Abstract: A reformate clean-up reactor. The reactor takes a reformate stream and passes it through multiple subreactors that are integrated into a common reactor housing to reduce reformate stream by-product concentration prior to use of the reformate in a fuel cell. The reactor includes a gas shift subreactor to promote the conversion of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, a gaseous diffusion membrane subreactor to provide a hydrogen-rich portion of the reformate stream, and a methanation subreactor to convert carbon monoxide into methane and water. In applications where space for a fuel cell system is limited, the integration of the clean—up devices into a common housing provides significant improvements in structural and volumetric efficiency. Moreover, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, the juxtaposition of the gaseous diffusion membrane and the gas shift reactor improves membrane robustness.

Abstract: A compact fuel processor for converting a hydro-carbonaceous fuel into hydrogen and carbon dioxide having in series a hydrocarbon conversion zone for converting the hydro-carbonaceous fuel into a product gas of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, a water-gas shift reaction zone containing a catalyst suitable for the water-gas shift conversion reaction, an auxiliary water-gas shift reaction zone containing a catalyst suitable for the water-gas shift conversion reaction, and a carbon monoxide removal zone. The invention further relates to a fuel cell system having such a fuel processor and a fuel cell and to the use of such a fuel processor or such a fuel cell system.

Abstract: This invention relates to a fuel reforming apparatus for producing a carbon-monoxide free reformed fuel gas comprising hydrogen. More particularly, this invention relates to nonthermal plasma reactors for removing carbon monoxide from a reformed fuel gas produced from a fuel containing bonded atoms of hydrogen exiting a reformer. More particularly, this invention relates to nonthermal plasma reactors for reforming a fuel containing bonded atoms of hydrogen into a reformed fuel gas. This invention relates further to hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells, which comprise a fuel reformer for reforming a fuel into a reformed fuel gas comprising hydrogen, a carbon monoxide remover for removing carbon monoxide in the reformed fuel gas and supplying the reformed fuel gas to the fuel cell.

Abstract: A distillate fuel steam reformer system in which a fuel feed stream is first separated into two process streams: an aliphatics-rich, sulfur-depleted gas stream, and an aromatics- and sulfur-rich liquid residue stream. The aliphatics-rich gas stream is desulfurized, mixed with steam, and converted in a reforming reactor to a hydrogen-rich product stream. The aromatics-rich residue stream is mixed with air and combusted to provide heat necessary for endothermic process operations. Reducing the amounts of sulfur and aromatic hydrocarbons directed to desulfurzation and reforming operations minimizes the size and weight of the overall apparatus. The process of the invention is well suited to the use of microchannel apparatuses for heat exchangers, reactors, and other system components, which may be assembled in slab configuration, further reducing system size and weight.

Abstract: A mixture formation means for the reformer of a fuel cell system or for a heater. The fuel feed includes a pressure impulse injection means and the mixture formation area is a swirl chamber having a discharge nozzle connected to the pressure impulse injection device. Also included is a fuel heater for preheating the fuel before injection in order to achieve complete vaporization of the fuel, such as diesel fuel.

Abstract: An arrangement for generating hydrogen gas utilizes differential pressure to transport fuel and spent fuel components without requiring an electrically powered fuel delivery pump.

Abstract: A hydrogen generating apparatus includes a chemical reaction chamber, a chemical solution reservoir, an unpowered pressure-producing member for moving a chemical solution from the chemical solution reservoir to the chemical reaction chamber, and a distributed catalyst bed about the chemical reaction chamber.

Abstract: A filter catalyst for purifying exhaust gases having a catalytic layer comprising the first catalyst support 2 having an average particle diameter of 1 ?m or less, the second catalyst support 3 having an average particle diameter from 1/20 to ½ of the average pore diameter of the filter cellular walls 12 and catalytic ingredients, on the filter cellular walls 12 having an average pore diameter of from 20 to 40 ?m, and the catalytic layer having uneven surfaces is used. Since the second catalyst support hardly enters into the pore with a diameter of 20 ?m or less, it exists partly on the filter cellular walls and the inside surface of the wall. Therefore, since particles collide with the convex part of the catalytic layer, it becomes possible to collect them easily and the collecting rate for particles and the ability of the particles purification are improved.

Abstract: An apparatus having a baffle device and used for treating an exhaust gas, the apparatus comprising: (a) an inlet duct through which the exhaust gas is flowed in, (b) a bend portion, and (c) a catalyst duct connected to the inlet duct through the bend portion and having a catalyst disposed therein and used for purifying the exhaust gas and, the baffle device being a baffle lattice having a height of A and disposed at the inlet of the catalyst duct in the direction of the cross section of the catalyst duct, wherein the baffle lattice is provided, for supporting the lattice, with an outer frame having a height of B and disposed so that the upper ends of the outer frame become the same level with the upper ends of the baffle lattice; the outer frame is provided, on its lower ends for supporting the frame, with beams; and the relation between the height A and the height B satisfies the following equation: A<B, in which apparatus, occurrence of channeling (nonuniform flow distribution) of an exhaust gas at

Abstract: A fluidized bed apparatus has a rotary rotor 4 arranged at the bottom center thereof, a disintegrator mechanism 5 arranged above the rotary rotor 4, and a cylindrical draft tube 6 installed above the disintegrator mechanism 5. A fluidizing gas jetted from a gas dispersion plate 3 causes powder particles P in a processing container 1 to form a fluidized bed in which they circulate so as to ascend through the gap between the outer periphery of the rotary rotor 4 and the bottom inner wall of the processing container 1, the space between the disintegrator mechanism 5 and the inner wall of the processing container 1, and the space between the outer periphery of the draft tube 6 and the inner wall of the processing container 1, and descend through the inner portion of the draft tube 6.

Abstract: Fluorine compounds such as C2F6, CF4, CHF3, SF6 and NF3, are made in contact with a fluorine compound decomposition catalyst and a catalyst the decomposition oft least one of CO, SO2F2 and N2O in the presence of water or in the presence of water and oxygen. The catalyst the decomposition oft least one of CO, SO2F2 and N2O preferably contains at least one selected from Pd, Pt, Cu, Mn, Fe, Co, Rh, Ir and Au in the form of a metal or an oxide. According to the invention, the fluorine compound can be converted to HF, which is liable to be absorbed by water or an alkaline aqueous solution, and a substance, such as CO, SO2F2 and N2O, formed by decomposition of the fluorine compound can also be decomposed.

Abstract: A honeycomb structure that is a plurality of honeycomb segments (21) bonded into one piece by a bonding material (25), the honeycomb segments (21) each having a large number of through-channels (11) separated from each other by partition walls (20), the bonding material (25) being composed of components substantially the same as components composing the unified body of honeycomb segments (21), and the honeycomb segments (21) being bonded to each other at their planes substantially parallel to the direction of channels of through- channels (11), in which honeycomb structure each bonded plane (22) of each honeycomb segment (21) has a structure possessing an unbonded area (12) containing at least an edge portion opening to a periphery of its gas inlet side end face (15) and/or a periphery of its gas outlet side end face (17). With this honeycomb structure, there is no cracking caused by the thermal stress during the use, and excellent durability can be obtained.

Abstract: An apparatus for the provision of a block flange of a manhole aperture or the like, in particular for fluidized bed reactors for the oxychlorination of ethylene, oxygen and HCl, having a wall flange fixed in the reactor wall, is intended to provide a solution whereby all other auxiliary measures can be dispensed with and the expense associated therewith can be eliminated without the functionality of the system suffering as a result and without undesirable deposits being formed in these areas. This is achieved in that the flange surface (5) pointing inward and downward in the direction of gravity is of beveled design, at least in some areas.

Abstract: A method of operating a fuel reformer includes advancing a first air/fuel mixture having a first air-to-fuel ratio into the fuel reformer. The method further includes determining if a soot purge is to be performed and generating a purge-soot signal in response thereto. Further, a second air/fuel mixture having a second air-to-fuel ratio is advanced into the fuel reformer in response to generation of the purge-soot signal. The second air-to-fuel ratio is greater than the first air-to-fuel ratio in order to burn soot present within the fuel reformer. A fuel reformer system is also disclosed.

Abstract: An exhaust system comprising a catalytic converter unit, a bushing element provided in a shell wall of the catalytic converter unit, and an oxygen sensor positioned within exhaust flow of the catalytic converter unit and extending through the bushing element and having a connector disposed in intimate contact with the bushing element, and a method of positioning such an oxygen sensor in an exhaust system component.

Abstract: A stripping apparatus for desorbing gases from solid particles through which flows counter-currently a stripping fluid is described, which comprises a series of sets of at least two parallel, segmented, baffle plates each, with the segmented baffles being oriented so that the rows are offset relative to rows of other levels, where the thickness and separation of said sets of baffles is so dimensioned as to reduce coalescence of the size of the formed bubbles and optimize the hydrocarbons desorption from said fluidized solid particles. The solid particles are mainly spent catalyst particles from a FCC process. The stripping process to be carried out in a fluidized bed comprises contacting the spent catalyst with a stripping fluid that flows upwardly in the fluidized bed in the form of bubbles. Adsorbed hydrocarbons present in the spent catalyst are transferred from the catalyst emulsion that flows downwardly to the upwardly moving bubbles, so as to promote the efficient recovery of cracked products.

Abstract: Provided is a base metal undercoat containing catalyst and an exhaust article containing the catalyst. The catalyst contains a base metal undercoat with an oxygen storage component, and at least one catalytic layer. Also provided are methods for preparing the catalyst and methods for monitoring the oxygen storage capacity of an exhaust article containing the catalyst.

Abstract: A stand-alone fuel processor (10) for producing hydrogen from a hydrocarbon fuel for a fuel cell engine in a vehicle. The fuel processor (10) includes a primary reactor (14) that dissociates hydrogen and other by-products from the hydrocarbon fuel as a reformate gas. The reformate gas is applied to a WGS reactor (48) to convert carbon monoxide and water to hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The WGS reactor (14) may include an adsorbent for adsorbing carbon monoxide. The reformate gas from the WGS reactor (48) is then sent to a rapid-cycle PSA device (12) for adsorbing the undesirable by-products in the gas and generates a stream of pure hydrogen. A liquid water separator (70) separates water from the reformate gas before it is applied to the PSA device (12). The PSA device (12) uses a portion of the separated hydrogen as a desorbing gas to purify the adsorbent in the PSA device (12). The by-products of the reformate gas can be used as a fuel in a combustor (30) that generates heat for the primary reactor (14).

Abstract: A reactor including a bundle of catalyst tubes through which a reaction mixture is passed, and wherein a heat exchange medium is passed through a space surrounding the catalyst tubes and including ring lines at both reactor ends with jacket orifices for feeding in and removing the heat exchange medium by at least one pump. The heat exchange medium is fed to the upper ring line and is sucked in via the lower ring line by the at least one pump having at least one vertical pump shaft mounted and operated at its upper end. The at least one pump includes a diagonal rotor and a restrictor gap in the longitudinal direction of the at least one pump shaft, within the heat exchange medium, on the pressure side of the at least one pump for sealing and mounting the at least one pump shaft and reducing axial shear of the diagonal rotor.

Abstract: The CO remover of this invention includes an air mixer for mixing air with hydrogen-rich gas including carbon monoxide and a selective oxidative catalytic device in which a selective oxidative catalyst bed is formed by filling selective oxidative catalyst into a gas passing tube. The selective oxidative catalytic device includes a gas blending unit for blending gas passing through the central part of the gas passing tube with gas passing through the peripheral part at a point in the selective oxidative catalyst bed in the direction of gas flow. As a result, the reaction apparatus and the CO remover have simple structures. In addition, gas passing through the central part upstream is blended with gas passing through the peripheral part upstream to uniformize the temperature of gas in the gas blending unit, so that high CO selectivity is obtained.