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US 6,783,741 B2Granted
Fuel processing system
AssigneeIdaTech, LLC
InventorsDavid J. Edlund, William A. Pledger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel processing system is disclosed. The system includes a steam reformer adapted to produce hydrogen from a feedstock consisting of water and at least one of an alcohol and a hydrocarbon feedstock. The feedstock is exposed to one or more reformation regions including a reformation catalyst and to a membrane region including at least one hydrogen-selective membrane.
Claims55
A steam reformer adapted to receive a reformate feedstock and produce an at least substantially pure hydrogen stream therefrom, the steam reformer comprising:
- a first reformation region including a reformation catalyst;
- a second reformation region including a reformation catalyst;
- wherein at least one of the reformation regions is adapted to produce a reformats stream comprising hydrogen and other gasses;
- and
- a membrane region including a hydrogen-selective membrane, the membrane region being in fluid communication with the first and second reformation regions, and the hydrogen-selective membrane being adapted to receive the reformate stream and separate the reformate stream into an at least substantially pure hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream including a substantial portion of the other gasses.
2 more elements
A steam reformer comprising:
- a plurality of annular reformation regions housed within a shell, each reformation region including a reformation catalyst adapted to produce hydrogen from a gas mixture including carbon-containing fuel and steam and wherein at least one of said annular reformation regions houses at least one annular hydrogen-selective membrane forming a hydrogen-selective membrane tube adapted to separate a mixed-gas stream into an at least substantially pure hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream including a substantial portion of the other gasses.
A steam reformer comprising:
- a reformation region adapted to receive a reformation feedstock and produce a mixed gas stream containing hydrogen and other gasses therefrom;
- a separation region adapted to expose the mixed gas stream to a plurality of hydrogen-selective membranes to separate the mixed gas stream into a substantially pure hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream containing at least a substantial portion of the other gasses, wherein the hydrogen-selective membranes have a combined surface area in the range of approximately 50 cm2 and approximately 1300 cm2.
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a steam reformer comprising
- a first reformation region containing a reformation catalyst;
- a second reformation region containing a reformation catalyst;
- wherein at least one of said first and second reformation regions is adapted to receive a reformation feedstock and produce a mixed gas stream containing hydrogen and other gasses therefrom;
- a separation region adapted to expose the mixed gas stream to at least one of a plurality of hydrogen-selective membranes adapted to separate the mixed gas stream into an at least substantially pure hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream containing at least a substantial portion of the other gasses, wherein the separation region is in fluid communication with the first and second reformation regions;
- a combustion region adapted to provide heat to the reformer, the combustion region being further adapted to combust at least a portion of the byproduct stream;
- a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cells adapted to receive the at least substantially pure hydrogen stream and produce an electric current therefrom.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.