Patent ID: 7875089
Filing Date: 2011-01-25
Classification: B01J,C01B,H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. An ammonia-based hydrogen generation apparatus comprising: an only ammonia supply; a thermocatalytic hydrogen generation reactor including a reaction chamber in a heat exchange relationship with a combustion chamber; the reaction chamber being connected only to (a) an ammonia supply line for transporting ammonia from the only ammonia supply to the reaction chamber and (b) a reaction product supply line for transporting hydrogen from the reaction chamber; a combustion fluid supply line for transporting a combustible fluid to the combustion chamber; a combustion by-product exhaust line for transporting combustion by-products from the combustion chamber; and a heat source operationally connected to the reactor, wherein the hydrogen generation reactor includes a top plate, a bottom plate, and a reactor core disposed between the top and bottom plates, the reactor core having a reaction surface and a combustion surface, each surface having a raised periphery defining opposing ends and opposing sides, and the reaction core having a first set of spaced apart fins extending outwardly from the reaction surface to the top plate and a second set of spaced fins extending outwardly from the combustion surface, the first set of fins defining a first plurality of reaction channels and the second set of fins defining a second plurality of combustion channels, each set of channels creating gas flow paths in the direction of from one of the opposing side to the other opposing side and spaced apart from the opposing ends; the reaction surface and the top plate together defining the reaction chamber and the combustion surface and the bottom plate together defining the combustion chamber; wherein the ammonia supply line coaxially passes concentrically through a portion of the reaction product supply line outside of the reactor core and into the reactor core such that ammonia entering the reaction chamber is preheated by a reaction product leaving the reactor core; and wherein the reaction product contains at least 99.9% decomposed ammonia in the form only hydrogen and nitrogen and less than about 1000 ppm residual ammonia.