Compact multi-fuel steam reformer

A compact, mobile, multi-fuel steam reformer for producing hydrogen, the steam reformer being lightweight having a small volume, the steam reformer comprising:

• an outer cylindrical casing;
• a cylindrical filtration membrane concentric within the outer cylindrical casing forming a collection annulus with the outer cylindrical casing, the collection annulus being sealed closed at each end and having a hydrogen outlet through the outer casing;
• a cylindrical bed wall concentric within the cylindrical filtration membrane and forming a catalyst bed annulus with the filtration membrane and defining a cylindrical flue gas path through the center of the outer casing;
• a catalyst bed located in the catalyst bed annulus;
• burner means at one end of the outer casing in communication with the catalyst bed and flue gas path for combusting a combustion air and at least one of a reformer process off-gas generated in the catalyst bed and an auxiliary fuel to provide a hot flue gas to the flue gas path;
• fuel means at the other end of the outer casing for providing a fuel and steam mixture to the catalyst bed;
• and
• exhaust means at the same end as the fuel means for exhausting the hot flue gas from the flue gas path.

A compact, mobile, multi-fuel steam reformer for producing hydrogen, the steam reformer being lightweight and having a small volume, the steam reformer comprising:

• a U-shaped outer casing tube having first and second legs connected by an end passage;
• an inner U-shaped shell within the U-shaped outer casing tube forming a flue gas annulus therebetween;
• burner means at the end passage of the outer casing in communication with the flue gas annulus for combusting a combustion air and at least one of a reformer process off-gas and an auxiliary fuel to provide a hot flue gas to the flue gas annulus;
• fuel means at the end of the first leg for providing a fuel and steam mixture;
• steam-fuel reformer means in the first leg within the inner U-shaped shell for providing a catalyst to react the fuel and steam mixture to form hydrogen gas;
• and
• membrane enhanced reformer means in the second leg within the inner U-shaped shell in communication with the steam-fuel reformer means, the membrane enhanced reformer means for further reacting the fuel and steam mixture and filtering and removing the hydrogen gas from the membrane enhanced reformer means through a hydrogen outlet.