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.

The invention relates to a method of starting-up a fuel cell arrangement (1) comprising a fuel processor (2) and a fuel cell (70), wherein the fuel processor (2) comprises the following components: a first evaporator (10), a reformer (20) arranged downstream of the first evaporator (10), a water-gas shift reactor (30), a PrOx reactor (40), a first heat exchanger (11), an afterburner (21) and a startup burner (50), wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) electrically heating a heating arrangement in the fuel processor (2) to heat a first gas (G1), b) heating the components of the fuel processor (2) to a fixed operating temperature by circulating the heated first gas (G1) through at least the first heat exchanger (11) and the afterburner (21), c) catalytically combusting an atomized or evaporated fuel (B) in the startup burner (50) and then afterburning hydrogen in the afterburner (21) for further heating of the first gas (G1) via at least one heat exchanger, d) introducing the fuel (B) into the preheated components of the fuel processor (2) and stopping the catalytic combustion in the startup burner (50), e) starting up at least one reaction in the components of the fuel processor (2), until an exit gas from a PrOx reactor (40) has a given CO content, and f) switching on the fuel cell (70). The invention further relates to a fuel cell arrangement.

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.

Hydrogen purification devices and their components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the devices may include at least one foil-microscreen assembly disposed between and secured to first and second end frames. The at least one foil-microscreen assembly may include at least one hydrogen-selective membrane and at least one microscreen structure including a non-porous planar sheet having a plurality of apertures forming a plurality of fluid passages. The planar sheet may include generally opposed planar surfaces configured to provide support to the permeate side. The plurality of fluid passages may extend between the opposed surfaces. The at least one hydrogen-selective membrane may be metallurgically bonded to the at least one microscreen structure. In some embodiments, the devices may include a permeate frame having at least one membrane support structure that spans at least a substantial portion of an open region and that is configured to support at least one foil-microscreen assembly.

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 catalytic burner arrangement is provided including at least a catalytic burner unit with a housing having a reaction chamber in which a catalyst is arranged, wherein the catalyst is adapted to react a fuel, particularly a hydrogen containing fluid, with an oxidant, particularly air, for producing heat, the housing having a fluid inlet for supplying a fluid stream into the housing and a find outlet for exiting a fluid stream from the housing, and the catalytic burner arrangement further includes a mixing unit forming a mixing chamber in which fuel and oxidant are mixed, wherein the mixing device includes a fuel inlet, an oxidant inlet and an fuel-oxidant-mixture outlet, and wherein the fluid inlet of the catalytic burner unit merges with the fuel-oxidant-outlet of the mixing unit for transferring the fuel-oxidant-mixture from the mixing chamber to the reaction chamber of the catalytic burner unit wherein the fuel-oxidant-outlet of the mixing chamber is pipe-shaped and extents into the mixing chamber of the mixing unit, and wherein a length of the pipe-shaped fuel-oxidant-outlet extents over the oxidant inlet and/or the fuel inlet.

A catalytic burner arrangement including at least a catalytic burner unit with a housing having a reaction chamber in which a catalyst is arranged is provided wherein the catalyst is adapted to react a fuel, particularly a hydrogen containing fluid, with an oxidant, particularly air, for producing heat, the housing having a fluid inlet for supplying a fluid stream into the housing and a fluid outlet for exiting a fluid stream from the housing, and the catalytic burner arrangement further includes a mixing unit forming a mixing chamber in which fuel and oxidant are mixed, wherein the mixing device includes a fuel inlet, an oxidant inlet and an fuel-oxidant-mixture outlet, and wherein the fluid inlet of the catalytic burner unit merges with the fuel-oxidant-outlet of the mixing unit for transferring the fuel-oxidant-mixture from the mixing chamber to the reaction chamber of the catalytic burner unit wherein the fuel inlet of the mixing chamber is arranged upstream of the oxidant inlet of the mixing unit.