Patent ID: 7048897

Claim:
A hydrogen generator comprising: a fuel processor being collectively defined by, an inlet channel for transporting a liquid fuel; a vaporization zone receiving liquid fuel from the inlet channel; at least one vapor channel for transporting vaporized liquid fuel from the vaporization zone to a reaction zone; the reaction zone including a reforming catalyst for reforming the vaporized liquid fuel into a hydrogen enriched gas; an outlet channel for transporting the hydrogen enriched gas out of the reaction zone; and a chemical heater further receiving liquid file from the inlet channel; the chemical heater being thermally coupled to the reaction zone and the vaporization zone using thermally conductive channels or thermally conductive vias; the chemical heater including a catalyst and an air inlet for receiving oxygen for the oxidation of the fuel to produce heat; wherein the inlet channel, the vaporization zone, the at least one vapor channel, the reaction zone, the outlet channel and the chemical heater are formed within a plurality of individual ceramic layers that are assembled and subsequently sintered together to form a single, three-dimensional, integral, monolithic, ceramic carrier structure.