FUEL PROCESSOR FOR USE WITH PORTABLE CELLS

• Main Authors: BRANTLEY JENNIFER E, CHAN FAN LIANG, TUCKER GERRY, KAYE IAN W, SOMOGYVARI ARPAD
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 25.02.2010
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; BOILING; BOILING APPARATUS; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION ORPROCESSING OF GOODS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; 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; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

The invention relates to a fuel processor that produces hydrogen from a fuel. The fuel processor comprises a reformer and a heater. The reformer includes a catalyst that facilitates the production of hydrogen from the fuel; the heater provides heat to the reformer. Multipass reformer and heater chambers are described that reduce fuel processor size. Single layer fuel processors include reformer and heater chambers in a compact form factor that is well suited for portable applications. Some fuel processors described herein place an electrically resistive material in contact with a thermally conductive material to heat fuel entering the fuel processor. This is particularly useful during start-up of the fuel processor. Fuel processors described may also include features that facilitate assembly.