Gaseous fuel CPOX reformers and methods of CPOX reforming

• Main Authors: Finnerty, Caine M, Dewald, Paul
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.01.2017
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; ELECTRICITY; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY; NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

A gaseous fuel catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) reformer can include a plurality or an array of spaced-apart CPOX reactor units (408), each reactor unit including an elongate tube having a wall with internal and external surfaces, the wall enclosing an open gaseous flow passageway with at least a portion of the wall having CPOX catalyst disposed therein and/or comprising its structure. The catalyst-containing wall structure and open gaseous flow passageway enclosed thereby define a gaseous phase CPOX reaction zone (409), the catalyst-containing wall section being gas-permeable to allow gaseous CPOX reaction mixture to diffuse therein and hydrogen- rich product reformate to diffuse therefrom. At least the exterior surface of a CPOX reaction zone of a CPOX reactor unit can include a hydrogen barrier. The gaseous fuel CPOX reformer also can include one or more igniters, and a source of gaseous reformable fuel.