Apparatus and methods for mixing reformable fuels and an oxygen-containing gas and/or steam

• US 10,644,337 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WATT Fuel Cell Corp.
• Original Assignee: WATT Fuel Cell Corp.
• Inventors: Finnerty, Caine, DeWald, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiquee, Muhammad S
• Application Number:
  US15/692,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20180026289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/10 Mixing gases with gases
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/3121 with additional mixing means other than injector mixers, e.g. screens, baffles or rotating elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/31232 used simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/312532 Profiled, grooved, ribbed discharge conduit, or being provided with baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/006 Baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0073 Sealings sealings for pressure vessels per se F16J15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/26 Nozzle-type reactors, i.e. the distribution of the initial reactants within the reactor is effected by their introduction or injection through nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00065 Pressure measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00162 controlling the pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00772 in a helix
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 4/002 Nozzle-type elements nozzle-type reactors B01J19/26
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1282 using static mixers
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/38 using catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04201 Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0606 with means for production of gaseous reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0612 from carbon-containing material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/141 Feedstock

Abstract

The present teachings provide apparatus and methods for mixing a reformable fuel and/or steam with an oxygen-containing gas and/or steam to provide a gaseous reforming reaction mixture suitable for reforming with a reformer and/or a fuel cell stack of a fuel cell unit and/or fuel cell system.

Claims

1. A method of mixing reformable fuel and an oxygen-containing gas and/or steam for delivery to a reformer and/or fuel cell stack of a fuel cell unit, the method comprising:

delivering an oxygen-containing gas and/or steam through a tube comprising a throat such that the oxygen-containing gas and/or steam experiences an increase in velocity and decrease in pressure through the throat and a rifling or twisting motion downstream of the throat along with an increase in pressure and decrease in velocity;

introducing a reformable fuel and/or steam through a fuel source inlet into a fuel injection chamber and through one or more fuel inlets into the stream of oxygen-containing gas and/or steam downstream of the throat, whereby the reformable fuel and/or steam mixes with the stream of the oxygen-containing gas and/or steam to provide a gaseous reforming reaction mixture,

wherein the fuel injection chamber is created by a collar present around the tube and is in fluid communication with the fuel source inlet and the interior of the tube through the one or more fuel inlets, and the collar isolates the one or more fuel inlets from the ambient environment exterior to the tube; and

delivering the gaseous reforming reaction mixture to a reformer and/or a fuel cell stack of a fuel cell unit.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising reforming or reforming partially the gaseous reforming reaction mixture prior to the gaseous reforming reaction mixture exiting an outlet of the tube.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising transferring heat generated by reforming or reforming partially the gaseous reforming reaction mixture to the reformable fuel and/or steam prior to introducing the reformable fuel and/or steam into the stream of oxygen-containing gas and/or steam.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing a reformable fuel and/or steam into the stream of oxygen-containing gas and/or steam comprises introducing a reformable fuel and/or steam through a porous barrier into the stream of oxygen-containing gas and/or steam.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reformable fuel is at least one of a liquid reformable fuel, a vaporized liquid reformable fuel, and a gaseous reformable fuel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the tube comprises an internal wall and an outlet, and at least a portion of the internal wall of the tube between the throat and the outlet comprises a helical mixing structure.

7. A method of mixing reformable fuel and an oxygen-containing gas and/or steam for delivery to a reformer and/or fuel cell stack of a fuel cell unit, the method comprising:

delivering an oxygen-containing gas and/or steam through a tube comprising a throat such that the oxygen-containing gas and/or steam experiences an increase in velocity and decrease in pressure through the throat and an increase in pressure and decrease in velocity downstream of the throat;

introducing a reformable fuel and/or steam through a fuel source inlet into a fuel injection chamber and through fuel inlets into the stream of oxygen-containing gas and/or steam downstream of the throat, whereby the reformable fuel and/or steam mixes with the stream of the oxygen-containing gas and/or steam to provide a gaseous reforming reaction mixture,

wherein the fuel injection chamber is created by a collar present around the tube and is in fluid communication with the fuel source inlet and the interior of the tube through the fuel inlets, and the collar isolates the fuel inlets from the ambient environment exterior to the tube; and

delivering through an outlet the gaseous reforming reaction mixture to a reformer and/or a fuel cell stack of a fuel cell unit.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the stream of the oxygen-containing gas and/or steam experiences a rifling or twisting motion downstream of the throat.

9. A method of mixing reformable fuel and an oxygen-containing gas and/or steam for delivery to a reformer and/or fuel cell stack of a fuel cell unit, the method comprising:

delivering an oxygen-containing gas and/or steam through a fluid mixing device, wherein the fluid mixing device comprises;

a tube having an exterior surface, an internal wall, an inlet, an outlet, and a throat located between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the throat comprises a smaller internal diameter than the internal diameter of the outlet, the longitudinal axis through the tube from the inlet to the outlet defines a downstream direction, and the tube comprises one or more fuel inlets downstream from the throat; and

a collar encompassing the one or more fuel inlets on the exterior surface of the tube, wherein the collar comprises a fuel source inlet in fluid communication with the one or more fuel inlets and isolates the one or more fuel inlets from the ambient environment exterior to the tube;

introducing a reformable fuel and/or steam through the one or more fuel inlets into the stream of oxygen-containing gas and/or steam downstream of the throat, whereby the reformable fuel and/or steam mixes with the stream of the oxygen-containing gas and/or steam to provide a gaseous reforming reaction mixture; and

delivering the gaseous reforming reaction mixture to a reformer and/or a fuel cell stack of a fuel cell unit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the internal wall of the tube between the throat and the outlet comprises a helical mixing structure.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the internal wall of the tube upstream of, through and downstream of the throat comprises a helical mixing structure.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more fuel inlets comprise a series of holes, the series of holes providing fluid communication between the interior of the tube and the exterior of the tube.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more fuel inlets comprise a series of holes, the series of holes providing fluid communication between the interior of the tube and the exterior of the tube;

and the helical mixing structure defines independent rifling channels on at least a portion of the internal wall of the tube between the throat and the outlet, and each fuel inlet is associated with or coincides with an independent rifling channel.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of internal wall of the tube downstream from the throat comprises a reforming catalyst.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the internal wall of the tube comprises a step structure, the step structure being a depression or groove beginning upstream of the one or more fuel inlets and ending towards the outlet, and comprising one or more fuel inlets.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the internal wall of the tube comprises a step structure, the step structure being a depression or groove beginning upstream of the one or more fuel inlets and ending towards the outlet, and comprising one or more fuel inlets.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the internal wall of the tube comprises a step structure, the step structure being a depression or groove beginning upstream of the one or more fuel inlets and ending towards the outlet, and comprising one or more fuel inlets.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the internal diameter of the inlet is larger than the internal diameter of the throat.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein introducing a reformable fuel and/or steam into the stream of oxygen-containing gas and/or steam comprises introducing a reformable fuel and/or steam through a porous barrier into the stream of oxygen-containing gas and/or steam.

20. The method of claim 14, comprising reforming or reforming partially the gaseous reforming reaction mixture prior to the gaseous reforming reaction mixture exiting an outlet of the tube.