Patent ID: 8157900

Claim:
A hydrogen-purification assembly configured to receive a mixed gas stream and to produce a product hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream therefrom, the hydrogen-purification assembly comprising: an enclosure including an internal surface and defining an internal volume, wherein the internal volume includes a mixed gas region and a permeate region, and further wherein the internal surface defines at least a portion of the permeate region; a hydrogen-separation assembly positioned within the internal volume in a spaced-apart relation to at least a portion of the internal surface, wherein the hydrogen-separation assembly includes a plurality of generally planar hydrogen-selective membranes, wherein the hydrogen-separation assembly defines the mixed gas region and isolates the mixed gas region from the internal surface of the enclosure, and further wherein the product hydrogen stream is formed from a portion of the mixed gas stream that passes through at least one of the plurality of generally planar hydrogen-selective membranes and from the mixed gas region to the permeate region; a mixed gas stream input port configured to provide a mixed gas inlet for delivery of the mixed gas stream to the mixed gas region of the hydrogen-purification assembly; a byproduct stream output port configured to provide a byproduct outlet for withdrawal of the byproduct stream from the mixed gas region of the hydrogen-purification assembly; and a product hydrogen stream output port configured to provide a hydrogen outlet for withdrawal of the product hydrogen stream from the permeate region of the hydrogen-purification assembly.