Patent ID: 7410531

Claim:
A hydrogen-producing fuel processing assembly, comprising: a hydrogen-producing region adapted to produce a mixed gas stream from at least one feed stream, wherein the mixed gas stream includes hydrogen gas as a majority component and other gases; an enclosure defining an internal compartment having an internal surface; a separation assembly within the internal compartment, wherein the separation assembly is adapted to receive a mixed gas stream and to divide the mixed gas stream into a hydrogen-rich permeate stream, which has a greater concentration of hydrogen gas than the mixed gas stream, and a byproduct stream, which comprises a greater concentration of the other gases than the mixed gas stream, and further wherein the separation assembly comprises: at least one hydrogen-selective membrane having a mixed gas surface and a permeate surface, wherein the permeate stream includes hydrogen gas that permeates through the membrane from the mixed gas surface to the permeate surface, and further wherein the byproduct stream includes at least a portion of the mixed gas stream that does not permeate through the membrane; a support structure for the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane; and at least one guide structure projecting from the enclosure into the internal compartment to define a position for the separation assembly within the internal compartment.