Reforming and Hydrogen Purification System

Abstract

A reforming and hydrogen purification system operating with minimal pressure drop for producing free hydrogen from different hydrogen rich fuels includes a hydrogen reforming catalyst bed in a vessel in communication with a core unit containing a hydrogen permeable selective membrane. The vessel is located within an insulated enclosure which forms an air inlet passageway and an exhaust passageway on opposite sides of the vessel. Air and raffinate pass through a burner within the air inlet passageway, providing a heated flue gas to heat the catalyst to the reaction temperature needed to generate free hydrogen from the feedstock. The burner flue gas flows laterally over and along the length of the bed between the input and output ends of the bed. Hydrogen is recovered from the core for use by a hydrogen-consuming device such as a fuel cell. The remaining unrecovered hydrogen in the reformed gases is contained in raffinate and is used to supply process heat via the burner. The exhaust flue gas and the inlet air supply pass through a recuperator in which the inlet air is heated from the hot exhaust gas. The feedstock input line is also coupled to the raffinate line and the hydrogen recovery line to preheat the feedstock prior to entry into the catalyst bed.

1 - 50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . A counterflow heat recuperating system for heating of an inlet air supply in a reformer for producing hydrogen having an air inlet chamber and adjacent exhaust flue gas outlet chamber separated by a common wall, said recuperating system comprising a plurality of heat transmitting plates formed of thermally conductive material, each of said plates transversely mounted on said vertical wall and extending across said air inlet chamber and said exhaust flue gas outlet chamber and including a plurality of distributed openings to permit essentially free inlet air flow and exhaust flue gas flow through said plates, and sealing means between said plates and said common wall to prevent mixing exhaust flue gas and inlet air gas streams, whereby said plates facilitate the flow of heat from the exhaust flue gas stream to the inlet air supply. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51  where said sealing means comprises a thermally insulating sealing member placed between each of said plates, and where the sealing member is of sufficient width to substantially prevent mixing of the inlet air and exhaust flue gas. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 52  wherein each of said heat transmitting plates is located in a plane perpendicular to the flow of said inlet air supply and said exhaust flue gas. 
     
     
         54 - 55 . (canceled)