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A heat exchanger is made from a single piece of metal foil. The foil is coated with catalyst, corrugated with herringbone or skew corrugations, except along narrow flat areas near its edges, and folded back and forth upon itself. The folded metal structure is blocked off, except at regions near the

A heat exchanger is made from a single piece of metal foil. The foil is coated with catalyst, corrugated with herringbone or skew corrugations, except along narrow flat areas near its edges, and folded back and forth upon itself. The folded metal structure is blocked off, except at regions near the flat areas, and enclosed in a container. A first gas stream flows into one set of folds, in a path which includes the flat areas and the channels formed by the corrugations. A second gas stream similarly flows into the other set of folds. The two streams are in thermal contact, but do not mix. The heat exchanger is especially useful in operating a catalytic fuel reformer, or in other applications involving catalytic processes. Alternative embodiments use straight corrugations to create straight channels that minimize the pressure drop through the heat exchanger.

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1. A heat exchanger comprising:a) a piece of metal having a length and a pair of longitudinal edges, the piece being corrugated except along a pair of flat areas, the flat areas extending along substantially all of the length of the piece, the flat areas being generally parallel to and spaced apart

1. A heat exchanger comprising:a) a piece of metal having a length and a pair of longitudinal edges, the piece being corrugated except along a pair of flat areas, the flat areas extending along substantially all of the length of the piece, the flat areas being generally parallel to and spaced apart from said longitudinal edges, b) the metal being folded back and forth upon itself to define a zig-zag pattern, and c) the longitudinal edges being blocked of f to prevent gas from entering through said edges. 2. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the folded piece of metal is enclosed within a metal container.3. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein the container defines a pair of inlet ports and a pair of outlet ports, wherein a first inlet port and a first outlet port provide fluid communication with the flat areas on a first side of said piece of metal, and wherein a second inlet port and a second outlet port provide fluid communication with the flat areas on a second side of said piece of metal.4. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein the longitudinal edges are blocked off by an insulating blanket material disposed between the folded piece of metal and the container.5. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein the folded piece of metal is enclosed by a plurality of sections formed of an insulating blanket material, the blanket material being located inside the container.6. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the piece of metal has herringbone corrugations.7. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the piece of metal has a longitudinal axis, and wherein the piece of metal has corrugations that are non-perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the piece of metal.8. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the piece of metal has a longitudinal axis, and wherein the piece of metal has corrugations that are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the piece of metal.9. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein at least one side of the piece of metal is coated with a catalyst.10. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein a first side of the piece of metal is coated with a first catalyst, and wherein a second side of the piece of metal is coated with a second catalyst, and where the first and second catalysts are different.11. A heat exchanger comprising:a) a piece of metal having a length, a longitudinal axis and a pair of longitudinal edges, the piece having corrugations which are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the piece being uncorrugated along a pair of flat areas, the flat areas extending alone substantially all of the length of the piece, the flat areas being generally parallel to and spaced apart from said longitudinal edges, b) the metal piece being folded back and forth upon itself to define a zig-zag pattern having a plurality of folds, c) a plurality of flat strips located within said folds, and d) the longitudinal edges being blocked off to prevent gas flow from entering through said edges. 12. The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein the folded piece of metal and the flat strips are enclosed within a metal container.13. The heat exchanger of claim 12, wherein the container defines a pair of inlet ports and a pair of outlet ports, wherein a first inlet port and a first outlet port provide fluid communication with the flat areas on a first side of said piece of metal, and wherein a second inlet port and a second outlet port provide fluid communication with the flat areas on a second side of said piece of metal.14. The heat exchanger of claim 12, wherein the longitudinal edges are blocked off by an insulating blanket material disposed between the folded piece of metal and the container.15. The heat exchanger of claim 12, wherein the folded piece of metal is enclosed by a plurality of sections formed of an insulating blanket material, the blanket material being located inside the container.16. The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein at least one side of the piece of metal is coated with a catalyst.17. The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein a first side of the piece of metal is coated with a first catalyst, and wherein a second side of the piece of metal is coated with a second catalyst, and where the first and second catalysts are different.18. The heat exchanger of claim 17, wherein at least some of the flat strips are coated with a catalyst corresponding to a catalyst coating on the fold in which the flat strip is located.19. A heat exchanger comprising:a) an uncorrugated piece of metal which is folded back and forth upon itself to define a zig-zag pattern having a plurality of folds, b) a plurality of cut strips located within said folds, each cut strip having a longitudinal axis and a pair of ends, each cut strip having corrugations parallel to the longitudinal axis except for a pair of uncorrugated areas near the ends of the cut strip, c) the ends of the cut strips being blocked off to prevent gas flow from entering through said ends. 20. The heat exchanger of claim 19, wherein the folded piece of metal and the cut strips are enclosed within a metal container.21. The heat exchanger of claim 20, wherein the container defines a pair of inlet ports and a pair of outlet ports, wherein a first inlet port and a first outlet port provide fluid communication with the uncorrugated areas on a first side of said piece of metal, and wherein a second inlet port and a second outlet port provide fluid communication with the uncorrugated areas on a second side of said piece of metal.22. The heat exchanger of claim 20, wherein the ends are blocked off by an insulating blanket material disposed between the folded piece of metal and the container.23. The heat exchanger of claim 20, wherein the folded piece of metal is enclosed by a plurality of sections formed of an insulating blanket material, the blanket material being located inside the container.24. The heat exchanger of claim 19, wherein at least one side of the piece of metal is coated with a catalyst.25. The heat exchanger of claim 19, wherein a first side of the piece of metal is coated with a first catalyst, and wherein a second side of the piece of metal is coated with a second catalyst, and where the first and second catalysts are different.26. The heat exchanger of claim 25, wherein at least same of the cut strips are coated with a catalyst corresponding to a catalyst coating on the fold in which the cut strip is located.27. A method of making a heat exchanger, comprising:a) corrugating a piece of metal having a length and a pair of longitudinal edges, the corrugating being done everywhere on the piece of metal except along a pair of areas, which areas extend along substantially all of the length of the piece, and which areas are generally parallel to and spaced apart from the longitudinal edges, b) folding the piece of metal back and forth upon itself to define a zig-zag pattern, and c) blocking off the longitudinal edges to prevent gas from entering through said edges. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the corrugating step is preceded by the step of coating at least one side of the piece of metal with catalyst.29. The method of claim 27, wherein the corrugating step is preceded by the step of coating both sides of the piece of metal with catalyst, and wherein different coatings are applied to different sides of the metal piece.30. The method of claim 27, further comprising enclosing the folded piece of metal within a metal container.31. The method of claim 30, wherein the blocking off includes mounting an insulating blanket material around the folded piece of metal, such that the blanket material is located between the folded piece of metal and the container.32. A method of making a heat exchanger, comprising:a) corrugating a piece of metal having a length and a pair of longitudinal edges, the corrugating being done everywhere on the piece of metal except along a pair of areas, which areas extend alone substantially all of the length of the piece, and which areas are generally parallel to and spaced apart from the longitudinal edges, b) folding the piece of metal back and forth upon itself to define a zig-zag pattern, c) inserting cut, uncorrugated pieces of metal into folds defined by the folded piece of metal, and d) blocking off the longitudinal edges to prevent gas from entering through said edges. 33. The method of claim 32, wherein the corrugating step is preceded by the step of coating at least one side of the piece of metal with catalyst.34. The method of claim 32, wherein the corrugating step is preceded by the step of coating both sides of the piece of metal with catalyst, and wherein different coatings are applied to different sides of the metal piece.35. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of coating at least one side of each cut piece with a catalyst corresponding to a catalyst applied to a fold in which said cut piece is inserted.36. The method of claim 32, further comprising enclosing the folded piece of metal within a metal container.37. The method of claim 33, wherein the blocking off includes mounting an insulating blanket material around the folded piece of metal, such that the blanket material is located between the folded piece of metal and the container.38. A method of making a heat exchanger, comprising:a) folding an uncorrugated piece of metal back and forth upon itself to define a zig-zag pattern, b) inserting cut pieces of metal into folds defined by the folded piece of metal, the cut pieces having ends, and being corrugated except in a pair of areas near the ends of said cut pieces, and c) blocking off the ends of the cut pieces to prevent gas from entering through said edges. 39. The method of claim 38, wherein the corrugating step is preceded by the step of coating at least one side of the piece of metal with catalyst.40. The method of claim 38, wherein the corrugating step is preceded by the step of coating both sides of the piece of metal with catalyst, and wherein different coatings are applied to different sides of the metal piece.41. The method of claim 39, further comprising the step of coating at least one side of each cut piece with a catalyst corresponding to a catalyst applied to a fold in which said cut piece is inserted.42. The method of claim 38, further comprising enclosing the folded piece of metal within a metal container.43. The method of claim 42, wherein the blocking off includes mounting an insulating blanket material around the folded piece of metal, such that the blanket material is located between the folded piece of metal and the container.44. A heat exchanger comprising:a) a piece of metal having a longitudinal axis and a pair of longitudinal edges, the piece having corrugations which are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the piece being un-corrugated along a pair of flat areas located in a vicinity of said longitudinal edges, b) the metal piece being folded back and forth upon itself to define a zig-zag pattern having a plurality of folds, c) a plurality of flat strips located within said folds, and d) the longitudinal edges being blocked off to prevent gas flow from entering through said edges, wherein a first side of the piece of metal is coated with a first catalyst, and wherein a second side of the piece of metal is coated with a second catalyst, and where the first and second catalysts are different, wherein at least some of the flat strips are coated with a catalyst corresponding to a catalyst coating on the fold in which the flat strip is located. 45. A method of making a heat exchanger, comprising:a) corrugating a piece of metal having a pair of longitudinal edges, the corrugating being done everywhere on the piece of metal except along a pair of areas located in a vicinity of the longitudinal edges, b) folding the piece of metal back and forth upon itself to define a zig-zag pattern, c) inserting cut, uncorrugated pieces of metal into folds defined by the folded piece of metal, and d) blocking off the longitudinal edges to prevent gas from entering through said edges, wherein the corrugating step is preceded by the step of coating at least one side of the piece of metal with catalyst, and further comprising the step of coating at least one side of each cut piece with a catalyst corresponding to a catalyst applied to a fold in which said cut piece is inserted.