Patent ID: 6896709
Filing Date: 2005-05-24
Classification: C01B,H01M,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A miniature fuel reformer for use in a fuel cell driven vehicle comprising a plurality of unit modules connected with each other in series, parallel, or a combination thereof, each of the unit modules including: an inner housing having a cylindrical shape and top and bottom walls; an outer housing arranged around the inner housing and radially spaced from the inner housing; a hydrogen separation reaction chamber defined by the inner housing; a combustion catalyst chamber defined between the inner and outer housings and containing a combustion catalyst for supplying heat needed in the inner housing; a fuel inlet provided at the top wall of the inner housing and adapted to introduce liquid fuel into the hydrogen separation reaction chamber; a plurality of vertically spaced hydrogen gas separation cells arranged in the hydrogen separation reaction chamber and comprising a pair of spaced metal films adapted to selectively permeate hydrogen contained in the fuel introduced in the hydrogen separation reaction chamber, thereby separating the hydrogen from the fuel; a steam reforming catalyst filled in the hydrogen separation reaction chamber between adjacent hydrogen gas separating cells, said reforming catalyst adapted to reform the fuel introduced in the hydrogen separation reaction chamber; a plurality of vertically spaced cylindrical support members centrally arranged in the hydrogen separation reaction chamber and defining a hydrogen passage communicating with the hydrogen separating cells, thereby allowing the hydrogen separated from the fuel to be discharged from the hydrogen separation cells, each of the cylindrical support members being interposed between adjacent hydrogen gas separation cells and serving to regulate a gap defined between the adjacent hydrogen gas separation cells; a permeate discharge tube coupled to the bottom wall of the inner housing, the permeate discharge tube communicating with the hydrogen passage defined by the cylindrical support members to allow the hydrogen introduced in the hydrogen passage to be outwardly discharged from the hydrogen passage; a plurality of raffinate outlets provided at the bottom wall of the inner housing and adapted to discharge a portion of the fuel, not permeating through any one of the hydrogen gas separation cells, from the hydrogen separation reaction chamber; and a plurality of combustion fuel/air inlets respectively connected to the raffinate outlets by conduits and adapted to introduce the fuel portion discharged from the raffinate outlets into the combustion catalyst chamber, along with air, so that the fuel portion is burned in the combustion catalyst chamber.