Emissions reduction system and method

• US 20040200209A1
• Filed: 04/14/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kirwan, John E., Botti, Jean J.
• Application Number:
  US10/413,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20040200209A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/284
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/02 by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography solid sorbent compositions B01J20/00, preparation of inorganic compounds or elements C01
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/9454 characterised by a specific device
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0233 the reforming step being a steam reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0238 the reforming step being a carbon dioxide reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0261 containing a catalytic partial oxidation step [CPO]
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/04 containing a purification step for the hydrogen or the synthesis gas
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0465 Composition of the impurity
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/047 the impurity being carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0475 the impurity being carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0495 the impurity being water
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/0005 Reversible uptake of hydrogen by an appropriate medium, i.e. based on physical or chemical sorption phenomena or on reversible chemical reactions, e.g. for hydrogen storage purposes purification of hydrogen C01B3/508; Reversible gettering of hydrogen; Reversible uptake of hydrogen by electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/32 by reaction of gaseous or liquid organic compounds with gasifying agents, e.g. water, carbon dioxide, air
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/38 using catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/50 Separation of hydrogen or hydrogen containing gases from gaseous mixtures, e.g. purification C01B3/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 Hydrogen storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/141 Feedstock
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/00 Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A reformate/buffer system and method for operating an exhaust emissions control device are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the reformate/buffer system comprises: a hydride storage bed, a hydride cycling bed disposed in fluid communication with the hydride storage bed, a hydrogen separation device, a reformate flow path, coolant flow passages in thermal communication with the hydride cycling bed, and reformer flow passages in thermal communication with the hydride cycling bed. The reformate flow path is formed by the hydride storage bed, the hydride cycling bed, and the hydrogen separation device and is disposed in fluid communication with the hydride storage bed and hydride cycling bed.

Claims

1. A reformate/buffer system, comprising:

a hydride storage bed;

a hydride cycling bed disposed in fluid communication with the hydride storage bed;

a hydrogen separation device;

a reformate flow path formed by the hydride storage bed, the hydride cycling bed, and the hydrogen separation device and is disposed in fluid communication with the hydride storage bed and hydride cycling bed;

coolant flow passages in thermal communication with the hydride cycling bed; and

reformer flow passages in thermal communication with the hydride cycling bed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydride cycling bed is concentrically disposed between hydrogen separation device and the hydride storage bed, with the hydrogen separation device disposed adjacent at least a portion of an interior surface of the hydride cycling bed.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the hydride cycling bed is disposed around at least a portion of the reformer flow passages and the hydride storage bed is disposed around at least a portion of the coolant flow passages.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the hydride cycling bed is disposed around at least another portion of the coolant flow passages.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least a portion of the coolant flow passages are disposed in an alternating relationship to the reformer flow passages.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydride storage bed, and hydride cycling bed each have a semicircular or semi-elliptical geometry and are arranged to form a circle or ellipse.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the hydrogen separation device is disposed between at least a portion of at least one of the hydride storage bed and the hydride cycling bed and the reformate flow path.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a reformer catalyst disposed within at least a portion of the reformate flow passage.

9. A method for operating an exhaust emissions system, comprising:

reforming fuel to produce a reformate comprising reformate hydrogen and byproducts;

passing the reformate through a reformate flow path formed by the hydride storage bed, the hydride cycling bed, and the hydrogen separation device and is disposed in fluid communication with the hydride storage bed and hydride cycling bed;

separating the reformate hydrogen from the byproducts;

absorbing the reformate hydrogen in a hydride cycling bed while removing heat from the hydride cycling bed;

heating the hydride cycling bed to desorb hydrogen at least until a partial pressure of hydrogen over the hydride cycling bed attains a selected level;

storing the desorbed hydrogen in a hydride storage bed; and

during cold start, desorbing storage bed hydrogen and burning a first portion of the storage bed hydrogen in an engine.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising introducing a second portion of the storage bed hydrogen to a reformer and heating the reformer to its light-off temperature.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising introducing a third portion of the storage bed hydrogen to an exhaust emission control device and heating the exhaust emission control device to its light-off temperature.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising introducing a third portion of the storage bed hydrogen to an exhaust emission control device and heating the exhaust emission control device to its light-off temperature.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising recharging the hydrogen storage bed by after the engine attains the light-off temperature, wherein the recharging comprises

reforming fuel to produce a reformate comprising reformate hydrogen and byproducts;

separating the reformate hydrogen from the byproducts;

absorbing the reformate hydrogen in a hydride cycling bed while removing heat from the hydride cycling bed;

heating the hydride cycling bed to desorb hydrogen at least until a partial pressure of hydrogen over the hydride cycling bed attains a selected level; and

storing the desorbed hydrogen in a hydride storage bed.