FUEL STEAM REFORMER SYSTEM AND REFORMER STARTUP PROCESS

Abstract

A hydrogen generation system is disclosed that has a vaporization section receiving and vaporizing fuel along with water and passing the vapor to a reformer catalyst section heated by a combustor section which generates reformate gas and is fueled by off-gas from a H2 purification unit along with a combustion air source. The off-gas outlet feeds the combustor section in the reformer assembly to heat the catalyst section and the vaporization section. An H2 storage unit connected to the H2 purification unit pure H2 outlet receives the pure H2. The storage unit has an outlet selectively connectable to the reformer assembly process inlet during startup without the need for a spark igniter. The startup process includes generating heat in the combustor section of the reformer assembly by passing H2 from the H2 storage unit through the vaporization section, the reformer catalyst section, the H2 purification unit and through the off-gas connection to the combustor section, then introducing water and fuel through the vaporization section and reformer catalyst section to generate reformate gas when the system is warmed, passing the reformate gas through the H2 purification unit to the off-gas connection to the combustor section, and establishing a back pressure on the reformer catalyst section and vaporizer section to decrease the hydrogen flow from the H2 storage unit until the system is fully sustainable without addition of H2 from the H2 storage unit.

Description

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a diagram illustrating in a schematic one embodiment of the hydrogen generation and purification system in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of the startup procedure in accordance with the disclosure for operating the system shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of another embodiment of the startup procedure in accordance with the disclosure for operating the system shown in FIG. 1.

Claims

1. A hydrogen generation system comprising: a reformer assembly having a process inlet receiving a fuel and producing a reformate gas therein;an H2 purification unit receiving the reformate gas from the reformer assembly and separating pure H2 from the reformate gas, said H2 purification unit having a pure H2 outlet and an off-gas outlet; andan H2 storage unit connected to the H2 purification unit pure H2 outlet receiving the pure H2, wherein said H2 storage unit has an outlet selectively connectable to the reformer assembly process inlet.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the H2 storage unit outlet is isolated from the reformer assembly during normal system operation and connected to the process inlet during startup of the system.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the off-gas outlet is connected to a combustor section within the reformer assembly along with a combustion air source.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the reformer assembly comprises a vaporization section receiving and vaporizing water or water and fuel and passing the vapor to a reformer catalyst section heated by a combustor section fueled by the off-gas from the H2 purification unit along with a combustion air source.

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein combustion exhaust from the combustor section passes through the vaporization section to ensure the water and fuel is fully vaporized during normal system operation.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein during startup operation a portion of H2 from the H2 storage unit is mixed with water in the vaporization section.

7. The system according to claim 4 further comprising a heat exchange surface between the combustor section and the reformer section of the reformer assembly.

8. The system according to claim 5 further comprising a heat exchange surface between the combustor section and the reformer section and a heat exchanger in the vaporization section through which the combustion exhaust passes to heat the water or fuel and water vapor.

9. The system according to claim 8 further comprising a valve in the connection between the H2 storage unit and the vaporization section operable to direct H2 to the vaporization section only during startup of the system.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein the H2 purification unit is a pressure swing absorption.

11. In a hydrogen generation system comprising a reformer assembly having a process inlet for receiving a fuel and producing a reformate gas therein, wherein the reformer assembly comprises a vaporization section receiving and ensuring the fuel along with water is fully vaporized and passing the vapor to a reformer catalyst section heated by a combustor section fueled by the off-gas from the H2 purification unit along with a combustion air source, a H2 purification unit receiving the reformate gas from the reformer assembly and separating pure H2 from the reformate gas, said H2 purification unit having a pure H2 outlet and an off-gas outlet; and a H2 storage unit connected to the H2 purification unit pure H2 outlet for receiving the pure H2, wherein said H2 storage unit has an outlet selectively connectable to the reformer assembly process inlet, a startup process comprising operations of: generating heat in the combustor section of the reformer assembly by passing H2 from the H2 storage unit through the reformer catalyst section, the H2 purification unit and through the off-gas connection to the combustor section.

12. The process according to claim 11 further comprising: introducing water and fuel through the vaporization section and reformer catalyst section to generate reformate gas after the vaporization and catalyst sections have been warmed by hydrogen combustion in the combustor section; andpassing the reformate gas through the H2 purification unit 3 to the off-gas connection to the combustor section.

13. The process according to claim 13 further comprising establishing a back pressure on the reformer catalyst section and vaporizer section to decrease the hydrogen flow from the H2 storage unit.

14. The process according to claim 11 further comprising recharging H2 to the H2 storage unit after an adequate backpressure has been established and supplying pure H2 to application connections downstream of the storage unit.

15. The process according to claim 11 further comprising terminating the H2 supplied to the vaporization section when an adequate backpressure is established and maintaining combustion in the combustor section with off-gas from the H2 purification unit.