Reforming with Oxygen-Enriched Matter

• US 20160346755A1
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: US Department of The Army (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: US Department of The Army (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: DuBois, Terry
• Granted Patent: US 9,968,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 12/007 in the presence of catalytically active bodies, e.g. porous plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0013 Controlling the temperature of the process
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/24 Stationary reactors without moving elements inside B01J19/08, B01J19/26 take precedence; with stationary particles B01J8/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00063 of the reactants
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00065 Pressure measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00069 Flow rate measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00087 with heat exchange elements outside the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00117 with two or more reactions in heat exchange with each other, such as an endothermic reaction in heat exchange with an exothermic reaction
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00159 controlling multiple zones along the direction of flow, e.g. pre-heating and after-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/24 Stationary reactors without moving elements inside
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/0251 by making use of membranes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0227 containing a catalytic reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/38 using catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

Various embodiments that pertain to oxygen enrichment are described. Oxygen enrichment is shown to allow for independent control of both reformer residence time and the oxygen-to-carbon ratio during reforming. This allows for much better control over the reformer and for significant gains in reformer through-put without negative impacts to reformer performance. Additionally, the use of oxygen enriched reforming is shown to result in enhanced reformer performance, reduced degradation from catalyst poisons (carbon formation and sulfur) and enhanced fuel cell stack performance due to greatly increased hydrogen concentration in the reformate.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a separator configured to separates an air into an oxygen-enriched portion and a nitrogen-enriched portion; and

a reformer configured to produce an energy from at least a fuel and an oxygen-based gas;

where the separator supplies the oxygen-enriched portion to the reformer and

where the reformer uses the oxygen-enriched portion as the oxygen-based gas.

2. The system of claim 1,

where the reformer is configured to use the oxygen-enriched portion and a first quantity of the fuel to create a set temperature,

where the reformer is configured to use the air and a second quantity of the fuel to create the set temperature, and

where the first quantity of the fuel is smaller than the second quantity of fuel.

3. The system of claim 2,

where the reformer is configured to use more of the fuel to produce the energy with the oxygen-enriched portion over the air since less of the fuel is used to create the set temperature and

where an amount of the energy produced by the reformer is greater with the oxygen-enriched portion than the air since more of the fuel is available since less of the fuel is used to create the set temperature.

4. The system of claim 1, where the separator separates the air through use of a polymer membrane.

5. The system of claim 1,

where a flow rate of the oxygen-enriched portion is less than a flow rate of the air and

where an energy produced by the reformer from the fuel and the oxygen-enriched portion is greater than an energy produced by the reformer from the fuel and the air.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a regulator configured to regulate a flow rate and pressure of the oxygen-enriched portion from the separator to the reformer;

an identification component configured to identify a preferred temperature for the reformer with regard to fuel efficiency;

a determination component configured to determine a specific flow rate value to cause the reformer to function at the preferred temperature; and

a controller configured to cause the regulator to use the specific flow rate value as the flow rate.

7. The system of claim 1,

where a first reaction time in the reformer with the oxygen-based gas is longer than a second reaction time in the reformer,

where the first reaction time is part of production of the energy,

where the second reaction time is part of production of the energy, and

where a lesser amount of a catalyst-detrimental element is produced from a reaction over the first reaction time than from the reaction over the second reaction time.

8. The system of claim 1, where the oxygen-enriched portion, in comparison to the air, results in an increase in hydrogen concentration within the reformer and downstream of the reformer.

9. The system of claim 8, where the catalyst-detrimental element is carbon.

10. The system of claim 8, where the catalyst-detrimental element is sulfur.

11. A method configured to be performed, at least in part, by at least part of a fuel system, the method comprising:

identifying a desired residence time for a reaction set of a reformer that is part of the fuel system; and

causing the reformer to be supplied with a matter state at an oxygen-enrichment level to meet the desired residence time,

where the oxygen-enrichment level of the matter state is higher than an oxygen-enrichment level of air.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

identifying a fuel type for the fuel system; and

setting the desired residence time based, at least in part, on the fuel type.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising:

checking if the reaction set is functioning with the desired residence time by way of measuring inlet flow rate of the reformer;

determining how to change the oxygen-enrichment level to meet the desired residence time; and

causing supply of a matter state at the oxygen-enrichment level in view of the change to meet the desired residence time.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising:

causing the reformer to be supplied with a fuel at a fuel rate, where the reformer uses the fuel and the matter state to perform the reaction set.

15. The method of claim 11, comprising:

setting an operational temperature of the reformer by way of a molar oxygen-to-carbon ratio,

where the temperature of the reformer influences the desired residence time for the reaction set.

16. The method of claim 11, where the matter state is produced from supplying the air through a separator that produces the matter state at the oxygen-enrichment level that is higher than air and that produces a matter state with a nitrogen-enrichment level that is higher than air.

17. A system, comprising:

a recognition component that recognizes an operational temperature of a reformer;

a temperature component that determines that the operational temperature of the reformer is not a desired temperature of the reformer;

an evaluation component that evaluates the operational temperature against the desired temperature to produce an evaluation result;

a modification component that determines how to modify a supply metric for the reformer to achieve the desired temperature of the reformer based, at least in part, on the evaluation result;

a causation component that causes implementation of the supply metric in modified form; and

a processor that executes at least one instruction associated with the recognition component, the temperature component, the evaluation component, the modification component, the causation component, or a combination thereof.

18. The system of claim 17, where the supply metric is an oxygen enrichment level of an oxygen-enriched gas supplied to the reformer and used by the reformer to produce an energy.

19. The system of claim 18,

where the operational temperature is different than the desired temperature such that the operational temperature indicates that an undesirable product is produced at a level that is unacceptable and

where the supply metric is modified such that the oxygen enrichment level is changed and in turn the undesirable product is produced at a level that is acceptable.

20. The system of claim 19,

where the oxygen-enriched gas produces an increase in hydrogen concentration in the reformer and downstream of the reformer,

where an increase of the oxygen enrichment level causes an increase in the hydrogen concentration, and

where at least part of the hydrogen chemically interacts with the undesirable product to lower a permanent negative impact on the reformer from the undesirable product.