Patent ID: 6391484
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: B01J,C01B,H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
A method for converting a hydrocarbon fuel into a gaseous product stream, that includes hydrogen for use in a fuel cell stack, comprising:(a) providing means to inject hydrocarbon fuel into a stream of recirculating gases; (b) positioning a heater and a catalytic reactor such that said catalytic reactor is downstream of said heater with a discharge end of said heater in fluid flow communication with an inlet of said reactor; (c) providing means to recirculate gases throughout said catalytic reactor and said heater; (d) recirculating said gases through said heater and catalytic reactor; (e) heating said recirculating gases in said heater; (f) monitoring a temperature of said recirculating gases between the discharge end of said heater and the inlet of said catalytic reactor at two or more points in time; (g) calculating the rate-of-change of said temperatures versus time; and (h) comparing said rate-of-change of temperature to a preselected rate-of-change value.