Patent ID: 7293533

Claim:
An apparatus for fuel reforming comprising: reforming means for reforming a reformable fuel, said reforming means having a reformable fuel inlet and a reformed fuel outlet; heat exchange means for heating said reformable fuel in said reforming means, said heat exchange means in convective heat exchange communication with said reforming means and having a heated heat exchange fluid inlet and a cooled heat exchange fluid outlet; a heat exchange fluid source selected from the group consisting of an internal combustion engine, a combustor and combinations thereof, said heat exchange fluid source having a heated heat exchange fluid outlet in fluid communication with said heated heat exchange fluid inlet of said heat exchange means; and said reforming means comprising at least one tube bundle comprising a plurality of heat exchange tubes having a reformable fuel tube inlet in fluid communication with said reformable fuel inlet and a fuel outlet in fluid communication with said reformed fuel outlet, and at least one reforming catalyst, said at least one reforming catalyst disposed external to said tube bundle proximate said fuel outlet.