Patent ID: 7604673
Filing Date: 2009-10-20
Classification: B01B,B01J,C01B,G06F,H01M,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A fuel processor for producing hydrogen from a fuel source, the fuel processor comprising: a reformer including two or more reformer chambers in a cross section that are configured to receive the fuel source and configured to output hydrogen, each of the two or more reformer chambers including a reformer catalyst that facilitates the production of hydrogen, wherein the two or more reformer chambers are configured such that reactants move through the two or more reformer chambers in series; a boiler configured to heat the fuel source before the reformer receives the fuel source; a burner including two or more burner chambers in a cross section, each of the two or more burner chambers including a burner catalyst, the two or more burner chambers configured to provide heat to the reformer, wherein the two or more burner chambers are configured such that reactants move through the two or more burner chambers in series; and a dewar that contains the reformer, contains the burner and includes a set of dewar walls that form a dewar chamber that is configured to receive the fuel source or oxygen before one of the two or more burner chambers receives the fuel source or oxygen, wherein the fuel processor includes a monolithic structure having a common material included in walls that define the two or more reformer chambers, the two or more burner chambers and the boiler, wherein the monolithic structure comprises a wall comprising copper that is shared by one of the two or more reformer chambers and one of the two or more burner chambers and the fuel processor is configured to permit conductive thermal communication from the burner catalyst, through the wall, to one of the two or more reformer chambers.