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US 3,955,941 AGranted
Hydrogen rich gas generator
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorsJohn Houseman, Jack H. Rupe, Raymond O. Kushida
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process and apparatus is described for producing a hydrogen rich gas by injecting air and hydrocarbon fuel at one end of a cylindrically shaped chamber to form a mixture, igniting the mixture to provide hot combustion gases, by partial oxidation of the hydrocarbon fuel. The combustion gases move away from the ignition region to another region where water is injected to be turned into steam by the hot combustion gases. The steam which is formed mixes with the hot gases present to yield a uniform hot gas whereby a steam reforming reaction with the hydrocarbon fuel takes place to produce a hydrogen rich gas.
Claims13
A hydrogen rich gas generator comprising
- means for defining a source of air,
- means for defining a source of hydrocarbon fuel,
- means for defining a source of water,
- walls defining a closed chamber,
- means located within said chamber for mixing a hydrocarbon fuel from said means defining a source of hydrocarbon fuel with a less than stoichiometric quantity of air from said means defining a source of air, to provide an air fuel mixture and for directing said mixture into an adjacent region of said chamber designated as a combustion zone,
- means adjacent to said means for mixing for igniting said air-fuel mixture to form hot gases which expand within said chamber,
- means within said chamber for preheating air from said means defining a source of air and applying said preheated air to said means for mixing,
- means for forming water from said means defining a source of water into a spray mist,
- means for injecting said spray mist directly into said hot gases at a location within said chamber adjacent to said combustion zone to form steam and for directly injecting hydrocarbon fuel from said source of hydrocarbon fuel into said hot gases to be steam reformed by said hot gases and steam into a hydrogen rich gas, said location in said chamber into which said spray mist is injected being designated as a steam reforming zone,
- means for applying water from said means defining a source of water to said means for forming a spray mist, and
- means for conducting said hydrogen rich gas to a collection area.
8 more elements
A hydrogen rich gas generator comprising:
- a hollow container,
- means for defining a source of air,
- means for defining a source of water,
- means for defining a source of hydrocarbon fuel,
- means within said container for mixing a hydrocarbon fuel from said means defining a source of fuel with a less than stoichiometric quantity of air from said means defining a source of air and for directing said mixture into an adjacent region within said container designated as a combustion zone,
- means for igniting said mixture of hydrocarbon fuel and air in said combustion zone to form hot gases which pass to an adjacent region within said container designated as a steam forming zone,
- means for forming a water spray from water from said means defining a source of water, and for injecting said water spray directly into said steam forming zone to be formed into steam mixed with said hot gases which passes to an adjacent region within said container designated as a steam reforming zone,
- means for injecting hydrocarbon fuel from said means defining a source of fuel into said reforming zone which is reformed by said steam and hot gases to produce a hydrogen rich gas,
- means in said container arranged for conducting said hydrogen rich gas to a collection area, and
- means for directing air destined for introduction into said combustion zone around said combustion zone for preheating said air.
7 more elements
A hydrogen generator comprising:
- a hollow chamber having a thermally insulated wall,
- another wall inside said chamber spaced from and paralleling said thermally insulated wall to define an air passageway therewith,
- means for introducing air under pressure into one end of said air passageway which is adjacent to one end of said chamber, said other end of said air passageway opening into the other end of said chamber to emit air under pressure thereinto,
- means defining a source of a hydrocarbon fuel,
- means for introducing a hydrocarbon fuel from said means defining a source of hydrocarbon fuel into said other end of said chamber adjacent said location at which said air under pressure is emitted from said air passageway to form a mixture therewith,
- means for igniting said mixture for producing a hot combustion gas which moves away from said other end of said chamber,
- means defining a source of water,
- means connected to said means defining a source of water for spraying water droplets into said hot combustion gas in said chamber which is heated by said hot combustion gas and converted to steam,
- means spaced from said other end of said chamber for introducing a hydrocarbon fuel from said means defining a source of hydrocarbon fuel into said hot combustion gas and steam in said chamber to be acted upon by said steam and hot combustion gas to be converted to hydrogen rich gas which is at a high temperature relative to said ambient temperature,
- means near said one end of said chamber for cooling said hydrogen rich gas with said air being introduced into said chamber, and
- means for emitting said hydrogen rich gas from said one end of said chamber.
8 more elements
A hydrogen rich gas generator comprising
- means establishing a first chamber having first and second ends and a second chamber having first and second ends,
- means connecting the second end of said first chamber to the first end of said second chamber,
- first pneumatic atomizer means in the first end of said first chamber for mixing air and a hydrocarbon fuel and emitting them into said first chamber toward said second chamber,
- air swirling means for causing turbulence of the mixture of air and hydrocarbon fuel entering into said second chamber from said first chamber,
- means for circulating air around said second chamber to be preheated,
- means for applying preheated air to said air swirling means to cause said turbulence,
- means for igniting said turbulent mixture to generate hot combustion gases, in said second chamber
- second pneumatic atomizer means for injecting a water-hydrocarbon fuel mist into said hot combustion gases to form steam followed by hydrogen rich gas, and
- means for removing said hydrogen rich gas from the second end of said second chamber.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.