Method for generating hydrogen for fuel cells

Patent · Tue Mar 30 00:00:00 EST 2004

OSTI ID:1174790

Ahmed, Shabbir; Lee, Sheldon H. D.; Carter, John David; Krumpelt, Michael

A method of producing a H.sub.2 rich gas stream includes supplying an O.sub.2 rich gas, steam, and fuel to an inner reforming zone of a fuel processor that includes a partial oxidation catalyst and a steam reforming catalyst or a combined partial oxidation and stream reforming catalyst. The method also includes contacting the O.sub.2 rich gas, steam, and fuel with the partial oxidation catalyst and the steam reforming catalyst or the combined partial oxidation and stream reforming catalyst in the inner reforming zone to generate a hot reformate stream. The method still further includes cooling the hot reformate stream in a cooling zone to produce a cooled reformate stream. Additionally, the method includes removing sulfur-containing compounds from the cooled reformate stream by contacting the cooled reformate stream with a sulfur removal agent. The method still further includes contacting the cooled reformate stream with a catalyst that converts water and carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and H.sub.2 in a water-gas-shift zone to produce a final reformate stream in the fuel processor.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-31-108-ENG-38
• Assignee: Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne, IL)
• Patent Number(s): 6,713,040
• Application Number: 09/816,676
• OSTI ID: 1174790
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION