IPC분류정보
| 국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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| 국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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| 출원번호 |
US-0941308
(2010-11-08)
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| 등록번호 |
US-8617294
(2013-12-31)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Adams, Patton M.
- Bizjak, Travis A.
- Givens, James A.
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| 출원인 / 주소 |
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| 대리인 / 주소 |
Dascenzo Intellectual Property Law, P.C.
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| 인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
86 |
초록
▼
Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) assemblies and hydrogen-producing fuel processing assemblies and/or fuel cell systems including the same. The PSA assemblies include, or are utilized with, combustion fuel stream supply systems that are adapted to regulate the flow of a byproduct stream from the PSA a
Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) assemblies and hydrogen-producing fuel processing assemblies and/or fuel cell systems including the same. The PSA assemblies include, or are utilized with, combustion fuel stream supply systems that are adapted to regulate the flow of a byproduct stream from the PSA assembly for delivery to a heating assembly for use as a combustible fuel stream, such as to maintain at least a hydrogen-producing region of the fuel processing system at a hydrogen-producing temperature or range of temperatures. In some embodiments, the combustion fuel stream supply system is configured to ensure that the supply of combustible fuel from the PSA assembly to the heating assembly contains at least a sufficient fuel value, such as to maintain at least the hydrogen-producing region at or within a predetermined hydrogen-producing temperature or range of temperatures.
대표청구항
▼
1. A hydrogen-generation assembly, comprising: a fuel processing system having a hydrogen-producing region adapted to receive a feed stream and to produce a mixed gas stream containing hydrogen gas and other gases therefrom, wherein hydrogen gas forms a majority component of the mixed gas stream;a p
1. A hydrogen-generation assembly, comprising: a fuel processing system having a hydrogen-producing region adapted to receive a feed stream and to produce a mixed gas stream containing hydrogen gas and other gases therefrom, wherein hydrogen gas forms a majority component of the mixed gas stream;a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) assembly adapted to receive and separate, during a PSA cycle, at least a portion of the mixed gas stream into a product hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream, wherein the product hydrogen stream contains a greater concentration of hydrogen gas than the mixed gas stream and has a reduced concentration of other gases than the mixed gas stream, wherein the byproduct stream containing byproduct gas contains at least a substantial portion of the other gases, and further wherein the PSA assembly is adapted to intermittently discharge the byproduct stream during the PSA cycle;a pressure-driven combustion stream supply system adapted to receive the byproduct stream from the PSA assembly and to continuously supply, during the PSA cycle, a combustion fuel stream containing the byproduct gas and having at least a threshold fuel value to a downstream component of the fuel processing system, the combustion stream supply system comprising: an accumulator adapted to receive and at least temporarily store, as stored byproduct gas, at least a portion of the byproduct stream intermittently discharged by the pressure swing adsorption assembly; anda controlled release system adapted to selectively release the stored byproduct gas from the accumulator; anda delivery assembly adapted to receive the stored byproduct gas released from the accumulator through the controlled release system and to supply the stored byproduct gas as the combustion fuel stream to the downstream component of the hydrogen-generation assembly. 2. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 1, wherein the controlled release system includes a proportioning valve. 3. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 1, wherein the controlled release system includes a solenoid valve. 4. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 1, wherein the controlled release system includes a variable orifice valve. 5. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 1, wherein the controlled release system includes a fixed orifice valve. 6. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 1, wherein the controlled release system includes a plurality of delivery valves including at least a first delivery valve and a second delivery valve. 7. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 6, wherein the first delivery valve includes a variable orifice valve, and further wherein the second delivery valve includes a variable orifice valve. 8. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen-generation assembly further includes a chemical purification apparatus configured to reduce a concentration of the other gases in at least one of the mixed gas stream and the product hydrogen stream. 9. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 8, wherein the chemical purification apparatus includes a water gas shift reactor. 10. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 1, further including at least one fuel cell stack adapted to receive at least a portion of the product hydrogen stream and to produce an electrical output therefrom. 11. A hydrogen-generation assembly, comprising: a fuel processing system having a hydrogen-producing region adapted to receive a feed stream and to produce a mixed gas stream containing hydrogen gas and other gases therefrom, wherein hydrogen gas forms a majority component of the mixed gas stream;a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) assembly adapted to separate at least a portion of the mixed gas stream into a product hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream, wherein the product hydrogen stream contains at least substantially pure hydrogen gas and has a reduced concentration of the other gases than the mixed gas stream, wherein the byproduct stream contains at least a substantial portion of the other gases, and further wherein the PSA assembly is adapted to intermittently discharge the byproduct stream; anda combustion stream supply system adapted to selectively supply the byproduct stream to a heating assembly and to also selectively supply, when a byproduct stream having at least a threshold fuel value is not discharged from the PSA assembly, an auxiliary fuel stream to the heating assembly, such that the one or more streams supplied to the heating assembly have a combined combustion fuel value at least as great as the threshold value, the combustion stream supply system including: an accumulator adapted to receive and at least temporarily store, as stored byproduct gas, at least a portion of the byproduct stream intermittently discharged by the pressure swing adsorption assembly;a controlled release system adapted to selectively release stored byproduct gas from the accumulator; anda delivery assembly adapted to receive from the controlled release system the byproduct gas released from the accumulator and to supply the received gas as a combustion fuel stream to the heating assembly. 12. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 11, wherein, when the combined combustion fuel value is at least as great as the threshold value, the heating assembly is configured to combust the one or more streams supplied to the heating assembly to produce a heated exhaust stream sufficient to heat and maintain at least the hydrogen-producing region within a predetermined temperature range for producing the mixed gas stream. 13. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 12, wherein the predetermined temperature range is at least 250° C. 14. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 11, wherein the controlled release system includes a variable orifice valve. 15. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 11, wherein the controlled release system includes a plurality of delivery valves including at least a first delivery valve and a second delivery valve. 16. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 15, wherein the first delivery valve includes a variable orifice valve, and further wherein the second delivery valve includes a variable orifice valve. 17. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 11, wherein the hydrogen-generation assembly further includes a chemical purification apparatus configured to reduce a concentration of the other gases in at least one of the mixed gas stream and the product hydrogen stream. 18. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 17, wherein the chemical purification apparatus includes a water gas shift reactor. 19. The hydrogen-generation assembly of claim 11, further including at least one fuel cell stack adapted to receive at least a portion of the product hydrogen stream and to produce an electrical output therefrom. 20. A method for maintaining a continuous supply of fuel to a heating assembly of a fuel processing system, the method comprising: receiving a mixed gas stream containing hydrogen gas and other gases, wherein the hydrogen gas forms a majority component of the mixed gas stream;separating the mixed gas stream during a PSA cycle of a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) assembly into a product hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream, wherein the product hydrogen stream contains a greater concentration of hydrogen gas than the mixed gas stream and has a reduced concentration of the other gases than the mixed gas stream, and further wherein the byproduct stream contains byproduct gas containing at least a substantial portion of the other gases;intermittently discharging the byproduct stream from the PSA assembly during the PSA cycle;receiving the byproduct stream in an accumulator adapted to receive and at least temporarily store, within a predetermined pressure range, the byproduct gas of the byproduct stream as stored byproduct gas;selectively releasing stored byproduct gas from the accumulator; andsupplying the released stored byproduct gas as a combustion fuel stream to the heating assembly. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the selectively releasing includes selectively releasing stored byproduct gas from the accumulator at a first flow rate and selectively releasing stored byproduct gas from the accumulator at a second flow rate. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein selectively releasing stored byproduct gas from the accumulator at a first flow rate includes releasing the stored byproduct gas through a first variable orifice at the first flow rate, and further wherein selectively releasing stored byproduct gas from the accumulator at a second flow rate includes releasing the stored byproduct gas through a second variable orifice at the second flow rate. 23. The method of claim 20, the method further including purifying at least one of the mixed gas stream and the product hydrogen stream with a chemical purification apparatus. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the chemical purification apparatus includes a water gas shift reactor. 25. The method of claim 21, further including receiving at least a portion of the product hydrogen stream in a fuel cell stack configured to produce an electrical output therefrom.
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