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  • C01B3/56—Separation of hydrogen or hydrogen containing gases from gaseous mixtures, e.g. purification by contacting with solids; Regeneration of used solids
  • C01B3/58—Separation of hydrogen or hydrogen containing gases from gaseous mixtures, e.g. purification by contacting with solids; Regeneration of used solids including a catalytic reaction
  • C01B3/586—Separation of hydrogen or hydrogen containing gases from gaseous mixtures, e.g. purification by contacting with solids; Regeneration of used solids including a catalytic reaction the reaction being a methanation reaction
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  • H01M8/0606—Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues with means for production of gaseous reactants
  • H01M8/0612—Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues with means for production of gaseous reactants from carbon-containing material
  • H01M8/0618—Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming
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  • C01B2203/0465—Composition of the impurity
  • C01B2203/047—Composition of the impurity the impurity being carbon monoxide
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  • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
  • Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
  • Y02E60/50—Fuel cells

Definitions

• Fuel cells provide electricity from chemical oxidation-reduction reactions and possess significant advantages over other forms of power generation in terms of cleanliness and efficiency.
• fuel cells employ hydrogen as the fuel and oxygen as the oxidizing agent.
• the power generation is generally proportional to the consumption rate of the reactants.
• a significant disadvantage which inhibits the wider use of fuel cells is the lack of a widespread hydrogen infrastructure.
• Hydrogen has a relatively low volumetric efficiency and is more difficult to store and transport than the hydrocarbon fuels currently used in most power generation systems.
• One way to overcome this difficulty is the use of reformers to convert the hydrocarbons to a hydrogen-rich gas stream that can be used as a feed for fuel cells.
• Fuel reforming processes such as steam reforming, partial oxidation, and auto thermal reforming, can be used to convert hydrocarbon fuels such as natural gas, LPG, gasoline, and diesel, into a hydrogen rich gas.
• hydrocarbon fuels such as natural gas, LPG, gasoline, and diesel
• undesirable byproduct compounds such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide are found in the product gas.
• PEM proton exchange membrane
• alkaline fuel cells these contaminants reduce the value of the product gas.
• a hydrocarbon feed such as methane, natural gas, propane, gasoline, naphtha, or diesel
• a steam reforming catalyst such as methane, natural gas, propane, gasoline, naphtha, or diesel
• the majority of the feed hydrocarbon is converted to a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide.
• the reforming product gas is typically fed to a water-gas shift bed in which much of the carbon monoxide is reacted with steam to form carbon dioxide and hydrogen.
• additional purification steps are needed to bring the hydrogen purity to the desired level. These steps include, but are not limited to, selective oxidation to remove remaining carbon monoxide, flow through a hydrogen permeable membrane, and pressure swing absorption.
• the reformate hydrogen purity that is specified can vary widely between 35% and 99.999% with very low ( ⁇ 50 ppm) carbon monoxide level desirable. Generally, higher hydrogen purity improves fuel cell efficiency and cost. For alkaline fuel cells, low carbon dioxide levels are needed to prevent formation of carbonate salts. For these and other applications, an improved steam reforming process capable of providing a high hydrogen, low carbon monoxide, low carbon dioxide reformate is greatly desired.
• the present disclosure is generally directed to a method for converting hydrocarbon fuel to hydrogen rich gas.
• the method includes: reacting the hydrocarbon fuel with steam in the presence of reforming catalyst and a carbon dioxide fixing material to produce a first hydrogen gas; and removing carbon monoxide from the first hydrogen gas to produce the hydrogen rich gas.
• the carbon monoxide removing step utilizes either methanation or selective oxidation.
• the carbon dioxide fixing material is preferably selected so as to substantially reduce the content of the carbon dioxide present in the hydrogen containing gas.
• Illustrative materials include calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, strontium oxide, strontium hydroxide, or minerals such as allanite, andralite, ankerite, anorthite, aragoniter, calcite, dolomite, clinozoisite, huntite, hydrotalcite, lawsonite, meionite, strontianite,vaterite, jutnohorite, minrecordite, benstonite, olekminskite, nyerereite, natrofairchildite, farichildite, zemkorite, butschlite, shrtite, remondite, petersenite, calcioburbankite, burbankite, khanneshite, carboncernaite, brinkite, pryrauite, and strontio dressenite and other such materials or any combinations of these.
• minerals such as allanite, andralite, ankerite, anorthit
• the reforming catalyst may be any suitable hydrocarbon reforming catalyst, but preferably, the reforming catalyst metal component is selected from nickel, platinum, rhodium, palladium, ruthenium, or any effective combination of these.
• the reforming catalyst metal is preferably supported on a high surface area, inert support material. Such supports may be selected from alumina, titania, zirconia, or similar such materials or combinations of these.
• the temperature of the reacting step should be maintained in a range that is sufficient to support the reforming reaction and to achieve the desired outcome of producing a hydrogen rich gas.
• the temperature of the reacting step is maintained in a range from about 400°C to about 800°C, more preferably a temperature range of about 450°C to about 700°C is used and especially preferred is a temperature for the reacting step from about 500°C to about 650°C.
• the illustrative method is carried out such that the hydrogen rich gas is suitable for use in a fuel cell and more preferably has a carbon monoxide concentration less than about 10 wppm.
• the present disclosure also encompasses a method for operating a fuel cell.
• Such an illustrative and preferred method includes: reacting a hydrocarbon fuel with stream in the presence of reforming catalyst and carbon dioxide fixing material to produce a first hydrogen gas; and removing carbon monoxide from the first hydrogen gas to produce a hydrogen rich gas.
• the removing of carbon monoxide step preferably utilizes a process for substantially decreasing the content of the carbon monoxide present in the hydrogen containing gas such as methanation or selective oxidation.
• the hydrogen rich gas is fed to the anode of the fuel cell, in which the fuel cell consumes a portion of the hydrogen rich gas and produces electricity, an anode tail gas, and a cathode tail gas.
• the illustrative method may further include feeding the anode tail gas and the cathode tail gas to an anode tail gas oxidizer to produce an exhaust gas.
• the cathode tail gas may be substituted by another oxygen gas source and combined with the anode tail gas and combusted to achieve substantially the same results.
• the exhaust gas so generated may subsequently be used to regenerate the carbon dioxide fixing material.
• the method may include preheating process water with the anode tail gas and the cathode tail gas, such that the preheated process water is used to regenerate the carbon dioxide fixing material.
• the carbon dioxide fixing material may be selected from any suitable material that substantially decreases the content of the carbon dioxide in the hydrogen containing gas.
• the carbon dioxide fixing material is selected from calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, strontium oxide, strontium hydroxide, or similar mineral materials such as allanite, andralite, ankerite, anorthite, aragoniter, calcite, dolomite, clinozoisite, huntite, hydrotalcite, lawsonite, meionite, strontianite, vaterite, jutnohorite, minrecordite, benstonite, olekminskite, nyerereite, natrofairchildite, farichildite, zemkorite, butschlite, shrtite, remondite, petersenite, calcioburbankite, burbankite, khanneshite, carboncernaite, brinkite, pryrauite, strontio dressenite and other such materials or any combination of these.
• mineral materials such as allanite, andralite, ankerite
• the temperature of the reacting step should be maintained in a range that is sufficient to support the reforming reaction and to achieve the desired outcome of producing a hydrogen rich gas.
• the temperature of the reacting step is maintained in a range from about 400°C to about 800°C, more preferably a temperature range of about 450°C to about 700°C is used and especially preferred is a temperature for the reacting step from about 500°C to about 650°C.
• the illustrative method is carried out such that the hydrogen rich gas is suitable for use in a fuel cell and more preferably has a carbon monoxide concentration less than about 10 wppm.
• illustrative methods of the present invention include: a method for operating a fuel cell, including: reacting the hydrocarbon fuel with steam in the presence of reforming catalyst and a material selected from calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, strontium oxide, or strontium hydroxide to produce a first hydrogen gas, wherein the reaction temperature is from about 500°C to about 650°C; methanating the first hydrogen gasto produce a hydrogen rich gas having a carbon monoxide concentration less than about 10 wppm; feeding the hydrogen rich gas to the anode of the fuel cell, wherein the fuel cell consumes a portion of the hydrogen rich gas and produces electricity, an anode tail gas, and a cathode tail gas; and feeding the anode tail gas and the cathode tail gas to an anode tail gas oxidizer to produce an exhaust gas.
• a method for operating a fuel cell including: reacting the hydrocarbon fuel with steam in the presence of reforming catalyst and a material selected from calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, strontium oxide, or str
• Another encompassed method includes a method for operating a fuel cell, including: reacting the hydrocarbon fuel with steam in the presence of reforming catalyst and a material selected from calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, strontium oxide, or strontium hydroxide to produce a first hydrogen gas, wherein the reaction temperature is from about 500°C to about 650°C; methanating the first hydrogen gas to produce a hydrogen rich gas having a carbon monoxide concentration less than about 10 wppm; feeding the hydrogen rich gas to the anode of the fuel cell, wherein the fuel cell consumes a portion of the hydrogen rich gas and produces electricity, an anode tail gas, and a cathode tail gas; and preheating process water with the anode tail gas and the cathode tail gas, wherein the preheated process water is used to regenerate the carbon dioxide fixing material.
• the apparatus includes: at least two reforming catalyst beds, in which each reforming catalyst bed is composed of a reforming catalyst and carbon dioxide fixing material; a first manifold that is capable of diverting a feed stream between the at least two reforming catalyst beds; a reactor that is capable of producing a hydrogen rich gas by reducing the carbon monoxide concentration of the effluent of at least one of the reforming catalyst beds; and a second manifold that is capable of diverting the effluent of each reforming catalyst bed effluent between the reactor and exhaust.
• the reactor is designed such that the level of carbon monoxide in the hydrogen containing gas is selectively and substantially decreased and more preferably is a methanation reactor or a selective oxidation reactor.
• the illustrative apparatus further includes a fuel cell that produces electricity and converts the hydrogen rich gas to anode tail gas and cathode tail gas.
• Another illustrative apparatus includes a metal hydride storage system that stores the hydrogen rich gas for use at a latter time.
• Yet another illustrative embodiment includes an anode tail gas oxidizer that combusts the anode tail gas and cathode tail gas to produce an exhaust gas.
• a third manifold can also be included in the illustrative apparatus disclosed herein that is capable of diverting the exhaust gas to at least one of the reforming catalyst beds for regeneration.
• the illustrative apparatus can be designed such that a water preheater is included, in which the water preheater heats process water using the anode tail gas and the cathode tail gas.
• the first manifold can be designed such that the first manifold is capable of diverting the preheated water to at least one of the reforming catalyst beds for regeneration.
• FIG. 1 shows the predicted product gas composition (water free basis) from a steam reformer as a function of reaction temperature.
• FIG. 2 shows the predicted product gas composition (water free basis) as a function of the reaction temperature when the same feed gas composition is reacted in the presence of calcium oxide.
• FIG. 3 shows the experimental results using a 0.5% rhodium on alumina reforming catalyst mixed with calcium oxide extrudates.
• FIG. 4 shows one preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 5 shows another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 6 graphically shows exemplary data of the hydrogen and methane concentration carrying out the method of the present invention.
• FIG. 7 graphically shows exemplary data on the composition of the gases resulting from carrying out the method of the present invention.
• the present invention is generally directed to a method and apparatus for converting hydrocarbon fuel into a hydrogen rich gas.
• the present invention simplifies the conversion process by incorporating a carbon dioxide fixing material into the initial hydrocarbon conversion process as shown in Figure 1.
• This fixing material can be any substance capable of reacting with carbon dioxide and retaining carbon dioxide in a temperature range included in the temperatures range typical of hydrocarbon conversion to hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
• Substances capable of fixing carbon dioxide in suitable temperature ranges include, but are not limited to, calcium oxide (CaO), calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) 2 ), strontium oxide (SrO), and strontium hydroxide (Sr(OH) 2 ).
• mineral compounds such as allanite, andralite, ankerite, anorthite, aragoniter, calcite, dolomite, clinozoisite, huntite, hydrotalcite, lawsonite, meionite, strontianite, vaterite, jutnohorite, minrecordite, benstonite, olekminskite, nyerereite, natrofairchildite, farichildite, zemkorite, butschlite, shrtite, remondite, petersenite, calcioburbankite, burbankite, khanneshite, carboncernaite, brinkite, pryrauite, strontio dressenite and similar such compounds.
• mineral compounds such as allanite, andralite, ankerite, anorthite, aragoniter, calcite, dolomite, clinozoisite, huntite, hydrotalcite
• Figure 1 shows the predicted product gas composition (water free basis) from a steam reformer as a function of reaction temperature. The feed for this thermodynamic calculation was
• Figure 2 shows the predicted product gas composition as a function of the reaction temperature when the same feed gas composition is reacted in the presence of calcium oxide. Calcium hydroxide is also present due to the reaction of water with calcium oxide.
• the predicted gas composition water free basis
• the predicted gas composition is greater than 95% hydrogen, less than 1% carbon monoxide, less than 0.1% carbon dioxide, with the balance of the gas as unconverted methane.
• no water-gas shift step would be needed.
• For a PEM fuel cell only selective oxidation would be needed to make the product gas a highly desirable fuel.
• a methanation step to convert carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide to methane would create a highly desirable feed.
• a tail gas with unused hydrogen and methane would be available to provide the energy needed to convert the methane to hydrogen.
• thermodynamic predictions show that other feeds, including but not limited to propane, diesel, methanol, and ethanol, would produce improved reformate streams if steam reformed in the presence of calcium oxide.
• Thermodynamic calculations also predict that strontium and magnesium oxides could be used in place of or in conjunction with calcium oxides.
• Figure 3 shows the experimental results using a 0.5% rhodium on alumina reforming catalyst mixed with calcium oxide extrudates.
• the extrudates were made by combining calcium hydroxide (33% by weight) with a clay (AMOCO No. X-1 1), extruding, and calcining at 600°C in air.
• the product reformate contained about 80% hydrogen, 10% unreacted methane, 10% carbon monoxide, and little carbon dioxide. It is believed that the addition of a catalyst capable of improving the reaction rate of water and carbon monoxide will reduce the concentration of carbon monoxide in the product gas.
• the catalyst bed is comprised of a mixture of catalyst(s) and carbon dioxide fixing materials.
• the carbon dioxide fixing material can be a mixture of calcium, strontium, or magnesium salts combined with binding materials such as silicates or clays that prevent the carbon dioxide fixing material from becoming entrained in the gas stream and reduce crystallization that decreases surface area and carbon dioxide absorption.
• Salts used to make the initial bed can be any salt, such as an oxide or hydroxide, that will convert to the carbonate under process conditions.
• the catalyst(s) in this system serve multiple functions. One function is to catalyze the reaction of hydrocarbon with steam to give a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. Another function is to catalyze the shift reaction between water and carbon monoxide to form hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Many chemical species can provide these functions, including rhodium, platinum, gold, palladium, rhenium, nickel, iron, cobalt, copper, and other metal based catalysts.
• the improved reformate composition is obtained by the reaction of calcium oxide with carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate.
• the calculations shown in Figures 2 and 3 also demonstrate that the carbon dioxide fixing material can be regenerated by heating to a higher temperature and allowing the CaCO 3 or SrCO 3 to release carbon dioxide and be reconverted to the original carbon dioxide fixing material.
• Heating of the carbon dioxide fixing material may be accomplished by a number of differing means known to one of skill in the art. In one such illustrative example the heating is accomplished by electrically resistant heating coils.
• a heat exchanger may be incorporated into the design of the reactor such that steam, exhaust or other heat source such as heat pipes heat the reactor.
• Another alternative is to heat the carbon dioxide fixing material by flowing gas through the bed under conditions in which the calcium carbonate or strontium carbonate is decomposed and the carbon dioxide is removed. This has been done in our labs using helium, nitrogen, and steam. It could also be done using the anode tail gas of a fuel cell or the tail gas of a metal hydride storage system.
• the system will have two or more reforming beds such that one or more beds are generating reformate while the remaining beds are being regenerated.
• An integrated system in which tail gas from the fuel cell and/or hydrogen storage system is used to provide heat needed to reform the feed fuel and regenerate the calcium oxide bed.
• FIG 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• Hydrocarbon fuel and steam are mixed and flow into manifold or valve 40 that directs the mixture to reforming catalyst bed 41 or 42.
• Reforming catalyst beds 41 and 42 are comprised of a mixture of reforming catalyst and carbon dioxide fixing materials.
• the reforming catalysts are typically nickel, platinum, rhodium, palladium, and/or ruthenium metals deposited on a high surface area support such as alumina, titania, or zirconia with other materials added as promoters or stabilizers. It is important that the catalyst be stable at the high temperatures needed for regenerating the carbon dioxide fixing material.
• the carbon dioxide fixing material is shown as calcium oxide.
• the hydrocarbon feed gas Upon contacting the active catalyst bed the hydrocarbon feed gas is converted to hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
• the carbon dioxide fixing material removes the carbon dioxide from the stream and shifts the reaction equilibrium toward high hydrocarbon conversion with only small amounts of carbon monoxide being produced.
• the low level of carbon monoxide production allows the elimination of water-gas shift catalysts currently used in most fuel processors.
• the reformate from bed reforming catalyst bed 41 or 42 is cooled by optionally present heat exchangers 49a and 49b and then flows into manifold or valve 43 that directs the reformate to a polishing step 44 that removes carbon monoxide and possibly carbon dioxide.
• the low levels of carbon monoxide are reduced to trace levels ⁇ 10 ppm through selective oxidation or methanation.
• the purified reformate stream (hydrogen rich gas) is optionally cooled in a heat exchanger 49c and then flows to the anode of fuel cell 45.
• the fuel cell 45 typically uses 70 to 80% of the hydrogen to produce electricity while the methane flows through the anode unchanged.
• the hydrogen rich gas can be stored in a metal hydride storage system (not shown), for later use as feed to fuel cell 45.
• the anode tail gas is then combined with the cathode tail gas, and is combusted in anode tail gas oxidizer 46.
• Exhaust from the anode tail gas oxidizer 46 is then passed through a heat exchanger 47 and to exhaust stack 48.
• Water is heated in heat exchanger 47 and is used as steam feed for the beginning of the process, and is flowed through manifold or valve 40 to regenerate one of the reforming catalyst beds 41 or 42.
• the carbon dioxide fixing material is regenerated the heated process water is diverted away from the regenerated bed.
• Heating of the carbon dioxide fixing material may be accomplished by a number of differing means known to one of skill in the art. In one such illustrative example the heating is accomplished by electrically resistant heating coils.
• a heat exchanger may be incorporated into the design of the reactor such that steam, exhaust or other heat source such as heat pipes heat the reactor.
• Another alternative is to heat the carbon dioxide fixing material by flowing gas through the bed under conditions in which the calcium carbonate or strontium carbonate is decomposed and the carbon dioxide is removed. This has been done in our labs using helium, nitrogen, and steam. It could also be done using the anode tail gas of a fuel cell or the tail gas of a metal hydride storage system. Once the regenerated bed cools to the desired hydrogen conversion temperature range the catalyst beds can be switched and another bed can be regenerated.
• the tail gas from the regeneration flows through manifold or valve 43 and out of the exhaust header.
• Figure 4 demonstrates that the anode tail gas oxidizer 46 can optionally be left out of the process.
• the anode tail gas and the cathode tail gas are directly passed through heat exchanger 47 and to exhaust stack 48.
• FIG. 5 shows an another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• Hydrocarbon fuel and steam are mixed and flowed into manifold or valve 50 that directs the mixture to reforming catalyst bed 51 or 52.
• Reforming catalyst beds 51 and 52 are comprised of a mixture of reforming catalyst and carbon dioxide fixing materials.
• the reforming catalysts are typically nickel, platinum, rhodium, palladium, ruthenium metals deposited on a high surface area support such as alumina, titania, or zirconia with other materials added as promoters or stabilizers. It is important that the catalyst be stable at the high temperatures needed for regenerating the carbon dioxide fixing material.
• the carbon dioxide fixing material is shown as calcium oxide.
• the carbon dioxide fixing material removes the carbon dioxide from the stream and shifts the reaction equilibrium toward high hydrocarbon conversion with only small amounts of carbon monoxide being produced.
• the low level of carbon monoxide production allows the elimination of water-gas shift catalysts currently used in most fuel processors.
• the reformate from bed reforming catalyst bed 51 or 52 is cooled by optionally present heat exchangers 59a and 59b and then flows into manifold or valve 53 that directs the reformate to a polishing step 54 that removes carbon monoxide and possibly carbon dioxide.
• the low levels of carbon monoxide are reduced to trace levels ⁇ 10 ppm through selective oxidation or methanation. It is expected that the removal of carbon dioxide will make methanation the desired process, although selective oxidation is also envisioned by the present invention.
• the purified reformate stream (hydrogen rich gas) is cooled by optionally present heat exchanger 59c and then flows to the anode of fuel cell 55.
• the fuel cell 55 typically uses 70 to 80% of the hydrogen to produce electricity while the methane flows through the anode unchanged.
• the hydrogen rich gas can be stored in a metal hydride storage system (not shown), for later use as feed to fuel cell 55.
• the anode tail gas is then combined with the cathode tail gas, and is combusted in anode tail gas oxidizer 56. Exhaust gas from the anode tail gas oxidizer 56 passes through manifold or valve 57 and manifold or valve 50, and is used to regenerate one of the reforming catalyst beds 51 or 52.
• Heating of the carbon dioxide fixing material may be accomplished by a number of differing means known to one of skill in the art. In one such illustrative example the heating is accomplished by electrically resistant heating coils. Alternatively, a heat exchanger may be incorporated into the design of the reactor such that steam, exhaust or other heat source such as heat pipes heat the reactor. Another alternative is to heat the carbon dioxide fixing material by flowing gas through the bed under conditions in which the calcium carbonate or strontium carbonate is decomposed and the carbon dioxide is removed. This has been done in our labs using helium, nitrogen, and steam.
• three reforming catalyst beds can be utilized in the following manner: one bed in operation, one bed in regeneration, and one bed cooling down from regeneration temperature to process temperature.
• a series of tests were conducted in laboratory scale reactors of the type generally disclosed herein. In such tests, 69.6 g of dolomite available commercially as Dolcron 4013 and 9.5 g of a 0.5% rhodium on alumina, commercially available from Johnson Mathey, were loaded into a tube reactor. The reactor was heated to a temperature of 550°C. After flowing nitrogen through the catalyst bed for several hours, methane was introduced into the reactor at a rate of about 5.125 1/h until carbon dioxide was detected in the exiting gas.
• the test reactor bed was then regenerated by flowing nitrogen through the reactor and raising the reactor temperature to achieve a gas exit temperature of about 750°C.
• the representative data of 10 such cycles is shown graphically in Fig. 6. Illustrated in Fig. 7, is representative data that shows the first cycle in greater detail.
• the hydrogen concentration reached a peak of about 93% accompanied by a total carbon oxide content below 1%.
• the carbon dioxide concentration can be seen rising during the course of the test, especially after the 600 minute mark, indicating that the carbon dioxide absorption capacity of the dolomite is being reached.
• the above example and data illustrate the methods and apparatus of the present invention.
• One such illustrative embodiment includes a method for converting hydrocarbon fuel to hydrogen rich gas, comprising the steps of reacting the hydrocarbon fuel with steam in the presence of reforming catalyst and a carbon dioxide fixing material to produce a first hydrogen gas, and removing carbon monoxide from the first hydrogen gas, using either methanation or selective oxidation, to produce the hydrogen rich gas.
• the carbon dioxide fixing material may be selected from calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, strontium oxide, strontium hydroxide, or any combination thereof.
• the reforming catalyst can be any reforming catalyst known to those of skill in the art, such as nickel, platinum, rhodium, palladium, ruthenium, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the reforming catalyst can be supported on any high surface area support known to those of skill in the art, such as alumina, titania, zirconia, or any combination thereof.
• a preferred aspect of the present embodiment is a reforming reaction temperature in the range from about 400°C to about 800°C, more preferably in the range from about 450°C to about 700°C, and most preferably in the range from about 500°C to about 650°C. It is expected that the present embodiment can easily achieve a hydrogen rich gas having a carbon monoxide concentration less than about 10 wppm.
• Another illustrative embodiment of the present invention is a method for operating a fuel cell, comprising the steps of reacting a hydrocarbon fuel with steam in the presence of reforming catalyst and carbon dioxide fixing material to produce a first hydrogen gas, removing carbon monoxide from the first hydrogen gas, using either methanation or selective oxidation, to produce a hydrogen rich gas, and feeding the hydrogen rich gas to the anode of the fuel cell, wherein the fuel cell consumes a portion of the hydrogen rich gas and produces electricity, an anode tail gas, and a cathode tail gas.
• the anode tail gas and the cathode tail gas may then be fed to an anode tail gas oxidizer to produce an exhaust gas, such that exhaust gas is usable to regenerate the carbon dioxide fixing material.
• the anode tail gas and the cathode tail gas may be used to directly preheat process water, such that the heated process water is usable to regenerate the carbon dioxide fixing material.
• the carbon dioxide fixing material may be selected from calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, strontium oxide, strontium hydroxide, or any combination thereof.
• the reforming catalyst can be any reforming catalyst known to those of skill in the art, such as nickel, platinum, rhodium, palladium, ruthenium, or any combination thereof.
• the reforming catalyst can be supported on any high surface area support known to those of skill in the art, such as alumina, titania, zirconia, or any combination thereof.
• a preferred aspect of the present embodiment is a reforming reaction temperature in the range from about 400°C to about 800°C, more preferably in the range from about 450°C to about 700°C, and most preferably in the range from about 500°C to about 650°C. It is expected that the present embodiment can easily achieve a hydrogen rich gas having a carbon monoxide concentration less than about 10 wppm.
• Yet another illustrative embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for producing electricity from hydrocarbon fuel, comprising at least two reforming catalyst beds, wherein each reforming catalyst bed comprises reforming catalyst and carbon dioxide fixing material, a first manifold capable of diverting a feed stream between the at least two reforming catalyst beds, a reactor, such as a methanation reactor or selective oxidation reactor, capable of producing a hydrogen rich gas by reducing the carbon monoxide concentration of the effluent of at least one of the reforming catalyst beds, and a second manifold capable of diverting the effluent of each reforming catalyst bed effluent between the reactor and exhaust.
• a fuel cell is also envisioned, producing electricity and converting the hydrogen rich gas to anode tail gas and cathode tail gas.
• the hydrogen rich gas can be stored in a metal hydride storage system as a source for later feed to a fuel cell.
• a preferred aspect of the present embodiment is an anode tail gas oxidizer that combusts the anode tail gas and cathode tail gas to produce an exhaust gas.
• a third manifold can then be utilized to divert the exhaust gas to each reforming catalyst bed for regeneration.
• a water preheater can be employed to heat process water using the anode tail gas and the cathode tail gas.
• the first manifold is then capable of diverting the preheated water to at least one of the reforming catalyst beds for regeneration.
• a water preheater can be employed to heat process water using the exhaust gas from the anode tail gas oxidizer.
• the first manifold is then capable of diverting the preheated water to at least one of the reforming catalyst beds for regeneration.

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