Abstract: A gas generator which comprises a heat resistant housing and a reaction chamber which is centrally arranged therein and contains a catalytic charge, with an inlet opening for the reactants and an outlet opening for the fuel gas is used for catalytically reacting liquid, hydrocarbon containing fuel to be evaporated with an oxygen containing gas at elevated temperature to form a fuel gas. The housing consists of a lower part and a removable cover and the reaction chamber including the catalytic charge is replaceable. The fuel and/or the oxygen containing gas is fed to the reaction chamber for preheating and evaporating, respectively, via a system of tubes which is arranged between the reaction chamber and the lower part of the housing and is run around the reaction chamber in helical fashion.

Abstract: In a gas generation method in which liquid fuel is catalytically reacted with air at elevated temperatures to form a fuel gas, several plates each having a multiplicity of passage openings are arranged in tandem in spaced fashion within the reaction chamber of the gas generator and are embedded in a bed of packing material with the thermal conductivity of the plates higher than that of the packing material in order to obtain more uniform heating of the reaction chamber and better mixing and distribution of the reacting media permitting the gas generator to be loaded more heavily.