Ballard Power Systems Corporation

Westport Power Inc.

Other

Ford Motor Company Limited

Daimler Ag

Utc Fuel Cells, LLC

Nxtgen Emission Controls Inc.

Richard Allan Sederquist

Xuantian Li

Jacobus Neels

Roger R Lesieur

Andre Boulet

Donald F Szydlowski

Brian W Wells

Alexander Douglas Mossman

Erik Paul Johannes

William Allison Logan

Craig R Louie

Campbell R McConnell

Kevin Marchand

Lasitha Cumaranatunge

Alakh Prasad

Biraj Bora

Andreas Gubner

Janusz Blaszczyk

Wolfram Fleck

Michael J Procter

A fuel processor for producing a hydrogen-containing product stream from a fuel stream and an oxidant stream, comprises a mixing tube from which the combined fuel and oxidant stream is directed substantially axially into a reaction chamber. The reaction chamber comprises a turn-around chamber and a turn-around wall at one end for re-directing the combined reactant stream, so that in the turn-around chamber the re-directed stream surrounds and is in contact with the combined reactant stream flowing substantially axially in the opposite direction. This design and opposing flow configuration creates a low velocity zone which stabilizes the location of a flame in the fuel processor and offers other advantages.

Compact fuel processor

A system and method for regenerating a device in an engine exhaust after-treatment system is provided. To regenerate the device, a syngas stream is introduced into the engine exhaust stream and combusts in the presence of a catalyst in the after-treatment system, raising the temperature. A supplemental liquid fuel stream is then selectively introduced into and is vaporized by the syngas stream to form a combined fuel stream. Combustion of the combined fuel stream with the engine exhaust in the presence of the catalyst further heats the device bringing it to a temperature suitable for regeneration. The catalyst can be upstream of or within the device being regenerated.

System and method for regenerating an engine exhaust after-treatment device

A fuel cell system is provided that is capable of operating at high temperatures and near-ambient pressure with partial humidification of air supplied to the fuel cell stack. The fuel cells of the stack incorporate gas diffusion barrier layers at the cathode side thereof. The system includes a cooling loop for circulating a liquid coolant through the stack. In some embodiments, an incoming air stream is partially humidified with water vapor transferred from a cathode exhaust stream in a gas-exchange humidifier or enthalpy wheel. In other embodiments, a cathode recycle is employed to partially humidify the incoming air. The humidity of the air and cathode exhaust streams is maintained below a stack saturation point. Methods of operating the fuel cell system are also provided.

Ambient pressure fuel cell system employing partial air humidification

A method of operating a syngas generator within a desired temperature range, despite a need for intermittent syngas output, involves switching between operating the syngas generator in a rich mode and a lean mode. Operation of the syngas generator in both the rich mode and the lean mode sustains the operating temperature of the syngas generator within that desired temperature range, particularly for non-catalytic reactors. The method of switching from the lean mode to the rich mode of operation can include decreasing the oxygen-to-carbon ratio of reactants supplied to the syngas generator. The flow rate of one or more of the reactant streams supplied to the syngas generator can be actively controlled in order to switch operation of the syngas generator between the rich and lean modes.

Method of operating a syngas generator

A compact, multitube steam reformer converts a fuel into a reformate stream comprising hydrogen. In one embodiment, the reformer comprises a closed vessel and a burner disposed within the vessel. The burner comprises a start fuel manifold for receiving and distributing a start fuel stream, an oxidant manifold for receiving and distributing an oxidant stream, and a burner fuel manifold for receiving and distributing a burner fuel stream. The oxidant manifold comprises a plurality of oxidant distribution tubes, each having an inlet end and an outlet end, disposed in a separator member. The burner fuel manifold comprises a plurality of burner fuel distribution tubes, each having an inlet end and an outlet end. The burner fuel distribution tubes extend through the start fuel manifold and the oxidant manifold and are fluidly isolated therefrom. The outlet end of each of the burner fuel distribution tubes extends into the inlet end of a corresponding oxidant distribution tube, thereby forming a gap between the outer wall of the burner fuel distribution tube and the inner wall of the oxidant distribution tube. The start fuel manifold has one or more openings therein associated with at least a portion of the burner fuel distribution tubes.

Compact multiple tube steam reformer

A self-inerting fuel processing system is provided. In one embodiment, the present fuel processing system comprises a fuel processor comprising a reformer, at least one self-reducing catalyst bed, a recycle loop for circulating a gas stream through the fuel processor and the self-reducing catalyst bed(s) during shutdown of the fuel processing system, and an oxidant supply for introducing oxidant into the recycle loop during shutdown of the fuel processing system. A method for shutting down the fuel processing system is provided. A fuel cell electric power generation system incorporating the present fuel processing system is also provided.

Self-inerting fuel processing system

A fuel processing system is operative to remove substantially all of the sulfur present in a logistic fuel stock supply. The fuel stock can be gasoline, diesel fuel, or other like fuels which contain relatively high levels of organic sulfur compounds such as mercaptans, sulfides, disulfides, and the like. The system is a part of a fuel cell power plant. The fuel stock supply is fed through a reformer where the fuel is converted to a hydrogen rich fuel which contains hydrogen sulfide. The hydrogen sulfide-containg reformer exhaust is passed through a sulfur scrubber, to which is added a small quantity of air, which scrubber removes substantially all of the sulfur in the exhaust stream by means of the Claus reaction. The desulfurizing step causes sulfur to deposit on the scrubber bed, which after a period of time, will prevent further sulfur from being removed from the reformer exhaust stream. The sulfur scrubber station is rejuvenated by passing a gas stream containing a relatively small amount (about 1% by volume) of carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide is converted to carbonyl sulfide which is then burned in power plant burner so as to form sulfur dioxide in the power plant exhaust stream.

Method and system for desulfurizing gasoline or diesel fuel for use in a fuel cell power plant

An autothermal reformer for converting a fuel into a reformate stream comprising hydrogen comprises (a) a closed vessel having a top end and a bottom end, the vessel comprising at least one insulation layer adjacent the interior surface of the vessel; (b) a first reactant manifold disposed within the vessel for receiving and distributing a first reactant stream, the first reactant manifold having a plurality of mixer tubes extending therefrom, each of the mixer tubes having an inlet end and an outlet end, the mixer tubes disposed in a separator member; and (c) a second reactant manifold disposed within the vessel for receiving and distributing a second reactant stream, the second reactant manifold comprising a plurality of injection tubes. Each of the injection tubes has an inlet end and an outlet end, extend through the first reactant manifold and are fluidly isolated therefrom. The outlet end of each of the plurality of injection tubes extends into the inlet end of one of the mixer tubes, thereby forming a gap between the outer wall of the injection tube and the inner wall of the mixer tube. Methods of operating the present autothermal reformer are also provided.

Autothermal reformer

Growing community of inventors

Middletown, CT, United States of America

Richard Allan Sederquist