Patent ID: 7820140

Claim:
A single stage thermo-neutral reforming process for the production of a hydrogen-rich synthesis gas from liquid hydrocarbon fuels, which comprises: a) providing a mixture of a liquid hydrocarbon fuel, air and steam to an interior zone of a reactor, said interior zone including a catalyst bed consisting of a Ni—Ce 2 O 3 —Pt−Rh combined combustion and steam and/or CO 2 reforming catalyst; b) pre-heating the mixture at a temperature of about 380° C. to about 450° C. to form a vapor; and, c) bringing the heated vaporized mixture into contact with the catalyst bed at a gas hour space velocity of about 25,000 h −1 or greater causing an exothermic combustion reaction raising the reaction temperature to about 800° C. to about 900° C. and also causing an endothermic steam reforming reaction for a period of time sufficient to reform the liquid fuel to yield a hydrogen-rich synthesis gas.