# US 7,744,664 B2 · Compact counterflow fuel reformer

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- Number: US 7,744,664 B2
- Document ID: US7744664B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/599,855
- Filed: 2006-11-15
- Published: 2008-05-15
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2006-11-15
- Assignees: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Giulio A. Ricci-Ottati; John E. Kirwan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7744664B2

## CPC

- F02B 51/02: involving catalysts
- B01J 8/0221: {in a cylindrical shaped bed (B01J8/0214 takes precedence)}
- B01J 8/0278: {Feeding reactive fluids (for solid material B01J8/0015)}
- B01J 8/0285: {Heating or cooling the reactor (for tubular reactors in furnaces B01J8/062)}
- C01B 3/386: Catalytic partial combustion
- B01J 2208/00212: Plates; Jackets; Cylinders
- B01J 2208/00504: by means of a burner
- B01J 2208/0053: Controlling multiple zones along the direction of flow, e.g. pre-heating and after-cooling
- C01B 2203/0261: containing a catalytic partial oxidation step [CPO]
- C01B 2203/06: Integration with other chemical processes
- C01B 2203/066: with fuel cells
- C01B 2203/0811: by combustion of fuel
- C01B 2203/1223: Methanol
- C01B 2203/1241: Natural gas or methane
- C01B 2203/1247: Higher hydrocarbons
- C01B 2203/1276: Mixing of different feed components
- C01B 2203/1288: Evaporation of one or more of the different feed components
- C01B 2203/1604: Starting up the process
- Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies
- F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A catalytic reformer assembly comprising a mixing chamber wherein fuel and air are mixed. The wall of the mixing chamber tapers toward an outlet end. A catalyst bed formed in an annular shape surrounds the outlet end such that the walls of the mixing chamber shield the catalyst from direct exposure to fuel droplets injected into the mixing chamber. The fuel/air mixture flows out of the mixing chamber, then turns and counterflows through the catalyst bed outside the mixing chamber. Hot reformate from the catalyst bed flows in a reformate flow chamber extending along the outer surface of the walls of the mixing chamber, heating the wall surface within the mixing chamber for instantaneous evaporation of injected fuel. A plenum for incoming air surrounds the reformate flow chamber which is also heated thereby.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A catalytic reformer assembly for generating hydrogen-containing reformate from hydrocarbons, comprising:
a reactor having a longitudinal axis and a longitudinal wall disposed about the axis, said reactor having a first axial end wall and a second axial end wall remote from the first axial end wall;
a reforming chamber disposed in the reactor about the axis defining an inbound co-axial mixing chamber, the reforming chamber including an inner chamber wall adjacent the mixing chamber and an outer chamber wall adjacent the longitudinal wall of the reactor, the mixing chamber having an entrance end adjacent the first axial end wall and an exit end remotely opposite the entrance end proximate to second axial end wall, and the entrance end to the exit end defining a first flow direction for a fuel/air mixture disposed in the mixing chamber, and the reforming chamber being in downstream fluid communication from the mixing chamber;
an air inlet duct disposed in a wall of the reactor to provide a supply of air to the mixing chamber;
a plenum defined between the longitudinal wall of the reactor and the outer chamber wall therebetween and being an intermediate fluid conduit for air supplied from the air inlet duct and delivered to a passage at the entrance end of the mixing chamber defining a second flow direction;
a reforming catalyst disposed in the reforming chamber such that reformate issues from the reforming catalyst in the reforming chamber defining a third flow direction; and
a reformate outlet duct being in fluid communication to the reformate chamber, the reformate outlet duct being a fluid conduit for reformate to exit the reforming chamber;
wherein air flows through the air inlet duct and into the plenum in the second flow direction toward the first axial end wall, and a fuel/air mixture configured in the mixing chamber flows in the first flow direction opposite the second flow direction, and the reformate flows in the third flow direction in the reforming chamber in the same direction as the second flow direction such that the reformate warms the reformate chamber walls to directly transfer heat to warm the air flowing through the plenum toward the mixing chamber and the fuel/air mixture flowing through the mixing chamber toward the reformate chamber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The reformer assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reformate chamber outer wall adjacent to the reactor longitudinal wall has a first longitudinal length and said mixing chamber has a second longitudinal length, and said first longitudinal length and said second longitudinal length are substantially equal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The reformer assembly in accordance with claim 2 wherein said plenum adjacent to the reformate chamber outer wall has a third longitudinal length, said third longitudinal length being greater than said first and second longitudinal length.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The reformer assembly in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a fuel injector being in flow communication to said mixing chamber being disposed in the first axial end wall of the reactor adjacent to said entrance end such that said fuel is injected into the mixing chamber in the first flow direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The reformer assembly in accordance with claim 4 further comprising an ignition device in communication with said mixing chamber disposed in the first axial end wall adjacent to said entrance end.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The reformer assembly in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a fuel injector being in flow communication to said mixing chamber being disposed at said exit end such that said fuel is injected into the mixing chamber counter to said first flow direction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The reformer assembly in accordance with claim 6 further comprising an ignition device in communication with said mixing chamber disposed at said exit end.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The reformer assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reformate chamber comprises a reformate chamber extending beyond the first axial end wall of the reactor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The reformer assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reactor longitudinal wall and said reformate chamber outer wall comprise cylindrical form about the axis.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The reformer assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the plenum commences outbound from, and adjacent to said exit end and terminates adjacent said first axial end wall, said air inlet duct being in fluid connection to the plenum at the second axial end wall.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The reformer assembly in accordance with claim 10 wherein the air inlet duct is disposed at the second axial end wall and the reformate outlet duct is disposed remote from the air inlet duct proximate to the first axial end wall.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The reformer assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the mixing chamber comprises a first width at the entrance end and a second width at the exit end, and the first width is greater than the second width.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The reformer assembly in accordance with claim 12 wherein the reforming catalyst is formed about the axis comprising a ring shape and disposed in the reforming chamber proximate to the exit end, said ring shape encircling a portion of the mixing chamber having the second width.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The reformer assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the reformate chamber has a first reformate chamber width proximate to the first axial end wall and a second reformate chamber width proximate to the second axial end wall, said second reformate chamber width being greater than the first reformate chamber width.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The reformer assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first and second and third flow direction comprise axial flow direction.