Patent ID: 6767518
Filing Date: 2004-07-27
Classification: B01J,C01B

Abstract:
A fuel reforming apparatus for simultaneously achieving a steam ref arming reaction that produces hydrogen from a hydrocarbon and steam and a partial oxidation reaction that produces hydrogen from the hydrocarbon and an oxidizer and using heat generated by the partial oxidation reaction that is an exothermicreaction to cover heat for the steam reforming reaction that is an endothermic reaction, comprising:a first catalyst with a support, for promoting the steam reforming reaction and partial oxidation reaction, a second catalyst with a support positioned upstream from the first catalyst, for promoting the partial oxidation reaction; fuel feeding means for feeding the hydrocarbon as a fuel upstream from the second catalyst; first oxidizer feeding the means for feeding the oxidizer to the first catalyst; second oxidizer feeding means for feeding the oxidizer to the second catalyst; oxidizer controlling means for selectively supplying the oxidizer from an oxidizer source to one of the first and second oxidizer feeding means; first steam feeding means for feeding steam to the first catalyst; second steam feeding means for feeding steam to the second catalyst; steam controlling means for selectively supplying steam from a steam source to one of the first and second steam feeding means; and master controlling means for controlling the oxidizer controlling means and steam controlling means, wherein: the master controlling means has first and second states, to control the oxidizer controlling means has first and second states, means in such a manner as to connect, in the first state, the oxidizer source to the second oxidizer feeding means and the steam source to the first steam feeding means, and in the second state, the oxidizer source to the first oxidizer feeding means and the steam source to the second steam feeding means; and the master controlling means is in the first state during startup and transient operations and is in the second state during to other operations.