US 5,527,631 A · Hydrocarbon reforming catalyst material and configuration of the same

Abstract

A hydrocarbon reforming catalyst material comprising a catalyst support impregnated with catalyst is provided for reforming hydrocarbon fuel gases in an electrochemical generator. Elongated electrochemical cells convert the fuel to electrical power in the presence of an oxidant, after which the spent fuel is recirculated and combined with a fresh hydrocarbon feed fuel forming the reformable gas mixture which is fed to a reforming chamber containing a reforming catalyst material, where the reforming catalyst material includes discrete passageways integrally formed along the length of the catalyst support in the direction of reformable gas flow. The spent fuel and/or combusted exhaust gases discharged from the generator chamber transfer heat to the catalyst support, which in turn transfers heat to the reformable gas and to the catalyst, preferably via a number of discrete passageways disposed adjacent one another in the reforming catalyst support. The passageways can be slots extending inwardly from an outer surface of the support body, which slots are partly defined by an exterior confining wall. According to a preferred embodiment, the catalyst support is non-rigid, porous, fibrous alumina, wherein the fibers are substantially unsintered and compressible, and the reforming catalyst support is impregnated, at least in the discrete passageways with Ni and MgO, and has a number of internal slot passageways for reformable gas, the slot passageways being partly closed by a containing outer wall.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A hydrocarbon reforming catalyst material configuration, comprising a porous reforming catalyst support impregnated with catalyst, at least one confining wall disposed around the catalyst support, said wall comprising a different material than said support, said catalyst support elongated in a direction of flow of a reformable hydrocarbon gas, wherein a reformable gas contacting surface of the catalyst support defines at least one discrete passageway extending along the length of the catalyst support forming a reformable gas flow channel, said at least one discrete passageway is in heat communication with means for heating the reformable hydrocarbon gas in said at least one discrete passageway, wherein the reforming catalyst material support comprises a non-rigid, porous, fibrous alumina catalyst support, wherein the fibers are compressible and substantially unsintered and are impregnated with Ni and MgO.

An electrochemical generator apparatus comprising:

an elongated generator chamber containing at least one cell bundle, the bundle containing a plurality of parallel, elongated electrochemical cells, each cell having an exterior fuel electrode, an interior air electrode, and a solid oxide electrolyte therebetween;
a fresh gaseous feed fuel inlet to the generator chamber;
a gaseous feed oxidant inlet to the generator chamber;
at least one gaseous spent fuel exit from the generator chamber;
a combustion chamber;
at least one gaseous combusted exhaust exit from the combustion chamber;
and,
a reforming chamber containing a hydrocarbon reforming catalyst material comprising a catalyst support impregnated with a reforming catalyst, at least one confining wall disposed around the catalyst support, said wall comprising a different material than said support,
wherein the reforming catalyst support comprises a non-rigid, porous, fibrous alumina support impregnated with catalyst, wherein the fibers are compressible and substantially not sintered, and elongated in the direction of gas flow,
wherein a spent fuel exit channel passes from the generator chamber to combine with a fresh hydrocarbon feed fuel inlet at a mixing chamber and a reformable hydrocarbon gas mixture passes from the mixing chamber to the reforming chamber wherein the reformable hydrocarbon gas mixture is substantially reformed and passes from the reforming chamber into the generator chamber, and,
wherein a reformable gas contacting surface of the reforming catalyst support comprises at least one discrete passageway formed at least partly integrally in the reforming catalyst support and extending along the length of the reforming catalyst support in the direction of reformable hydrocarbon gas flow forming a reformable gas flow channel, said at least one discrete passageway being in heat communication with means for heating the reformable hydrocarbon gas in said at least one discrete passageway.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hydrocarbon reforming catalyst material and configuration of the same

Life of this patent

Hydrocarbon reforming catalyst material and configuration of the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18