier body with a corrugated structure.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A fuel treatment device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reformer and/or the desulfurization stage comprises a coated metal carrier body made of metal foam.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A fuel treatment device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an electric heater, wherein the mixture formation space and/or the reformer and/or the desulfurization stage are operatively connected to the electric heater.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A fuel treatment device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the desulfurization stage has an adsorbent for the removal of sulfur from the synthesis gas by adsorptive desulfurization.

### Claim 11

A fuel cell system in a motor vehicle, the fuel cell comprising:
a fuel cell; and
a fuel treatment device comprising:
a housing;
a mixture formation space for forming and processing a mixture of fuel and another component;
a reformer for converting the mixture into a synthesis gas; and
a desulfurization stage for removing sulfur from the synthesis gas or from the mixture, wherein the reformer and the desulfurization stage step are arranged adjacent to each other in the housing along a longitudinal axis of the housing, wherein fuel generated by the fuel treatment device is fed as anode gas to the fuel cell for generating electric current.

### Claim 12

A process for converting a hydrocarbon-containing fuel into a fuel for a fuel cell the process comprising the steps of:
providing a fuel treatment device comprising a housing, a mixture formation space for forming and processing a mixture of fuel and another component, a reformer for converting the mixture into a synthesis gas and a desulfurization stage for removing sulfur from the synthesis gas or from the mixture, wherein the reformer and the desulfurization stage are arranged adjacent to each other in the housing along a longitudinal axis of the housing;
feeding a hydrocarbon-containing fuel and another component to the mixture formation space;
forming and processing a mixture of the hydrocarbon-containing fuel and the other component;
converting the mixture in the reformer into a synthesis gas;
removing sulfur from the mixture or the synthesis gas in the desulfurization stage; and
regenerating the desulfurization stage by removing the sulfur bound in the desulfurization stage.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

A process for converting a hydrocarbon-containing fuel into a fuel for a fuel cell in accordance with claim 12, wherein an oxidant is fed to the desulfurization stage for regeneration.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

A process for the treatment of a hydrocarbon-containing fuel in accordance with claim 12, wherein air and/or a gas mixture is fed to the desulfurization stage for regeneration, and the regeneration is controlled by varying a quantity of the oxidant and/or fuel fed.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

A process for the treatment of a hydrocarbon-containing fuel in accordance with claim 12, wherein the step of regenerating the desulfurization stage is carried out before the step of feeding a hydrocarbon-containing fuel and another component to the mixture formation space.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

A process for the treatment of a hydrocarbon-containing fuel in accordance with claim 12, wherein the step of regenerating the desulfurization stage is carried out during the step of feeding a hydrocarbon-containing fuel and another component to the mixture formation space.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

A process for the treatment of a hydrocarbon-containing fuel in accordance with claim 12, wherein the step of regenerating the desulfurization stage is carried out after the steps of feeding, forming, converting and removing.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

A process for the treatment of a hydrocarbon-containing fuel in accordance with claim 13, wherein heat generated during the reaction of the sulfur bound in the desulfurization stage with the oxidant is used to preheat the reformer and/or the mixture formation space.

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

A process for the treatment of a hydrocarbon-containing fuel in accordance with claim 12, wherein heat generated in the reformer during the conversion of the hydrocarbon-containing fuel into a fuel for a fuel cell is used to heat the mixture formation space or components of the mixture formation space provided for evaporating fuel.