Texaco Inc.

Chevron U.s.a. Inc.

Modine Manufacturing Company

Texaco Development Corporation

Kevin Nguyen

Curtis L Krause

Vesna Radovan Mirkovic

W Spencer Wheat

James F Stevens

Daniel Glenn Casey

Vijay Anant Deshpande

William Spencer Wheat

Paul Francis Martin

Lixin You

Yunquan Liu

Mark G Voss

Michael J Reinke

Jeroen Valensa

Todd M Bandhauer

Bhaskar Balasubramanian

Amanda Vincent

A process for preparation of synthesis gas and/or hydrogen by counter-currently providing an oxidation reactant stream through an oxidation chamber and a reforming reactant stream through a steam reforming chamber is described. Also provided is a reactor for conducting the reaction.

Counter-current oxidation and steam methane reforming process and reactor therefor

A combustor for oxidizing a combustion fuel and pre-heating one or more reactants for fuel reforming. The combustor includes an elongated housing having an inlet for receiving a combustion fuel and an outlet for exhausting combustion products. The elongated housing further includes a cylindrical side wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall. Inert particles are disposed within the housing adjacent the inlet. A combustion catalyst bed is disposed within the housing above the inert particles that is a mixture of inert particles and combustion catalyst. The inert particles and the combustion catalyst preferably have a volumetric ratio of inert particles to catalyst between about 2:1 and about 4:1. The combustor has at least one heat exchanger within the combustion catalyst bed for heating a reformer reactant and generating steam. Preferably, the combustor includes at least two heat exchangers within the combustion catalyst bed, the heat exchanging elements have different surface areas. The combustor can include at least one sensor for measuring temperature within the combustor, and preferably the reactor includes two or more sensors for measuring temperature at two or more locations within the combustion catalyst bed. A power-generating apparatus comprising the combustor, a fuel processor and fuel cell is also provided. Methods for pre-heating a reactant and generating steam for use in a fuel reformer and for manufacturing a combustor for use in fuel reforming are provided.

Anode tailgas oxidizer

A process and apparatus for preparing a synthesis gas suitable for feeding to a suitable hydrocarbon production reactor, such as a Fischer Tropsch reactor is described. According to one aspect, the process and apparatus utilize heat exchangers that thermally integrate the reaction steps such that heat generated by exothermic reactions, e.g., combustion, are arranged closely to the heat sinks, e.g., cool methane, water and air, to minimize heat loss and maximize heat recovery. Effectively, this thermal integration eliminates excess piping throughout, reduces initial capital and operating costs, provides built-in passive temperature control, and improves synthesis gas production efficiencies.

Process and apparatus for synthesis gas and hydrocarbon production

Relates to a process and apparatus that improves the hydrogen production efficiency for small scale hydrogen production. According to one aspect, the process provides heat exchangers that are thermally integrated with the reaction steps such that heat generated by exothermic reactions, combustion and water gas shift, are arranged closely to the endothermic reaction, steam reformation, and heat sinks, cool natural gas, water and air, to minimize heat loss and maximize heat recovery. Effectively, this thermally integrated process eliminates excess piping throughout, reducing initial capital cost.

Process and apparatus for thermally integrated hydrogen generation system

A method for start-up and shut down of a fuel processor including an autothermal reformer employing a non-pyrophoric shift catalyst is disclosed. Also disclosed are a computer programmed to start-up or shut down a fuel processor including an autothermal reformer employing a non-pyrophoric shift catalyst or a program storage medium encoded with instruction that, when executed by a computer, start-up or shut down a fuel processor including an autothermal reformer employing a non-pyrophoric shift catalyst.

Autothermal reforming in a fuel processor utilizing non-pyrophoric shift catalyst

The present invention discloses a hybrid combustor, such as an anode tailgas oxidizer (ATO), for fuel processing applications which combines both flame and catalytic type burners. The hybrid combustor of the present invention combines the advantages of both flame and catalytic type burners. The flame burner component of the hybrid combustor is used during start-up for the preheating of the catalytic burner component. As soon as the catalytic burner bed is preheated or lit off, the flame burner will be shut off. Optionally, the hybrid combustor may also include an integrated heat recovery unit located downstream of the catalytic burner for steam generation and for the preheating of the feed for a reformer, such as an autothermal reformer.

Hybrid combustor for fuel processing applications

Apparatus and method for rapidly heating one or more reactants for use in a fuel reformer. The apparatus includes a combustion section having an outer wall enclosing a combustion chamber and a catalyst disposed within the combustion chamber. A heat recovery section is in fluid communication with the combustion section and has an outer wall defining a heat recovery chamber. At least one heat exchanging element is located within the heat recovery chamber having an inlet for receiving a fuel reforming reactant and an outlet for directing a heated reactant out of the heat recovery section. The combustion section is elevated relative to the heat recovery section such that heated combustion gases are displaced down into the heat recovery section. The housing has an internal diameter of less than about 10 inches, or alternatively, has a length and a diameter in a ratio of between about 7:1 and about 4:1.

Method and apparatus for rapid heating of fuel reforming reactants

A method and apparatus for providing a balanced fluid supply through multiple feeds are disclosed. The method comprises supplying the fluid through a plurality of feeds from a common fluid accumulator; determining the fluid pressure in a common fluid accumulator; and controlling the fluid pressure in the common fluid accumulator responsive to the fluid pressure sensed therein to maintain the fluid pressure within a predetermined range. The balanced fluid supply comprises a common fluid accumulator; a plurality of feeds from the common fluid accumulator; and a control system capable of controlling the pressure of the fluid supplied from the common fluid accumulator to the feeds responsive to a determined pressure of fluid in the common fluid accumulator.

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Missouri City, TX, United States of America

Kevin Nguyen