Patent ID: 7537738

Claim:
A fuel processing system comprising: a reactor for reforming a hydrocarbon fuel stream into a reformate stream comprising hydrogen and other constituents; a membrane separator for removing hydrogen from said reformate stream, said membrane separator comprising a membrane relatively permeable to hydrogen and relatively less permeable to said other constituents, said membrane separator including a plurality of tubes for flowing said reformate across said membrane to cause separation of said hydrogen from said reformate stream, said membrane separator comprising a palladium or palladium alloy layer defining a surface of each of said plurality of tubes; a CO-reduction and cleanup system for further reforming of said reformate stream; and a purge fluid system in communication with said membrane separator to facilitate hydrogen transport from said membrane separator, wherein said purge fluid system comprises a stream, having lower hydrogen partial pressure than said reformate, for directing removed hydrogen from said membrane separator; and a water transfer device comprising a membrane relatively permeable to water and relatively less permeable to hydrogen for separating steam from removed hydrogen.