Patent ID: 7153334

Claim:
A method of operating a fuel reforming system comprising an autothermal reformer, said method comprising: removing carbonaceous material from a catalyst within said autothermal reformer by introducing an isolated oxidant stream into said autothermal reformer, wherein said oxidant stream is substantially free of hydrocarbon fuel and water vapor and is introduced into said autothermal reformer when a temperature of said catalyst is low enough to ensure that heat generated from an exothermic reaction of said oxidant stream and said carbonaceous material is insufficient to raise said temperature of said catalyst above a maximum operating temperature T MAX of said catalyst; introducing a hydrocarbon stream into said autothermal reformer following removal of a substantial portion of said carbonaceous material from said catalyst by said isolated oxidant stream, wherein said hydrocarbon stream comprises hydrocarbon fuel and water vapor; maintaining concurrent supply of said hydrocarbon stream and said oxidant stream to said autothermal reformer such that an exothermic reaction driven by said oxidant stream provides heat to an endothermic reaction driven by said water vapor in said hydrocarbon stream; and generating a hydrogenous gas product stream from said exothermic and endothermic reactions.