IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0116126
(2002-04-05)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Kumar, Ravi Vipperla
- Kastanas, George N.
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
10 인용 특허 :
4 |
초록
▼
In a fuel processor based on autothermal cyclic reforming process, the fuel processor having a reformer, the reformer having two reactors with integrated heat exchangers, the two reactors cycling between a reforming step and a regeneration step, a method of generating hydrogen gas includes receiving
In a fuel processor based on autothermal cyclic reforming process, the fuel processor having a reformer, the reformer having two reactors with integrated heat exchangers, the two reactors cycling between a reforming step and a regeneration step, a method of generating hydrogen gas includes receiving a mixture of fuel and steam in the reformer reactor operating in a reforming step to produce hydrogen-rich reformate gas. The fuel is delivered from a fuel supply and the steam is generated by a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The reformate gas is fed to a shift reactor to reduce the concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) gas present in the reformate gas. Product gas generated by the shift reactor is received in a condenser to recover heat from the product gas. In one embodiment output gas stream from the condenser is supplied to a CO oxidizer to further reduce the CO concentration. The output gas stream from the CO oxidizer is supplied to an anode of a fuel cell, the fuel cell including a cathode for receiving ambient air to initiate an electrochemical reaction with the gas stream received by the anode. In another embodiment the output gas stream from the condenser is supplied to a Pressure Swing Adsorber (PSA). The output gas is high-purity hydrogen which can be utilized for industrial hydrogen or hydrogen vehicle refueling applications.
대표청구항
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1. In a fuel processor based on autothermal cyclic reforming process, said processor having two reformer reactors with integrated heat exchangers, said two reactors cycling between a reforming step and a regeneration step, a method of generating hydrogen gas comprising:receiving a mixture of fuel an
1. In a fuel processor based on autothermal cyclic reforming process, said processor having two reformer reactors with integrated heat exchangers, said two reactors cycling between a reforming step and a regeneration step, a method of generating hydrogen gas comprising:receiving a mixture of fuel and steam in said reformer reactor operating in a reforming step to produce a hydrogen-rich reformate gas; supplying the reformate gas to a shift reactor to reduce the concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) gas present in the reformate gas; receiving product gas generated by the shift reactor in a condenser to recover heat from the product gas; flowing output gas stream from the condenser to a CO oxidizer to further reduce CO concentration; and providing CO oxidizer output to a fuel cell for generating electricity. 2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the fuel cell includes anode and cathode sections, the CO oxidizer output is provided to the anode and ambient air is supplied to the cathode for initiating electrochemical reaction, the method further includes:flowing a portion of a vent stream from the anode and a vent stream from the cathode to the reformer reactor operating in the regeneration step to produce vent gas; and feeding the vent gas to an HRSG. 3. The method as in claim 2, wherein the anode and cathode vent streams are passed through the condenser before being received by the reformer reactor in the regeneration step.4. The method as in claim 2, further comprising:flowing a remainder of the anode vent stream to an auxiliary burner associated with the HRSG to produce additional heat to generate steam. 5. The method as in claim 4, further comprising:feeding air to the auxiliary burner for enabling the HRSG to generate steam. 6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the integrated heat exchanger enables transfer of heat from a product gas output by respective reformer reactors to a feed gas to the respective reformer reactor.7. The method as in claim 6, wherein the integrated heat exchanger reduces the temperature of the product gas from about 700-1000 degrees C. to about 200-700 degrees C., thereby recovering heat from the product gas.8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the shift reactor reduces the concentration of CO in the reformate stream to less than 2%.9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the reformate stream feeding into the shift reactor is mixed with steam from an HRSG, and liquid water from an external source to increase the steam content and to reduce the temperature of the reformate stream.10. The method as in claim 1, wherein the fuel supplied to the reformer reactor in the reforming step comprises natural gas, propane, gasoline, diesel, naphtha, or other hydrocarbon based fuels and landfill gas, biogas or other bio-fuels.11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the reformate stream generated by the reformer reactor in the reforming step comprises a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide, steam, and hydrocarbons.12. A fuel processor based on autothermal cyclic reforming process for generating hydrogen, the apparatus comprising:two reformer reactors with integrated heat exchangers, said two reformer reactors cycling between a reforming step and a regeneration step; a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) for generating steam, said steam being mixed with fresh fuel and delivered to the reformer reactor operating in a reforming step to produce a hydrogen-rich reformate gas; a shift reactor receiving the reformate gas to reduce the concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) gas present in the reformate gas to produce shift reactor product gas; a condenser receiving the shift reactor product gas to recover heat from the shift reactor product gas; a CO oxidizer receiving output gas stream from the condenser to further reduce the concentration of the CO in the condenser output gas stream; and a fuel cell having anode and cathode sections, the anode section receiving gas stream output by the CO oxidizer, and the cathode section receiving ambient air to initiate an electrochemical reaction with the gas stream received by the anode. 13. The fuel processor apparatus as in claim 12, wherein a portion of a vent stream from the anode and a vent stream from the cathode are supplied to the reformer reactor operating in the regeneration step to produce vent gas, and the vent gas is supplied to the HRSG.14. The fuel processor as in claim 12, wherein the anode and cathode vent streams are passed through the condenser before being received by the reformer reactor in the regeneration step.15. The fuel processor apparatus as in claim 13, further comprising:an auxiliary burner associated with the HRSG, said burner receiving a remainder of the anode vent stream to produce additional heat to generate steam. 16. The fuel processor apparatus as in claim 15, wherein the auxiliary burner is supplied with air for enabling the HRSG to generate steam.17. The fuel processor apparatus as in claim 12, wherein each integrated heat exchanger enables transfer of heat from a product gas output by respective reformer reactors to a feed gas to the respective reformer reactors.18. The fuel processor apparatus as in claim 17, wherein the integrated heat exchanger reduces the temperature of the product gas from about 700-1000 degrees C. to about 200-700 degrees C., thereby recovering heat from the product gas.19. The fuel processor apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the shift reactor reduces the concentration of CO in the reformate stream to less than 2%.20. The fuel processor apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the reformate stream feeding into the shift reactor is mixed with steam from the HRSG, and liquid water from an external source to increase the steam content and to reduce the temperature of the reformate stream.21. The fuel processor apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the fuel supplied to the first reactor comprises natural gas, propane, gasoline, diesel, naphtha, or other hydrocarbon based fuels and bio-fuels.22. The fuel processor apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the reformate stream generated by the reformer reactor in the reforming step comprises a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide, steam, and hydrocarbons.23. In a fuel processor based on autothermal cyclic reforming process, said processor having two reformer reactors with integrated heat exchangers, said two reformer reactors cycling between a reforming step and a regeneration step, a method of generating hydrogen gas comprising:receiving a mixture of fuel and steam in said reformer reactor operating in a reforming step, said fuel delivered from a fuel supply and said steam generated by a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), to produce a hydrogen-rich reformate gas; feeding the reformate gas to a shift reactor to reduce the concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) gas present in the reformate gas to produce shift reactor product gas; interposing a CO oxidizer between a first and second heat exchangers, each of said first and second heat exchangers including a hot section and a cold section; receiving the shift reactor product gas in the hot section of the first heat exchanger for recovering heat, and delivering output gas stream from the first heat exchanger to the CO oxidizer to reduce the concentration of CO in the output gas stream from the first heat exchanger; supplying water to the cold section of each of said first and second heat exchangers to generate a mixture of steam and water; delivering the mixture of steam and water to the HRSG; supplying output gas stream from the CO oxidizer to the hot section of the second heat exchanger for recovering heat from gas stream output from the CO oxidizer; and supplying output gas stream from the second heat exchanger to an anode of a fuel cell, the fuel cell including a cathode for receiving ambient air to initiate an electrochemical reaction with the gas stream received by the anode. 24. The method as in claim 23, further comprising:delivering a portion of anode and cathode vent streams to a cold section of a third heat exchanger; delivering product gas from the reformer reactor operating in a regeneration step to the third heat exchanger to preheat the anode and cathode vent streams received by the third heat exchanger; and delivering preheated anode and cathode vent streams to the reformer reactor in the regeneration step. 25. The method as in claim 24, further comprising:supplying a portion of the anode and cathode vent streams to an auxiliary burner associated with the HRSG. 26. The method as in claim 25, wherein the auxiliary burner is supplied with ambient air.27. A fuel processor based on autothermal cyclic reforming process for generating hydrogen, the apparatus comprising:two reformer reactors with integrated heat exchangers, said two reformer reactors cycling between a reforming step and a regeneration step; a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) for generating steam, said reformer reactor in the reforming step receiving the steam from the HRSG and fuel from an external source for producing a hydrogen-rich reformate gas, and wherein said reformer reactor operating in a reforming step; a shift reactor for reducing the concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) present in the reformate gas; a CO oxidizer interposed between a first and second heat exchangers, each of said first and second heat exchangers including a hot section and a cold section, wherein product gas from the shift reactor is received in the hot section of the first heat exchanger for recovering heat, and output gas stream from the first heat exchanger is delivered to the CO oxidizer to reduce the concentration of CO in the output gas stream from the first heat exchanger; and a fuel cell having an anode and a cathode, the anode receiving the output gas stream from the second heat exchanger, and said cathode receiving ambient air to initiate an electrochemical reaction with the gas stream received by the anode. 28. The fuel processor as in claim 27, further comprising:a third heat exchanger having hot and cold sections, the cold section of said third heat exchanger receiving a portion of anode and cathode vent streams. 29. The fuel processor as in claim 27, wherein each of said first and second heat exchangers receive liquid water from an external source to generate a mixture of steam and water, said mixture being delivered to the HRSG.30. The fuel processor as in claim 27, wherein the hot section of the second heat exchanger receives the output gas stream from the CO oxidizer.31. The fuel processor as in claim 28, wherein said third heat exchanger further receives product gas from the reformer reactor operating in a regeneration step for preheating the anode and cathode vent streams, said vent stream being delivered to the reformer reactor in the regeneration step.32. The fuel processor as in claim 27, wherein a portion of the anode and cathode vent streams are supplied to an auxiliary burner associated with the HRSG.33. The fuel processor as in claim 32, wherein the auxiliary burner is supplied with ambient air.34. In a fuel processor based on autothermal cyclic reforming process, said processor having two reformer reactors with integrated heat exchangers, said two reformer reactors cycling between a reforming step and a regeneration step, a method of generating hydrogen gas comprising:receiving a mixture of fuel and steam in said reformer reactor operating in a reforming step, said fuel delivered from a fuel supply and said steam generated by a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), to produce a hydrogen-rich reformate gas; feeding the reformate gas to a shift reactor to reduce the concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) gas present in the reformate gas to produce shift reactor product gas; receiving the shift reactor product gas in a condenser to recover heat from the shift reactor product gas; and supplying condenser output gas stream to a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit for generating high purity hydrogen. 35. The method as in claim 34, further comprising:supplying a portion of unreacted gas stream from the PSA unit to the condenser for recovering heat from the unreacted gas stream; and delivering the unreacted gas stream from the condenser to the reformer reactor operating in the regeneration step. 36. The method as in claim 35, wherein the unreacted gas stream from the PSA unit and ambient air prior to its delivery to the condenser.37. The method as in claim 34, further comprising:supplying a portion of the unreacted gas stream from the PSA unit to an auxiliary burner associated with the HRSG. 38. The method as in claim 37, wherein the auxiliary burner is supplied with ambient air.
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