Integrated liquid fuel catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) reformer and fuel cell systems can include a plurality or an array of spaced-apart CPOX reactor units, each reactor unit including an elongated tube having a gas-permeable wall with internal and external surfaces. The wall encloses an unobstructed gaseous flow passageway. At least a portion of the wall has CPOX catalyst disposed therein and/or comprising its structure. The catalyst-containing wall structure and open gaseous flow passageway enclosed thereby define a gaseous phase CPOX reaction zone, the catalyst-containing wall section being gas-permeable to allow gaseous CPOX reaction mixture to diffuse therein and hydrogen rich product reformate to diffuse therefrom. The liquid fuel CPOX reformer also can include a vaporizer, one or more igniters, and a source of liquid reformable fuel. The hydrogen-rich reformate can be converted to electricity within a fuel cell unit integrated with the CPOX reactor unit.

A gas-fired burner adapted for use on a liquid fuel. A method for essentially smokeless start-up and steady state operation of a gas-fired burner on a liquid fuel. The apparatus integrates a catalytic liquid fuel reformer with a flame burner designed for operation on a gaseous fuel of high Wobbe Index, e.g., natural gas. The method involves reacting a mixture of a liquid fuel and oxidant in a catalytic reformer to obtain a gaseous reformate having a low Wobbe Index; and thereafter combusting the gaseous reformate, optionally augmented with liquid co-fuel and oxidant, in the gas-fired burner under diffusion flame conditions. The invention allows commercial gas-fired appliances to be operated on a liquid fuel, thereby offering advantages in logistics and camp operations.

Integrated liquid fuel catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) reformer and fuel cell systems can include a plurality or an array of spaced-apart CPOX reactor units, each reactor unit including an elongate tube having a gas-permeable wall with internal and external surfaces, the wall enclosing an open gaseous flow passageway with at least a portion of the wall having CPOX catalyst disposed therein and/or comprising its structure. The catalyst-containing wall structure and open gaseous flow passageway enclosed thereby define a gaseous phase CPOX reaction zone, the catalyst-containing wall section being gas-permeable to allow gaseous CPOX reaction mixture to diffuse therein and hydrogen rich product reformate to diffuse therefrom. The liquid fuel CPOX reformer also can include a vaporizer, one or more igniters, and a source of liquid reformable fuel. The hydrogen-rich reformate can be converted to electricity within a fuel cell unit integrated with the liquid fuel CPOX reactor unit.

A reactor containing a heat exchanger is disclosed, which can be operated with co-current or counter-current flow. Also disclosed is a system that includes a reactor having a reformer and a vaporizer, a fuel supply, and a water supply. The reactor includes a source of combustion gas, a reformer operative to receive reformate, and a vaporizer operative to receive water. The reformer and vaporizer each include a stack assembly formed by a combination of separator shims and channel shims. The separator shims and channel shims are stacked in a regular pattern to form two sets of channels within the stack assembly. One set of channels will have vertical passageways at either end and a horizontal flowpath between them, while the other set of channels has only a horizontal flowpath.

A reformer includes at least one reformer reactor unit (300) having a space-confining wall with external (307) and internal surfaces (306), at least a section of the wall and space confined thereby defining a reforming reaction zone (311), an inlet end (301) and associated inlet (302) for admission of flow of gaseous reforming reactant to the reforming reaction zone (311), an outlet end (303) and associated outlet (304) for outflow of hydrogen-rich reformate produced in the reforming reaction zone (311), at least that section of the wall (305) corresponding to the reforming reaction zone comprising perovskite as a structural component thereof such wall section being gas-permeable to allow gaseous reforming reactant to diffuse therein and hydrogen-rich reformate to diffuse therefrom.

A liquid fuel reformer includes a fuel vaporizer which utilizes heat from an upstream source of heat, specifically, an electric heater, operable in the start-up mode of the reformer, and therefore independent of the reforming reaction zone of the reformer, to vaporize fuel in a downstream vaporization zone.

A reactor containing a heat exchanger is disclosed, which can be operated with co-current or counter-current flow. Also disclosed is a system that includes a reactor having a reformer and a vaporizer, a fuel supply, and a water supply. The reactor includes a source of combustion gas, a reformer operative to receive reformate, and a vaporizer operative to receive water. The reformer and vaporizer each include a stack assembly formed by a combination of separator shims and channel shims. The separator shims and channel shims are stacked in a regular pattern to form two sets of channels within the stack assembly. One set of channels will have vertical passageways at either end and a horizontal flowpath between them, while the other set of channels has only a horizontal flowpath.

A hydrogen production apparatus including a desulfurizer, a reformer, a CO transformer a gas flow path, and a purge gas supply path which is provided where a purge gas is supplied to an upstream side of a pressure feeding apparatus in the gas flow path, prior to a stopping operation, a purging step of replacing gas within the gas flow path with the purge gas and filling the purge gas into the gas flow path is performed, and in a start-up operation in which a heating means is operated to increase the temperature of the gas within the gas flow path, which is performed prior to a hydrogen purification operation, a pressure increasing step of supplying the purge gas from the purge gas supply path to the closed circulation circuit and increasing the pressure within the closed circulation circuit is performed.

The invention relates to the field of gas chemistry and, more specifically, to methods and devices for producing aromatic hydrocarbons from natural gas, which involve producing synthesis gas, converting same into methanol, producing, from the methanol, in the presence of a catalyst, a concentrate of aromatic hydrocarbons and water, separating the water, air stripping hydrocarbon residues from the water, and separating-out the resultant concentrate of aromatic hydrocarbons and hydrogen-containing gas, the latter being at least partially used in the production of synthesis gas to adjust the ratio therein of H.sub.2:CO 1.8-2.3:1, and can be used for producing aromatic hydrocarbons. According to the invention, the production of aromatic hydrocarbons from methanol in the presence of a catalyst is carried out in two consecutively-connected reactors for synthesizing aromatic hydrocarbons: in a first, low-temperature isothermal reactor for synthesizing aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, and in a second, high-temperature adiabatic reactor for synthesizing aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons from aliphatic hydrocarbons formed in the first reactor, and the subsequent stabilization thereof in an aromatic hydrocarbon concentrate stabilization unit. At least a portion of the hydrogen-containing gas is fed to a synthesis gas production unit and is used for producing synthesis gas using autothermal reforming technology. The installation carries out the method. The achieved technical result consists in increasing the efficiency of producing concentrates of aromatic hydrocarbons.

A synthesis process comprising steam reforming a gaseous hydrocarbon feedstock (11); exothermically reacting the resulting synthesis gas; removing heat from said exothermal reaction by producing steam (32); using said steam as heat input to the steam reforming, wherein the steam reforming comprises: a) forming a mixture (30) containing steam and hydrocarbons by at least the step of adding a first stream of water (26) to the hydrocarbon feedstock (11); b) heating said mixture (30) by indirect heat exchange with synthesis gas; c) reforming said mixture after said heating step b).