Patent ID: 8257466

Claim:
A hydrogen purifier, comprising: an enclosure configured to receive an impure hydrogen stream; wherein the impure hydrogen stream contains hydrogen gas as a majority component and also contains other gases; and further wherein the enclosure defines an internal compartment; a tubular hydrogen-selective membrane within the enclosure, wherein the tubular hydrogen-selective membrane contains a palladium alloy and is configured to separate the impure hydrogen stream into a product hydrogen stream and a byproduct stream, wherein the product hydrogen stream contains hydrogen gas that permeates through the tubular hydrogen-selective membrane, wherein the byproduct stream contains a portion of the impure hydrogen stream that does not permeate through the tubular hydrogen-selective membrane; wherein the product hydrogen stream has a greater concentration of hydrogen gas than the impure hydrogen stream, and further wherein the byproduct stream contains hydrogen gas having a lower concentration than the impure hydrogen stream and a greater concentration of the other gases than the impure hydrogen stream; at least one tubular support configured to support the tubular hydrogen-selective membrane against deformation when exposed to a pressure differential between a pressure of the impure hydrogen stream and a pressure of the product stream; and a polishing region containing at least one carbon monoxide removal catalyst; wherein the polishing region is configured to receive the product hydrogen stream and, when the product hydrogen stream contains carbon monoxide, to catalytically reduce the concentration of carbon monoxide therein by at least one of a water gas shift reaction and a methanation reaction.