Patent ID: 7338643

Claim:
A reactor for the removal of carbon monoxide from a reformate stream, said reactor comprising: a housing; a flowpath disposed within said housing, said flowpath configured to bifurcate said reformate stream into a permeate branch and a retentate branch, said flowpath comprising: a shift subreactor configured to convert at least some of the carbon monoxide resident in said reformate stream into hydrogen and carbon dioxide, said shift subreactor comprising at least one baffle disposed therein; a gaseous diffusion membrane subreactor in fluid communication with said shift subreactor, said gaseous diffusion membrane subreactor configured to allow a hydrogen-rich portion of said reformate stream to pass therethrough and into said permeate branch; and a first methanation subreactor in downstream fluid communication with said gaseous diffusion membrane subreactor, said first methanation subreactor configured to further purify said hydrogen-rich portion of said reformate stream in said permeate branch, wherein said shift subreactor, gaseous diffusion membrane subreactor and first methanation subreactor are concentrically placed relative to one another to define a generally cylindrical shape compatible with an interior surface of said housing; and a second methanation subreactor fluidly coupled to said shift subreactor to accept said retentate branch therefrom such that each of said retentate branch and said permeate branch pass through a dedicated one of said methanation subreactors.