Patent ID: 8931283
Filing Date: 2015-01-13
Classification: F02C,F23C,F23R,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A reformer for a gas turbine engine configured to treat a fuel mixture flowing to a gas turbine engine combustor, the reformer comprising: a reformer core assembly disposed inside said reformer and said reformer core assembly containing a catalyst and a plurality of flow passages; an inlet flow channel at an inlet to the reformer core assembly and configured to transport a reformer fuel mixture and oxygen-containing stream into said reformer core assembly such that the reformer fuel mixture and oxygen-containing stream enters the flow passages and interacts with the catalyst; a reformulate channel at an outlet of the reformer core assembly and configured to receive a reformate product stream containing reformed hydrocarbons and free hydrogen discharged from said reformer core assembly, wherein the reformulate channel is within the reformer and includes an annular channel around a perimeter of the reformer core assembly; a gas turbine fuel feed channel including an outlet coupled to the reformate channel and configured to discharge the gas turbine fuel feed into the reformate product stream flowing through the reformate channel, wherein the gas turbine fuel feed channel is separated by an annular wall around the annular channel; and the annular wall is configured as a heat exchanger sized to heat and thermally crack said gas turbine fuel feed in the annular channel of the reformulate channel using heat generated by an exothermic reaction of said reformer fuel mixture with said catalyst.