Patent ID: 7276095
Filing Date: 2007-10-02
Classification: B01D,C01B,Y02C,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A fuel processing system for producing hydrogen, said system comprising: a primary reactor, said primary reactor generating hydrogen from a hydrocarbon fuel to generate a reformate gas including hydrogen and other by-products; an adsorber device, said adsorber device receiving the reformate gas from the primary reactor and adsorbing the other by-products in the reformate gas to generate a nearly pure stream of hydrogen gas; a combustor, said combustor generating heat for the primary reactor, wherein a line couples the adsorber device directly to the combustor and a portion of the pure hydrogen gas stream is used to desorb by-products in the adsorber device where the desorbed by-products are sent to the combustor on the line to be used as fuel; a separator receiving the reformate gas from the primary reactor prior to the reformate gas being applied to the adsorber device, said separator separating liquid water from the reformate gas to generate a reformate gas including primarily hydrogen, nitrogen, water vapor, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; and a water vapor transfer device receiving the reformate gas from the separator, said water vapor transfer device removing water vapor from the reformate gas.