Patent ID: 7497881

Claim:
Apparatus for synthesizing hydrogen gas from a fuel stream and an air and steam stream, said apparatus comprising: a combined air and steam stream supply; a fuel stream supply; a mixing chamber having a centrally located first inlet connected to the fuel stream supply, a second inlet located around the centrally located first inlet and connected to the combined air and steam stream supply, and an internal space connected to the first and second inlets and configured to mix together the fuel stream with the combined air and steam stream; a primary reactor having a catalyst situated between and connected to the internal space of the mixing chamber and an outlet adapted to provide product gases, one of said gases being hydrogen, said outlet is arranged such that the fuel stream supply is not preheated in the apparatus by the product gases before entering into the mixing chamber; and a heat exchanger annularly disposed around said primary reactor, said heat exchanger having a plurality of inlet conduits and a plurality of outlet conduits, said inlet conduits being in fluid communication directly with said second inlet of said mixing chamber to provide the combined air and steam stream supply to the mixing chamber, and said outlet conduits being in fluid communication with said outlet of said primary reactor, wherein said inlet conduits and said outlet conduits are arranged to provide a counter parallel flow transfer of heat energy between only the combined air and steam stream supply and the product gases in an axial direction running a full longitudinal length of the primary reactor.