Patent ID: 7115148
Filing Date: 2006-10-03
Classification: B01J,C01B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A methanol-steam reforming apparatus for producing hydrogen comprising: (a) a housing having first and second end walls; (b) a first vessel extending into said housing from the first end wall defining a heating chamber; (c) at least one heater in said heating chamber; (d) a second vessel in said housing surrounding and spaced apart from the first vessel and having a closed end and a free end spaced apart from said first end wall defining a gap through which fluid can flow, the area between the first and second vessels defining a heating zone, and the area between the second vessel and the housing defining a reaction chamber extending around a major portion of the second vessel; (e) an inlet duct extending through said first end wall and said first vessel into said heating zone for introducing reactants into said heating zone; (f) a heat conducting mesh in said heating zone for heating reactants and conducting heat from said first vessel to said second vessel; (g) a catalyst bed filling said reaction chamber for causing methanol and steam to react to produce hydrogen; (h) a plurality of tubular hydrogen permeable membranes in said catalyst bed extending through said second end wall; (i) a hydrogen outlet passage in said second end wall for receiving hydrogen from said membranes and discharging the hydrogen from the apparatus; (j) a retentate manifold in said reaction chamber connected to said second vessel at said closed end thereof, said manifold having a sieve for admitting retentate gases into the manifold; and (k) a retentate outlet connected to said manifold for discharging retentate gases from said housing.