US 8,992,850 B2Granted

Floating catalyst/regenerator

AssigneeDana Canada Corporation

InventorDoug Vanderwees

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A fuel processor with a floating catalyst has a reactant gas passage and a product gas passage separated by a separating wall which is fixed at one end and free at the other end, to permit differential thermal expansion. The catalyst is received inside the separating wall proximate to the free end. An outer wall at least partially surrounds the separating wall and the fixed end of the separating wall may be joined to the outer wall. The fuel processor may comprise a plurality of concentric tubes, and may include a third tube located inside the separator wall. The gas passages are provided with gas permeable support structures such as turbulizers or fins which support the separating wall relative to the outer wall, but the support structures are bonded to only one tube in order to permit differential thermal expansion of the walls.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A fuel processor, comprising:

(a) a reactant gas passage;
(b) a product gas passage;
(c) a separating wall which separates the reactant gas passage from the product gas passage, the separating wall having a fixed end and a free end, wherein the fixed end is proximate to a reactant gas port and a product gas port;
(d) a catalyst received inside the separating wall proximate to the free end thereof, wherein the reactant gas passage extends from the reactant gas port to the catalyst and the product gas passage extends from the catalyst to the product gas port;
(e) an outer wall which surrounds the separating wall throughout at least a portion of its length;
and
(f) a first layer of gas permeable support structure provided between, and in contact with, the separating wall and the outer wall, wherein the first layer of gas permeable support structure is located between the fixed end and the free end of the separating wall;
wherein the separating wall extends continuously from the fixed end thereof to the catalyst and wherein the product gas passage is in heat exchange contact with the reactant gas passage between the fixed end and the free end of the separating wall;
wherein the separating wall and the outer wall each comprise cylindrical walls extending parallel to a gas flow axis and arranged concentrically with one another, such that at least a portion of one of the reactant gas passage and the product gas passage is located in an annular space between the separating wall and the outer wall;
and
wherein the annular space between the separating wall and the outer wall comprises the reactant gas passage.

8 more elements

A fuel processor, comprising:

(a) a reactant gas passage;
(b) a product gas passage;
(c) a separating wall which separates the reactant gas passage from the product gas passage, the separating wall having a fixed end and a free end, wherein the fixed end is proximate to a reactant gas port and a product gas port;
(d) a catalyst received inside the separating wall proximate to the free end thereof, wherein the reactant gas passage extends from the reactant gas port to the catalyst and the product gas passage extends from the catalyst to the product gas port;
(e) an outer wall which surrounds the separating wall throughout at least a portion of its length;
and
(f) a first layer of gas permeable support structure provided between, and in contact with, the separating wall and the outer wall, wherein the first layer of gas permeable support structure is located between the fixed end and the free end of the separating wall;
wherein the separating wall extends continuously from the fixed end thereof to the catalyst and wherein the product gas passage is in heat exchange contact with the reactant gas passage between the fixed end and the free end of the separating wall;
wherein the reactant gas passage and the product gas passage are oriented substantially parallel to a gas flow axis, and wherein each of the reactant gas passage and the product gas passage undergoes at least one change in direction of about 180 degrees along its length;
and
wherein each of the reactant gas passage and the product gas passage undergoes at least two of said changes in direction along its length.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/484,626Filed 31 May 2012
Published: US 2013/0323135 A15 Dec 2013
Granted: 31 Mar 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification31 codes

B01J 19/249
Reactors comprising multiple separated flow channels: plate-type reactors
B01J 8/025
The fluid flow within the bed being predominantly vertical: in a cylindrical shaped bed
B01J 8/0285
With stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds: heating or cooling the reactor
B01J 19/2495
Reactors comprising multiple separated flow channels: net-type reactors