Water vapor transfer device for fuel cell reformer

• US 6,875,246 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2001
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Brundage, Mark A., Burch, Steven, Forte, Jameson R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BHAT, NINA NMN
• Application Number:
  US09/910,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20030014918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 422/177, 48/61, 481/27, 481/28, 48/78, 429/19, 429/34
• US Class Current: 48/61
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0233 the reforming step being a steam reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0244 the reforming step being an autothermal reforming step, e.g. secondary reforming processes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0283 containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0288 containing two CO-shift steps
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/044 Selective oxidation of carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/047 the impurity being carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0495 the impurity being water
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/066 with fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0811 by combustion of fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0822 the fuel containing hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0844 the non-combustive exothermic reaction being another reforming reaction as defined in groups C01B2203/02 - C01B2203/0294
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0883 by indirect heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1041 Composition of the catalyst
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1047 Group VIII metal catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1052 Nickel or cobalt catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1064 Platinum group metal catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1076 Copper or zinc-based catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1082 Composition of support materials
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1205 Composition of the feed
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1247 Higher hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1288 : Evaporation of one or more of the different feed components
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/142 : At least two reforming, decomposition or partial oxidation steps in series
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/148 : involving a recycle stream to the feed of the process for making hydrogen or synthesis gas
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/16 : Controlling the process
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1604 : Starting up the process
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/80 : Aspect of integrated processes for the production of hydrogen or synthesis gas not covered by groups C01B2203/02 - C01B2203/1695
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/82 : Several process steps of C01B2203/02 - C01B2203/08 integrated into a single apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/38 : using catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/501 : by diffusion
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 5/00 : Water
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/10 : Process efficiency

Abstract

A hydrocarbon fuel reformer that is supplied with water vapor extracted from the reformer'"'"'s effluent stream. In particular, the present invention provides a power plant fuel processor for the production of hydrogen from a hydrocarbon fuel, comprising:

• • (a) a reactor for the production of hydrogen using an oxidant, water and hydrocarbon fuel; and
  • (b) a water transfer device that transfers water vapor from the reformate produced by said reactor to the oxidant used by said reactor, comprising a water-transfer membrane.

Claims

1. A fuel processor for the production of hydrogen from a hydrocarbon fuel, comprising:

(a) a reactor for the production of hydrogen-containing reformate using an oxidant, water and hydrocarbon fuel; and

(b) a water transfer device that transfers water vapor from the reformate produced by said reactor to a reactant used by said reactor, comprising a water-transfer membrane.

2. A fuel processor according to claim 1, wherein said reactant is air.

3. A fuel processor according to claim 2, wherein said air is at a temperature less than about 50°

C.

4. A fuel processor according to claim 3, wherein said air is at about ambient temperature.

5. A fuel processor according to claim 1, wherein said water transfer membrane comprises poly[perfluorosulfonic] acid.

7. A power plant fuel processor according to claim 5, wherein said reactant input of the reactor is an oxidant input.

10. A power plant fuel processor according to claim 7, wherein said reactant input of the reactor is an oxidant input.

24. A fuel processor according to claim 1, wherein said water transfer device comprises:

(a) a reformate gas inlet connected to the reformate stream outlet of said reactor;

(b) a reformate gas outlet;

(c) an oxidant gas inlet;

(d) an oxidant gas outlet;

(e) a conduit having an inner void and an outer surface, the walls of which comprise a water transfer membrane material, wherein one end of said conduit is connected to said reformate gas inlet, and the other end of said conduit is connected to said reformate gas outlet so as to allow for the flow of hydrogen gas through said inner void; and

(f) a housing which encloses and provides a void space around at least a portion of the outer surface of said conduit, wherein said housing has an oxidant gas inlet and an oxidant gas outlet allowing for the flow of an oxidant gas through said void space;

wherein the oxidant gas flowing through said void space in the housing passes over said conduit, but does not substantially mix with the hydrogen gas flowing through said inner void of the conduit.

6. A fuel processor for the production of hydrogen from a hydrocarbon fuel, comprising:

(a) a reactor having a reactant input, and a reformate output; and

(b) a water transfer device comprising (i) a transfer device input connected to said reformate output of the reactor, (ii) a transfer device output connected to said reactant input of the reactor, and (iii) a water-transfer membrane;

wherein said water transfer device transfers water from said reformate output to said reactant input.

8. A power plant fuel processor according to claim 6, wherein said reactor is an autothermal reactor.

9. A power plant according to claim 6, further comprising a compressor having a reactant input and that supplies an output of compressed reactant to said reactant input of the reactor, wherein said water transfer device transfers water vapor to said reactant input of the compressor.

11. A power plant according to claim 8, wherein said water transfer device comprises an input for air at a temperature of less than about 50°

C.

12. A power plant according to claim 11, wherein said water transfer device additionally comprises an input for air at about ambient temperature.

13. A power plant fuel processor according to claim 6, wherein said membrane comprises poly[perfluorosulfonic] acid.

14. A method for humidifying a reactant for a fuel processor that makes a hydrogen-containing reformate, comprising the transfer of water vapor from said reformate to said reactant using a water transfer device comprising a water transfer membrane.

15. A method for humidifying a reactant according to claim 14, wherein said reactant is air.

16. A method for humidifying a reactant according to claim 15, wherein said air is at a temperature of less than about 50°

C. when it is humidified by said water transfer device.

17. A water transfer device for the transfer of water vapor from a primary gas to a secondary gas in a fuel cell power plant, having a primary gas inlet, a primary gas outlet, a secondary gas inlet and a secondary gas outlet, comprising:

(a) a primary gas inlet;

(b) a primary gas outlet;

(c) a secondary gas inlet;

(d) a secondary gas outlet;

(e) a conduit having an inner void and outer surface, the walls of which comprise a water transfer membrane material, wherein one end of said conduit is connected to said primary gas inlet, and the other end of said conduit is connected to said primary gas outlet so as to allow for the flow of a primary gas through said inner void; and

(f) a housing which encloses and provides a void space around at least a portion of the outer surface of said conduit, wherein said housing has a secondary gas inlet and a secondary gas outlet allowing for the flow of a secondary gas through said void space;

wherein secondary gas flowing through the void space of said housing passes over an outer surface of said conduit, but does not substantially mix with primary gas flowing through the inner void of said conduit.

18. A water transfer device according to claim 17, comprising a plurality of said conduits, all of which are connected to said primary gas inlet and said primary gas outlet.

19. A water transfer device according to claim 17, wherein said water transfer membrane material comprises a poly[perfluorosulfonic] acid.

20. A water transfer device according to claim 19, wherein the direction of said flow of primary gas is in essentially the opposite direction of the said flow of said secondary gas.

21. A method for humidifying a reactant for a fuel processor using a water transfer device according to claim 17.

22. A method for humidifying a reactant for a fuel processor according to claim 21, wherein said primary gas inlet is supplied with reformate produced by a reactor, and said secondary gas inlet is supplied with air, comprising transferring of water vapor from said reformate to said air using said water transfer device, and supplying said air from said secondary gas outlet to a reactor in said fuel processor.

23. A method for humidifying a reactant for a fuel processor according to claim 22, wherein the temperature of said air is less than about 50°

C., and the pressure of said reformate is from about 170% to about 270% of the pressure of said air.