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.

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.

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.

A hydrogen production supply system that produces hydrogen gas to be supplied to a hydrogen storage tank, the hydrogen production supply system including a control circuit configured to control an operation load ratio of the hydrogen production apparatus to a predetermined operation load ratio, to increase the operation load ratio of the hydrogen production apparatus to a first operation load ratio larger than the predetermined operation load ratio at first timing, and to decrease the operation load ratio of the hydrogen production apparatus to the predetermined operation load ratio from the first load operation ratio at second timing, wherein an increase in the operation load ratio at the first timing takes precedence over a decrease in the operation load ratio at the second timing.

An operation method is provided for a hydrogen production apparatus that is disposed in a hydrogen station and produces hydrogen gas to be supplied to a fuel cell vehicle (FCV) arriving at the hydrogen station. The operation method includes starting up a hydrogen production apparatus up to a first operation load ratio preset for a rated operation. The operation method includes increasing an operation load of the hydrogen production apparatus to a second operation load ratio, which is larger than the first operation load ratio, at first timing associated with an arrival of the FCV, and decreasing the operation load of the hydrogen production apparatus to a third operation load ratio, which is smaller than the second operation load ratio, at second timing associated with a completion of hydrogen filling into the FCV.

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.

Method for stable ethanol steam reforming, wherein a catalytic ethanol reforming is carried out in two vessels operating in parallel mode both filled in with a catalyst active for this reaction, with the first vessel acting in operation mode, generating an hydrogen rich stream, and the parallel vessel, acting in regeneration mode, made flowing with steam in order to carry out the gasification of carbonaceous compounds deposited on the catalyst.

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.

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.

An industrial, commercial and residential Hydrogen production and conversion system is provided. The Hydrogen production and conversion system includes a reactor vessel for facilitating the production of Hydrogen gas and Oxygen gas, a separator vessel for separating the produced Hydrogen and Oxygen gas, a Hydrogen receiver vessel for receiving the separated Hydrogen gas, a compressor for compressing the received Hydrogen gas and a Hydrogen storage vessel for storing the compressed Hydrogen gas and providing the stored Hydrogen gas to one or more power systems to be used as fuel.