Patent ID: 8038748
Filing Date: 2011-10-18
Classification: C01B,H01M,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. In a fuel processing assembly having a reforming region having a minimum hydrogen-production temperature and adapted to receive at least one feed stream comprising at least a carbon-containing feedstock and to produce an output stream comprising hydrogen gas as a majority component, a method of starting up the fuel processing assembly, the method comprising: delivering at least one fuel stream comprising a liquid, combustible, carbon-containing fuel to a heating assembly at a first temperature, wherein the carbon-containing fuel has an ignition temperature greater than the first temperature, wherein the heating assembly includes a fuel chamber having a liquid fuel region and a fuel vapor region, wherein the carbon-containing fuel delivered to the fuel chamber has a first partial pressure, and wherein the carbon-containing fuel has an ignition partial pressure greater than the first partial pressure; heating said fuel stream in the heating assembly with at least one heating and ignition source to a second temperature at least as great as the ignition temperature, wherein heating the fuel stream in the heating assembly includes heating at least a portion of the carbon-containing fuel in the liquid fuel region to increase at least one of the temperature and the partial pressure of the carbon-containing fuel in at least a portion of the fuel vapor region to a second temperature and a second partial pressure at least as great as the ignition temperature or ignition partial pressure; igniting said fuel stream in the heating assembly with the at least one heating and ignition source to produce a combustion stream; heating the reforming region of the fuel processing assembly with the combustion stream to a predetermined temperature related to the minimum hydrogen-production temperature of the reforming region; and delivering the feed stream containing at least a carbon-containing feedstock to the reforming region to produce the output stream.