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Systems and methods for injecting and mixing a liquid hydrocarbon fuel to provide a uniform, homogenous fuel vapor mixture for introduction into a fuel reformer for use with a fuel cell are disclosed. Preferably, the system includes a fuel injector that generates and aspirate a liquid fuel in the p

Systems and methods for injecting and mixing a liquid hydrocarbon fuel to provide a uniform, homogenous fuel vapor mixture for introduction into a fuel reformer for use with a fuel cell are disclosed. Preferably, the system includes a fuel injector that generates and aspirate a liquid fuel in the presence of an atomizing gas stream; a diverging-converging mixing chamber, into which the atomized fuel and a secondary fluid stream are introduced, to enhance the mixing of the fuel and the added heated gas or steam; and a mixer/swirler, which can be centrally located in the mixing chamber between the upper and lower chambers, to stabilize the fuel vapor mixture further for greater uniformity and homogeneity. More preferably, grooves and/or brazed wires can be provided on the surfaces of the mixing chamber and/or mixer/swirler to channel any accumulated fuel so as to provide sufficient time to evaporate the accumulated fuel.

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What is claimed is: 1. An integrated fuel injection and mixing system for atomizing and mixing a liquid fluid for introduction into a fuel reformer, the system comprising: a fluid injector, having an injector tip, for generating fine droplets of the liquid fluid under pressure; a mixing chamber tha

What is claimed is: 1. An integrated fuel injection and mixing system for atomizing and mixing a liquid fluid for introduction into a fuel reformer, the system comprising: a fluid injector, having an injector tip, for generating fine droplets of the liquid fluid under pressure; a mixing chamber that is in communication with an outlet at the injector tip of the fluid injector for atomizing and mixing the fine droplets of liquid fluid from said fluid injector with a second fluid to provide a fuel vapor mixture, wherein the mixing chamber has a diverging upper portion and a converging lower portion; and a mixer/swirler disposed in a central portion of the mixing chamber and comprising a plurality of vanes positioned in the central portion between the diverging upper portion and the converging lower portion of the mixing chamber, wherein the mixer/swirler is structured and arranged in the mixing chamber for stabilizing the fuel vapor mixture prior to introduction of the fuel vapor mixture through an entrance to the fuel reformer. 2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the fuel reformer is selected from the group comprising a steam reformer, an auto-thermal reformer, and a catalytic partial oxidation reformer. 3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the fluid injector comprises a simplex injector. 4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the fluid injector is a siphon injector. 5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the fluid injector is gas assisted to aspirate and generate fine fuel droplets. 6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the fluid injector uses at least one of siphoning principles and pressure swirling techniques to generate fine fuel droplets. 7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the fine droplets enter the mixing chamber at a high speed. 8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the second fluid includes heated airflow or superheated steam flow. 9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the heated airflow or superheated steam flow is supplied uniformly around the injector tip of the fluid injector. 10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mixer/swirler stabilizes the fuel vapor mixture by slowing down high-speed droplets of liquid fuel to provide better mixing and a more uniform droplet size. 11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mixer/swirler stabilizes the fuel vapor mixture by redistributing high-speed droplets of liquid fuel uniformly over the entire entrance area of the fuel reformer. 12. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mixer/swirler is selected from a group comprising a single swirler that can provide co-swirling and counter-swirling action and a double swirler. 13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the double swirler comprises a plurality of inner swirlers that include one or more vanes that can provide a desired swirl direction and a plurality of outer swirlers that include one or more vanes that can provide another desired swirl direction. 14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the desired swirl direction of the plurality of outer swirlers is opposite that of the swirl direction of the plurality of inner swirlers. 15. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the system further comprises one or more mesh screens configured to enhance the uniformity of the fuel vapor mixture and evenly redistribute the fuel vapor mixture at the exit of the mixing chamber. 16. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mixing chamber is structured and arranged with one or more anti-drooling/anti-carbon grooves to provide a path for any fluid collecting on an interior surface of the mixing chamber to follow, providing an extended evaporation time to said fluid. 17. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mixing chamber is structured and arranged with one or more brazed wires to provide a path for any fluid collecting on an interior surface of the mixing chamber to follow, providing an extended evaporation time to said fluid. 18. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mixer/swirler is structured and arranged with one or more anti-drooling/anti-carbon grooves to provide a path for any fluid collecting on a surface of the mixer/swirler to follow, providing an extended evaporation time to said fluid. 19. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mixer/swirler is structured and arranged with one or more brazed wires to provide a path for any fluid collecting on an interior surface of the mixer/swirler to follow, providing an extended evaporation time to said fluid. 20. A method of providing a homogenous fuel vapor mixture to a catalytic reactor, the method comprising the steps of: aspirating and generating fine fuel droplets of a liquid fluid in a fluid injector having an injector tip; introducing the fine fuel droplets into a mixing chamber in communication with an outlet at the injector tip, the mixing chamber having a diverging upper portion, a central portion, a converging lower portion, and a mixer/swirler comprising a plurality of vanes positioned in the central portion between the diverging upper portion and converging lower portion; introducing one or more other fluids into the mixing chamber to enhance atomization of the fine fuel droplets; mixing the one or more other fluids with the fine fuel droplets to provide the homogenous fuel vapor mixture; and stabilizing the homogenous fuel vapor mixture through the mixing chamber. 21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of aspirating and generating fine fuel droplets of a liquid fluid includes aspirating and generating fine fuel droplets of a uniform size. 22. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of aspirating and generating fine fuel droplets of a liquid fluid comprises using at least one of siphoning principles and pressure swirling techniques to generate the fine fuel droplets. 23. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of introducing the fine fuel droplets into a mixing chamber includes introducing the fine fuel droplets into the mixing chamber at high speed. 24. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of introducing one or more other fluids into the mixing chamber includes introducing the one or more other fluids uniformly around the fine fuel droplets as they first enter the mixing chamber. 25. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of introducing one or more other fluids into the mixing chamber includes introducing at least one of heated air and steam flow into the mixing chamber. 26. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of stabilizing the homogenous fuel vapor mixture includes slowing down the high-speed homogenous fuel vapor mixture using a swirler/mixer. 27. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of stabilizing the homogenous fuel vapor mixture includes redistributing the fuel mixture uniformly over an entrance area of the catalytic reformer. 28. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the method further includes the step of introducing the fuel vapor mixture through a mesh system to improve the uniformity of said fuel vapor mixture. 29. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the method further includes the step of promoting evaporation of any fuel droplets that accumulate on any surface of the mixing chamber or a mixer/swirler. 30. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of promoting evaporation of any fuel droplets that accumulate on any surface of the mixing chamber or a mixer/swirler includes providing one or more channels or paths along any exposed surface of the mixing chamber or any exposed surface of the mixer/swirler to channel fuel droplets that collect on said surfaces to promote further evaporation of said fuel droplets. 31. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the step of providing one or more channels or paths along an inner surface of the mixing chamber includes providing at least one of one or more spiral grooves or one or more brazed wires. 32. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of mixing the one or more other fluids with the fine fuel droplets to provide the homogenous fuel vapor mixture includes introducing a secondary fluid into the mixing chamber to enhance uniform mixture of the fine fuel droplets and the one or more other fluids. 33. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein step of introducing a secondary fluid includes introducing at least one of heated air and steam flow into the mixing chamber. 34. An integrated fuel injection and mixing system for providing a homogenous vapor mixture prior to introduction of the vapor into a catalytic reformer, the system comprising: a fluid injector, having an injector tip, for generating fine droplets of the liquid fluid; a mixing chamber that is in communication with an outlet at the injector tip of the fluid injector for mixing the fine droplets of liquid fluid from said fluid injector with other fluids to provide a fuel mixture, wherein the mixing chamber has a diverging upper portion and a converging lower portion; and a mixer/swirler disposed in a central portion of the mixing chamber and comprising a plurality of vanes positioned in the central portion between the diverging upper portion and the converging lower portion of the mixing chamber, wherein the mixer/swirler is structured and arranged in the mixing chamber for stabilizing the homogenous vapor mixture prior to introduction of the homogenous vapor mixture into the catalytic reformer. 35. An integrated fuel injection and mixing system for atomizing and mixing a liquid fluid for introduction into a fuel reformer, the system comprising: a injection means, having an injector tip, for generating fine droplets of the liquid fluid; a mixing means that is in communication with an outlet at the injector tip of the injection means for atomizing and mixing the fine droplets of liquid fluid from said injection means with a second fluid to provide a fuel vapor mixture, wherein the mixing means includes a diverging upper portion and a converging lower portion; and a swirling means disposed in a central portion of the mixing means and comprising a plurality of vanes positioned in the central portion between the diverging upper portion and the converging lower portion of the mixing chamber, wherein the swirling means is structured and arranged in the mixing means for stabilizing the fuel vapor mixture prior to introduction of the fuel vapor mixture through an entrance to the fuel reformer. 36. A fuel reformer for reforming a liquid fuel into a hydrogen-rich fluid, the reformer comprising: an integrated fuel injection and mixing system for atomizing and mixing a liquid fluid for introduction into the fuel reformer, the system including: a fluid injector, having an injector tip, for generating fine droplets of the liquid fluid under pressure; a mixing chamber that is in communication with an outlet at the injector tip of the fluid injector for atomizing and mixing the fine droplets of liquid fluid from said fluid injector with a second fluid to provide a fuel vapor mixture wherein the mixing chamber has a diverging upper portion and a converging lower portion; and a mixer/swirler disposed in a central portion of the mixing chamber and comprising a plurality of vanes positioned in the central portion between the diverging upper portion and the converging lower portion of the mixing chamber, wherein the mixer/swirler is structured and arranged in the mixing chamber for stabilizing the fuel vapor mixture prior to introduction of the fuel vapor mixture through an entrance to the fuel reformer, and a catalytic reactor for reforming the fuel vapor mixture into the hydrogen-rich fluid. 37. An improvement to a fuel cell, the improvement comprising a fuel reformer that reforms a liquid fuel into a hydrogen-rich fluid, the fuel reformer comprising: an integrated fuel injection and mixing system for atomizing and mixing a liquid fluid for introduction into the fuel reformer, the system including: a fluid injector, having an injector tip, for generating fine droplets of the liquid fluid under pressure; a mixing chamber that is in communication with an outlet at the injector tip of the fluid injector for atomizing and mixing the fine droplets of liquid fluid from said fluid injector with a second fluid to provide a fuel vapor mixture, wherein the mixing chamber has a diverging upper portion and a converging lower portion; and a mixer/swirler disposed in a central portion of the mixing chamber and comprising a plurality of vanes positioned in the central portion between the diverging upper portion and the converging lower portion of the mixing chamber, wherein the mixer/swirler is structured and arranged in the mixing chamber for stabilizing the fuel vapor mixture prior to introduction of the fuel vapor mixture through an entrance to the fuel reformer, and a catalytic reactor for reforming the fuel vapor mixture into the hydrogen-rich fluid.