The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 25, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 11, 1998
Gavin P. Towler, Barrington, IL (US);
Kurt Vanden Bussche, Lake in the Hills, IL (US);
UOP LLC, Des Plaines, IL (US);
Abstract
A process and apparatus are disclosed for the operation of a compact water gas shift reactor for use in conjunction with fuel cell to generate electric power from a feed stream comprising a hydrocarbon or an alcohol. The fuel cell comprises a proton exchange membrane which produces electric power from a hydrogen product stream which comprises essentially no carbon monoxide. The hydrogen product stream may produced from the feed stream in a steam reforming of autothermal reforming zone. The compact water gas shift reactor comprises a vertically aligned vessel having a top end, a bottom end opposite, which defines an interior space. The interior space contains a first water spray zone for contacting a reforming effluent stream comprising hydrogen with a first water stream. A first dispersion zone is disposed below the first water spray zone and above a high temperature shift zone. The high temperature shift zone contains a high temperature shift catalyst to produce a high temperature shift effluent stream. A second water spray zone is disposed below the high temperature shift zone and above a second dispersion zone. A low temperature shift zone is disposed below the second dispersion zone. The low temperature shift zone contains a low temperature shift catalyst to produce a water saturated hydrogen product stream which comprises less than 50 ppm-mol carbon monoxide. The water dispersion zones simplify the overall shift reaction zone and provide protection for the shift catalysts from temperature shock.