Compact pressure swing reformer

A method of pressure swing reforming fuel and water, comprising:

• providing a pressure swing reformer comprising:
• a reformer bed assembly comprising at least two reactor beds wherein each bed has a feed and a product end;
• a rotary valve at one end of the reactor beds, the rotary valve comprising a flat, stationary stator comprising at least one port, and a flat, rotating seal comprising at least one rectangular port, wherein the rectangular seal port periodically aligns with the stator port with rotation of the seal;
• and
• a direct liquid injector located in the stator port, wherein the direct liquid injector has a fan shaped spray pattern approximately equal to the width of the rectangular stator seal port;
• and
• performing in each reactor bed of the reformer bed assembly, the sequentially repeated steps of:
• pressurizing a reactor bed at the feed end with fuel and water while the product end valve of the reactor bed is closed;
• reforming fuel and water in the reactor bed while continuing to admit fuel and water at the feed end and while the product end valve of the reactor is open, thereby providing syngas product from the product end of the reactor bed;
• exhausting remaining gas in the reactor bed from the feed end;
• and
• regenerating the reactor bed by supplying fuel and oxidant to the product end of the reactor bed while the feed end valve is open, thereby exhausting regeneration flue gas from the feed end of the reactor bed.

A rotary valve pressure swing reformer including a reformer bed assembly comprising at least two reactor beds wherein each bed has a feed and a product end;

• valves at the feed ends of the reactor beds;
• and valves at the product ends of the reactor beds;
• wherein the pressure swing reformer comprises a first rotary valve assembly for supplying a first liquid feed to the reactor beds, the first rotary valve assembly comprising:
• a flat stationary stator comprising at least one port;
• a flat rotating seal comprising at least one port, wherein the rotating seal port periodically lines up with the stationary stator port with rotation of the rotating seal;
• a pipe connected at one end to the rotating seal port for directing the first liquid feed flowing through the rotating seal port into a reactor bed in the reformer;
• and
• an atomizing nozzle connected to the other end of the pipe.