Methods and systems for distributed reforming of hydrocarbon fuels for enhanced hydrogen production

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11952275-B1
Application number	US-201816006483-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 12, 2018
Priority date	Jun 13, 2017
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

A method for controlling a fuel reformation reaction in a fuel reformation reactor is provided. Furthermore, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, which is configured to store a program for controlling a fuel reformation reaction in a fuel reformation reactor. In addition, a fuel reformation system for controlling a fuel reformation reaction is provided, which includes a fuel reformation reactor and a control unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a fuel reformation reaction in a fuel reformation reactor, the method comprising:
controlling a first amount of a fuel injected into the fuel reformation reactor;
controlling a first amount of a steam that is injected into the fuel reformation reactor;
controlling an amount of an oxygen that is injected into the fuel reformation reactor;
controlling the temperature of the fuel reformation reactor;
entraining an amount of heat, a second amount of the steam and an amount of a carbon dioxide into a mixture comprising a second amount of the fuel in the fuel reformation reactor; and
igniting, in the fuel reformation reactor, a mixture created from the entraining that comprises the amount of heat, the second amount of the steam, the amount of the carbon dioxide, and the second amount of the fuel,
wherein the fuel comprises a hydrocarbon fuel and
wherein the fuel reformation reaction is a non-catalytic reaction.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a Damkohler number of the fuel reformation reaction ranges from 0.0001 to 0.1.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising controlling the first amount of the steam and the first amount of the fuel injected into the fuel reformation reactor so that a molar ratio of the first amount of the steam to carbon of the first amount of the fuel ranges from 0.1 to 2.0.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising controlling the amount of the oxygen and the fir s t amount of the fuel so that a molar ratio of the oxygen to carbon of the first amount of the fuel ranges from 0.8 to 1.4.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising controlling the temperature of the fuel reformation reactor to range from 700° C. to 1200° C.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon fuel comprises a hydrocarbon fuel having a carbon number of at least 5.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the igniting the mixture created by the entraining is effectuated by a transparent flame.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a residence time of at least one of the first amount of the fuel, the first amount of the steam, and the first amount of the oxygen injected into the fuel reformation reactor ranges from 0.5 seconds to 1.5 seconds.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a reforming efficiency ranges from 67.74 percent to 85.6 percent.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the fuel reformation reaction remains constant and where a pressure of the fuel reformation reaction remains constant.

Assignees

• Us Gov As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Us Gov Sec Army

Inventors

• Scenna Richard
• Gupta Ashwani

Classifications

• C01B3/36 Primary

  using oxygen; using mixtures containing oxygen as gasifying agents · CPC title

• C01B2203/0216

  containing a non-catalytic steam reforming step · CPC title

• C01B2203/0255

  containing a non-catalytic partial oxidation step · CPC title

• C01B2203/1247

  Higher hydrocarbons · CPC title

• C01B2203/1614

  Controlling the temperature · CPC title