Process for the water vapor reforming of a hydrocarbon or a hydrocarbon derivative, reforming system operable thereby, and fuel cell operating process

US6268075A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• XCELLSiS GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Rainer Autenrieth
• Stefan Boneberg · Neuffen, DE
• Dietmar Heil · Deggenhausertal, DE
• Thomas Poschmann · Ulm, DE
• Steffen Wieland · Stuttgart, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 16, 1998
• Grant date: Jul 31, 2001
• Expiry date: Dec 16, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02T90/40
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for operating a system for the water vapor reforming of a hydrocarbon, having an evaporator, a reforming reactor, a membrane module connected behind, and a catalytic burner device. According to the invention, a first part of the catalytic burner device is in thermal contact with the reforming reactor, and a second part of the burner device is in thermal contact with the evaporator. According to the process, a heating operation is carried out during the cold start of the system, in which, in a first operating phase, at least the evaporator and the reforming reactor are heated by the catalytic burner device, and in a second operating phase, a hydrocarbon/water vapor mixture is prepared in the evaporator at a water/hydrocarbon ratio which is higher than in the normal operation and is fed to the reactor, the substance mixture emerging from the reactor being fed by way of the membrane module to the catalytic burner device.