Patent ID: 8920732

Claim:
A method of controlling the operation of a hydrogen-producing fuel processing system that includes a reactant delivery system, the method comprising: providing a carbon-containing feedstock stream from a carbon-containing feedstock source; supplying a steam stream from a steam source; combining the carbon-containing feedstock stream and the steam stream to produce a combined feedstock stream; measuring a temperature of the steam stream, a temperature of the carbon-containing feedstock stream, and a temperature of the combined feedstock stream; controlling a steam-to-carbon ratio within the combined feedstock stream, wherein the Controlling includes controlling based at least in part on the temperature of the steam stream, and at least in part on the temperature of the carbon-containing feedstock stream, and at least in part on the temperature of the combined feedstock stream; and applying the combined feedstock stream to a hydrogen-producing region of the hydrogen-producing fuel processing system to produce a mixed gas stream that includes hydrogen gas as a majority component.