Patent ID: 7867300

Claim:
A method for generating hydrogen comprising: introducing only ammonia into a reaction chamber of a thermocatalytic hydrogen generation reactor, the reactor including a top plate, a bottom plate and a reactor core sandwiched therebetween, together defining a reaction chamber and a combustion chamber disposed between the top and bottom plates and separated by the reactor core, the reactor core having a reaction surface and a combustion surface, each surface having a raised periphery defining opposing ends and opposing sides, and the reaction core having a first set of spaced apart fins extending outwardly from the reaction surface to and in contact with the top plate and a second set of spaced fins extending outwardly from the combustion surface, the first set of fins defining a first plurality of reaction channels and the second set of fins defining a second plurality of combustion channels; said reaction chamber and combustion chamber being in a conduction heat exchange relationship with each other via said reactor core, the reaction chamber contains a catalyst on a support matrix; supplying heat to the reactor; decomposing at least 99.9% of the ammonia in the reactor at a temperature of between about 550° and to about 650° C. into a reaction product containing substantially only hydrogen and nitrogen and residual ammonia; and removing the reaction product from the reactor.