A volume of natural gas including a volume of methane and a volume of other alkanes may be cleaned of the other alkanes using a steam reformer system to create synthesis gas.

Hydrogen generation assemblies, hydrogen purification devices, and their components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the devices may include a permeate frame with a membrane support structure having first and second membrane support plates that are free from perforations and that include a plurality of microgrooves configured to provide flow channels for at least part of the permeate stream. In some embodiments, the assemblies may include a return conduit fluidly connecting a buffer tank and a reformate conduit, a return valve assembly configured to manage flow in the return conduit, and a control assembly configured to operate a fuel processing assembly between run and standby modes based, at least in part, on detected pressure in the buffer tank and configured to direct the return valve assembly to allow product hydrogen stream to flow from the buffer tank to the reformate conduit when the fuel processing assembly is in the standby mode.

Systems and methods are provided for a fuel cell including a fuel desulfurization system. The method includes receiving fuel from a fuel source in a first phase and depressurizing the fuel in the first phase in a vacuum system to convert at least a portion of the fuel into a second phase. The method further includes reforming the portion of the fuel in the second phase to create a hydrogen enriched fuel in the second phase, and delivering the hydrogen enriched fuel in the second phase to a fuel cell stack.

The present disclosure relates to a method of operating a reformer, wherein the reformer is operated at least with a first hydrocarbon mixture and a second hydrocarbon mixture. The reformer has a primary reformer that is supplied with a first gas stream. The reformer also has a secondary reformer that is supplied with a semifinished product gas stream from the primary reformer and with an air stream. The first gas stream and the air stream are used to form the quotient of the first gas stream divided by the air stream. A threshold value is defined, wherein the reformer is shut down below the threshold value. The threshold value is compared with the product of the quotient of the first gas stream divided by the air stream multiplied by a factor H, wherein the factor is defined depending on the chemical composition of the gas stream.

Hydrogen generation assemblies and methods of generating hydrogen are disclosed. In some embodiments, the method may include receiving a feed stream in a fuel processing assembly of the hydrogen generation assembly; and generating a product hydrogen stream in the fuel processing assembly from the received feed stream. Generating a product hydrogen stream may, in some embodiments, include generating an output stream in a hydrogen generating region from the received feed stream, and generating the product hydrogen stream in a purification region from the output stream. The method may additionally include receiving the generated product hydrogen stream in a buffer tank of the hydrogen generation assembly; and detecting pressure in the buffer tank via a tank sensor assembly. The method may further include stopping generation of the product hydrogen stream in the fuel processing assembly when the detected pressure in the buffer tank is above a predetermined maximum pressure.

To allow hydrogen to be supplied to a dehydrogenation reaction unit for dehydrogenating an organic hydride by using a highly simple structure so that the activity of the dehydrogenation catalyst of the dehydrogenation reaction unit is prevented from being rapidly reduced. The hydrogen production system (1) comprises a first dehydrogenation reaction unit (3) for producing hydrogen by a dehydrogenation reaction of an organic hydride in presence of a first catalyst, and a second dehydrogenation reaction unit (4) for receiving a product of the first dehydrogenation reaction unit, and producing hydrogen by a dehydrogenation reaction of the organic hydride remaining in the product in presence of a second catalyst, wherein an amount of the first catalyst used in the first dehydrogenation reaction unit is equal to or less than an amount of the second catalyst used in the second dehydrogenation reaction unit, and an amount of hydrogen produced in the first dehydrogenation reaction unit is less than an amount of hydrogen produced in the second dehydrogenation reaction unit.

Methods and apparatus are provided for a fuel cell including a fuel desulfurization system. The fuel cell system includes a source of fuel and a fuel desulfurization system fluidly coupled to the source of fuel to receive the fuel in a liquid phase. The fuel desulfurization system includes a vacuum system that depressurizes the fuel to convert at least a portion of the fuel from the liquid phase to a gaseous phase. The fuel cell system also includes a fuel cell stack fluidly coupled to the fuel desulfurization system to receive fuel from the fuel desulfurization system in the gaseous phase.

A fuel cell system includes: a reformer to generate a fuel gas from a raw material gas, reforming water, and air supplied to the reformer; an SOFC to generate electric power through a power-generating reaction by utilizing the fuel gas and air; a combustor to combust an anode off gas discharged from the SOFC; a hot module housing the reformer, the SOFC, and the combustor, which are covered with a heat insulating material; and a hydrodesulfurizer to remove a sulfur component from the raw material gas by hydrodesulfurization. The anode off gas is supplied to the combustor and the hydrodesulfurizer in a distributed manner. The hydrodesulfurizer performs the hydrodesulfurization of the raw material gas by utilizing the anode off gas as a hydrogen source and utilizing an exhaust gas discharged from the hot module as a heat source, the exhaust gas containing at least combustion heat from the combustor.

A method and system for determining changes in the catalytic activity of reforming catalyst where an outlet temperature of the catalytic reactor is measured and a temperature approach to equilibrium calculated based on the measured outlet temperature. The temperature approach to equilibrium is compared to an empirical model-based temperature approach to equilibrium calculated for the same operating conditions, the comparison showing changes in the catalytic activity of the reforming catalyst.

A method and system for determining changes in the catalytic activity of reforming catalyst where an outlet temperature of the catalytic reactor is measured and a temperature approach to equilibrium calculated based on the measured outlet temperature. The temperature approach to equilibrium is compared to an empirical model-based temperature approach to equilibrium calculated for the same operating conditions, the comparison showing changes in the catalytic activity of the reforming catalyst.