Patent ID: 6893619
Filing Date: 2005-05-17
Classification: F28D,F28F

Abstract:
1. A plate frame heat exchange reactor assembly comprising: a plurality of header sheets, each of said plurality of header sheets having a plurality of manifold ports; a heat transfer surface contained within a central region of each of said plurality of header sheets; a plurality of interleaved sheets, wherein one of said plurality of interleaved sheets being located between each adjacent pair of said plurality of header sheets, each of said plurality of interleaved sheets having a plurality of interleaved manifold ports; wherein one of said plurality of interleaved sheets and an adjacent one of said plurality of header sheets defines a cell; a feed gas inlet manifold port for directing a feed gas into the assembly; a burner feed inlet manifold port for directing a burner exhaust gas into the assembly; a reformer section coupled to said feed gas inlet manifold port so as to receive a stream of feed gas from said feed gas inlet manifold, said reformer section converting said stream of feed gas to a stream of reformed stream gas, said reformer section having a plurality of reformer channels, each of said reformer channels being formed between every other of said cells; wherein at least two of said plurality of reformer channels are coupled together to form a coupled reformer channel, wherein each of said coupled reformer channels is coupled to the next adjacent one of said coupled reformer channels through at least one of said plurality of manifold ports and at least one of said plurality of interleaved manifold ports; a burner gas section coupled to the burner feed inlet manifold so as to receive heated burner exhaust, gas said burner gas section having a plurality of burner channels, each of said burner channels being formed between the other of every other of said cells; wherein at least two of said plurality of burner channels are coupled together to form a coupled burner channel, wherein each of said coupled burner channels is coupled to the next adjacent one of said coupled burner channels through at least one of said plurality of manifold ports and at least one of said plurality of interleaved manifold ports; an outlet manifold coupled to said reformer section for removing reformed feed gas from the assembly; a burner outlet manifold coupled to said burner section for removing cooled burner exhaust gas from the assembly; wherein said feed gas flow in said coupled reformer channel and said burner exhaust gas flow in said next adjacent coupled burner channel are substantially perpendicular with respect to one another; wherein said feed gas flow in said coupled reformer channel and said feed gas flow in a next adjacent one of said coupled reformer channels flow in opposite directions with respect to one another; wherein said burner exhaust gas flow in said coupled burner channel and said burner exhaust gas flow in a next adjacent of said coupled burner channels flow in opposite directions with respect to one another; and wherein said feed gas flow and said burner exhaust gas flow are substantially cross-flow with respect to one another in said reformer section and said burner section.