Abstract: A plate-frame heat exchange reactor having a serial cross-flow geometry. This is accomplished by designing a plate-frame heat exchanger wherein the flow of feed gas in one cell of the reactor flows perpendicular to the flow of burner exhaust within the next adjacent cell. The improved reactor increases the Reynold's number of the flows as compared with a massively parallel design to improve heat transfer and reactant mixing characteristics, thereby reducing reactor size by half or more. The serial cross-flow arrangement allows for constructing reactors where feed gas addition is possible at many distinct points along the serial flow in order to control hot spots or other undesirable chemical reactions. The new arrangement also greatly reduces manifolding of the flows and reduces the distinct components of the reactor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reactor, which includes: a unitary shell assembly having an inlet and an outlet; a flow path extending within the shell assembly from the inlet to the outlet, the flow path having a steam reformer section with a first catalyst and a water gas shift reactor section with a second catalyst, the steam reformer section being located upstream of the water gas shift reactor section; a heating section within the shell assembly and configured to heat the steam reformer section; and a cooling section within the shell assembly and configured to cool the water gas shift reactor section. The present invention also provides a simplified hydrogen production system, which includes the catalytic steam reforming and subsequent high temperature water gas shift of low-sulfur (<100 ppm by mass) hydrocarbon fuels followed by hydrogen purification through the pressure swing adsorption (PSA).

Abstract: The present invention provides a reactor, which includes: a unitary shell assembly having an inlet and an outlet; a flow path extending within the shell assembly from the inlet to the outlet, the flow path having a steam reformer section with a first catalyst and a water gas shift reactor section with a second catalyst, the steam reformer section being located upstream of the water gas shift reactor section; a heating section within the shell assembly and configured to heat the steam reformer section; and a cooling section within the shell assembly and configured to cool the water gas shift reactor section. The present invention also provides a simplified hydrogen production system, which includes the catalytic steam reforming and subsequent high temperature water gas shift of low-sulfur (<100 ppm by mass) hydrocarbon fuels followed by hydrogen purification through the pressure swing adsorption (PSA).

Abstract: The present invention provides a reactor, which includes:

Abstract: A fuel cell power generation system for powering an electric vehicle. The system comprises a low temperature fuel cell, a reactor comprising a reformer for converting hydrogen-containing fuel into a reformate gas comprising a hydrogen gas stream and a by-product gas stream. The reactor further comprises and a metal membrane separator for separating the hydrogen gas stream from the by-product gas stream. A metal hydride buffer is provided in line between the fuel cell and the membrane separator. The metal hydride buffer is capable of selectively storing hydrogen from the hydrogen gas stream and releasing the hydrogen.