Generation of ammonia/hydrogen mixtures and/or hydrogen-enriched fuel mixtures

A method for producing a hydrogen-enriched fuel stream, comprising:

• introducing a feed stream comprising ammonia into a feed region of a catalytic membrane reactor, wherein the catalytic membrane reactor comprises:
• a feed vessel, comprising a feed-facing surface and a permeate-facing surface, wherein the permeate-facing surface is impregnated with a first metal catalyst and coated with a hydrogen-selective membrane;
• a permeate vessel;
• the feed region, in contact with the feed-facing surface of the feed vessel and containing particles of a second metal catalyst;
• and
• a permeate region, in contact with the permeate-facing surface of the feed vessel;
• causing at least a portion of the ammonia in the feed stream to undergo a decomposition reaction to form a product gas stream comprising hydrogen gas within the feed region, wherein the decomposition reaction is catalyzed by the first and second metal catalysts;
• passing at least a portion of the hydrogen gas in the product gas stream through the hydrogen-selective membrane to form a separated hydrogen gas stream in the permeate region, thereby leaving a remainder of the product gas stream in the feed region as a retentate gas stream;
• flowing the retentate gas stream out of an exit of the feed region;
• passing a sweep gas comprising a fuel into the permeate region to form the hydrogen-enriched fuel stream;
• and
• flowing the hydrogen-enriched fuel stream out of an exit of the permeate region.

A method for fabricating a catalytic membrane reactor, comprising:

• impregnating an outer surface of a ceramic support with a metal catalyst;
• and
• plating the outer surface of the ceramic support with a coating material via electroless deposition,
• wherein the plating step comprises:
• immersing the ceramic support in a bath of a plating solution comprising the coating material;
• intermittently sonicating the bath;
• and
• rotating the ceramic support within the bath.

A catalytic membrane reactor, comprising:

• a feed vessel, comprising a feed-facing surface and a permeate-facing surface, wherein the permeate-facing surface is impregnated with a first metal catalyst and coated with a hydrogen-selective membrane;
• a permeate vessel;
• a feed region, in contact with the feed-facing surface of the feed vessel and containing particles of a second metal catalyst;
• and
• a permeate region, in contact with the permeate-facing surface of the feed vessel.