Patent ID: 7870717

Claim:
An auxiliary power unit comprising: a fuel reforming catalytic reactor for producing a reformate from a mixture of fuel, steam, and compressed air; a combustor for consuming said reformate and producing thermal energy therefrom; a turbine powered by said combustor; an air compressor mechanically coupled to said turbine; a recuperator receiving exhaust from the turbine, the recuperator conducting thermal energy from said turbine exhaust to compressed air from said air compressor to provide a hot compressed air to the combustor; an electrical generator mechanically coupled to said turbine; a condenser cooled by ambient air for condensing an exhaust gas from said turbine to produce liquid water; and a steam generator for using heat from said exhaust gas produced by said turbine to produce said steam from said liquid water, wherein said recuperator is adapted to provide a portion of said hot compressed air to said fuel reforming catalytic reactor.