Claims
- 1. A fuel processor assembly, comprising:
a first plate and a second plate; wherein the first plate is mated with the second plate to form a plurality of reactor housings; wherein at least one of the first and second plates has an inlet orifice feature adapted to receive a hydrocarbon stream; and wherein at least one of the first and second plates has an outlet orifice feature adapted to exhaust a reformate stream.
- 2. The fuel processor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a catalyst monolith disposed in one of the plurality of reactor housings.
- 3. The fuel processor assembly of claim 1, further comprising catalyst pellets disposed in one of the plurality of reactor housings.
- 4. The fuel processor assembly of claim 1, further comprising:
a hydrocarbon conversion reactor disposed in a first reactor housing of the plurality of reactor housings; and a first shift reactor disposed in a second reactor housing of the plurality of reactor housings.
- 5. The fuel processor assembly of claim 4, wherein the hydrocarbon conversion reactor has an operating temperature in the range of 600-1100° C., and the first shift reactor has an operating temperature in the range of 100-600° C.
- 6. The fuel processor assembly of claim 4, wherein the plurality of reactor housings comprise at least three reactor housings; and
the fuel processor assembly comprises a second shift reactor disposed in a third reactor housing of the plurality of reactor housings.
- 7. The fuel processor assembly of claim 6, wherein the first shift reactor has an operating temperature in the range of 400-600° C., and the second shift reactor has an operating temperature in the range of 100-400° C.
- 8. The fuel processor assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second plates are metal.
- 9. The fuel processor assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second plates has a thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/m°K.
- 10. The fuel processor assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second plates has a thermal conductivity less than 1 W/m°K.
- 11. The fuel processor assembly of claim 1, further comprising:
a third plate and a fourth plate; and wherein the third and fourth plates are mated to enclose the first and second plates.
- 12. The fuel processor assembly of claim 11, wherein at least one of the third and fourth plates has a first coolant inlet feature, and wherein at least one of the third and fourth plates has a first coolant outlet feature; and
wherein a first coolant flow is circulated from the first coolant inlet feature through an annular region between an external surface of the first and second plates and an internal surface of the third and fourth plates, and the first coolant flow is exhausted through the first coolant outlet feature.
- 13. The fuel processor assembly of claim 12, wherein at least one of the third and fourth plates has a second coolant inlet feature, and wherein at least one of the third and fourth plates has a second coolant outlet feature; and
wherein a second coolant flow is circulated from the second coolant inlet feature through a second annular region between an external surface of the first and second plates and an internal surface of the third and fourth plates, and the second coolant flow is exhausted through the second coolant outlet feature.
- 14. The fuel processor assembly of claim 13, wherein the first coolant flow removes heat from a first reactor housing, and the second coolant flow removes heat from a second reactor housing.
- 15. The fuel processor assembly of claim 12, wherein the first coolant flow removes heat from at least one reactor housing, and supplies heat to at least one of the first and second plates at a location corresponding to an inlet of a reactor housing.
- 16. The fuel processor assembly of claim 12, wherein the first coolant flow removes heat from at least one of the first and second plates at a location corresponding to an outlet of a reactor housing.
- 17. A fuel processor assembly, comprising:
a first plate and a second plate; wherein the first plate has an inlet orifice feature, a reactor housing feature, and an outlet orifice feature; wherein the second plate has an inlet orifice feature, a reactor housing feature, and an outlet orifice feature; wherein the first plate is mated with the second plate, such that the inlet orifice features of the first and second plates form an inlet orifice, the reactor housing features of the first and second plates form a reactor housing, and the outlet orifice features of the first and second plates form an outlet orifice; and wherein the inlet orifice is in fluid communication with the reactor housing, and the reactor housing is in fluid communication with the outlet orifice.
- 18. A fuel processor assembly, comprising:
a first plate and a second plate; wherein the first plate has a first minor feature, a second minor feature, and a first major feature; wherein the second plate has a first minor feature, a second minor feature, and a first major feature; wherein the first and second plates are mated together, such that:
(a) the first minor feature of the first plate and the first minor feature of the second plate form a reactor inlet; (b) the first major feature of the first plate and the first major feature of the second plate form a reactor housing; (c) the second minor feature of the first plate and the second minor feature of the second plate form a reactor outlet; and wherein the reactor inlet is in fluid communication with the reactor housing, and the reactor housing is in fluid communication with the reactor outlet.
- 19. A fuel processor assembly, comprising:
a first plate and a second plate, wherein the first plate has a plurality of featured formed thereon; and wherein the first plate is mated with the second plate to form an inlet, a plurality of reactor apertures, and an outlet, and wherein the inlet is in fluid communication with the plurality of reactor apertures, and the reactor apertures are in fluid communication with the outlet.
- 20. A method of assembling a fuel processor, comprising:
forming a first plate to define a first set of features; forming a second plate to define a second set of features; and mating the first and second plates to define an array of reactor apertures and fluid communication channels.
- 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of forming a first plate comprises stamping a metal sheet; and
wherein the step of forming a second plate comprises stamping a metal sheet.
- 22. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of forming a first plate comprises molding a metal sheet; and
wherein the step of forming a second plate comprises molding a metal sheet.
- 23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:
forming a third plate to define a third set of features; forming a fourth plate to define a fourth set of features; and mating the third and fourth plates to enclose the first and second plates.
- 24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:
circulating a coolant through an annular region between an external surface of the first and second plates and an internal surface of the third and fourth plates.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 USC 119(e) from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/302,334, filed Jun. 29, 2001, naming Allen as inventor, and titled “FUEL PROCESSOR DESIGN AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE.” That application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60302334 |
Jun 2001 |
US |