Patent ID: 7648541
Filing Date: 2010-01-19
Classification: C01B,H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A method of removing sulfur from a fuel supply stream for a fuel cell that is capable internally reforming methane to hydrogen at an anode of the fuel cell, which method comprises the step: (a) hydrogenating the fuel supply stream by contacting it with a hydrogenation catalyst in the presence of hydrogen to convert sulfur-containing compounds in the fuel supply stream into hydrogen sulfide; (b) removing the hydrogen sulfide to produce a desulfurised fuel stream; (c) pre-reforming the desulfurised fuel stream in a stream pre-reformer at a temperature no greater than 450° C. to convert higher hydrocarbons in the fuel supply stream and to produce a cell feed stream for delivery to the fuel cell that comprises steam and an amount of methane, the amount of methane being dependent upon the load requirements of the fuel cell; (d) splitting the fuel cell feed stream into a first portion that is a suitable feed stream for internal reforming of methane at an anode of the fuel cell and a second portion; (e) delivering the first portion of the fuel cell feed stream to the anode of the fuel cell; (f) processing the second portion of the fuel cell feed stream using a reformer operated at a temperature of 500 to 850° C. to increase the hydrogen content of the fuel cell feed stream to produce a hydrogen-enriched fuel stream; (g) cooling and removing excess water from the hydrogen-enriched fuel stream produced in step (f) to produce a cooled and dehydrated hydrogen-enriched fuel stream; and (h) using the cooled and dehydrated hydrogen-enriched fuel stream produced in step (g) as a source hydrogen to hydrogenate the fuel supply stream in step (a) by mixing the hydrogen-enriched fuel stream with the fuel supply stream prior to hydrogenation in step (a).