Patent ID: 7160523

Claim:
A device for producing hydrogen-containing gas from a feed material for a fuel cell system, wherein the feed material is water and a hydrocarbon-containing substance, comprising: at least one evaporator for evaporating the feed material to yield vapor; at least one superheater for superheating the vapor to yield a superheated feed material; a high temperature reformer for steam reforming the superheated feed material; a burner for directly heating the high temperature reformer and providing the thermal energy required for steam reforming by burning a gas stream that contains fuel and oxygen, wherein the burner is connected to the at least one evaporator so that the thermal energy content of exhaust gas of the burner is used for the evaporation of the feed material; a water gas shift stage for reducing the carbon monoxide content of a reformate stream produced in the steam reforming; a cooler for reducing the temperature of the reformate stream between the point where the reformate stream is discharged out of the high temperature reformer and the point where the reformate stream enters the water gas shift stage; and a gas purification system capable of further reducing the carbon monoxide content of the reformate stream located downstream, with respect to the flow direction of the reformate gas stream, of the water gas shift stage; wherein the gas purification system is a selective oxidation device having at least one stage; and the selective oxidation device is cooled by exhaust gas from a cathode chamber of the fuel cell.