Hydrocarbon reformer including a core-shell catalyst

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016354763-A1
Application number	US-201615238994-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 17, 2016
Priority date	May 10, 2011
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An illustrative example embodiment of a hydrocarbon reformer includes a vessel with at least one inlet and at least one outlet. A reforming catalyst is in the vessel includes a metal core and a rhodium layer deposited on the metal core. Hydrogen is generated when hydrocarbon introduced through the inlet reacts with water in the presence of the reforming catalyst. The hydrogen is released from the vessel through the at least one outlet.

First claim

I claim:

1 . A hydrocarbon reformer, comprising:
a vessel having at least one inlet and at least one outlet; and a reforming catalyst in the vessel, the reforming catalyst comprising a metal core and a rhodium layer deposited on the metal core; wherein a hydrocarbon introduced into the vessel through the at least one inlet reacts with an aqueous solvent in the presence of the reforming catalyst to produce hydrogen that is released through the at least one outlet.

2 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 1 , wherein the metal core comprises nickel.

3 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 1 , wherein the metal core comprises palladium.

4 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 1 , wherein the rhodium is alloyed with at least one metal selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium and iridium.

5 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 1 , wherein the rhodium is deposited on the metal core as a monolayer covering substantially all of the metal core.

6 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 5 , wherein the rhodium monolayer has a thickness of about 0.25 nanometers.

7 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 1 , wherein the rhodium is deposited on the metal core as at least one submonolayer covering at least some of the metal core.

8 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 7 , wherein the metal core has a surface, and wherein the rhodium covers between about 10% and about 80% of the surface of the metal core.

9 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 8 , wherein the rhodium covers between about 10% and about 100% of the surface of the metal core.

10 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 1 , wherein multiple layers of rhodium are deposited on the metal core.

11 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 10 , wherein the multiple layers of rhodium have a combined thickness between about 0.5 nanometers and about 3 nanometers.

12 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon comprises natural gas.

13 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon comprises methane.

14 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen released through the at least one outlet contains no more than 20 ppm ammonia.

15 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 1 , wherein
the at least one inlet comprises a first inlet for introducing the hydrocarbon into the vessel and a second inlet for introducing the aqueous solvent into the vessel; and the at least one outlet comprises a first outlet for releasing the hydrogen from the vessel and a second outlet for releasing at least one byproduct from the vessel.

16 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 1 , wherein
the metal core comprises nickel; and the rhodium layer is a result of a rhodium salt reduced by the nickel.

17 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 16 , wherein the rhodium salt comprises at least one of rhodium acetate, rhodium chloride, and rhodium nitride.

18 . The hydrocarbon reformer of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solvent comprises at least one of water, an aqueous acid, and an organic solvent.

19 . A method of producing hydrogen comprises:
introducing a hydrocarbon into a reformer; and reacting the hydrocarbon with an aqueous solvent in the presence of a reforming catalyst in the reformer, the reforming catalyst including a metal core and a rhodium layer deposited on the metal core.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein
the hydrocarbon comprises at least one of natural gas and methane; the aqueous solvent comprises at least one of water, an aqueous acid, and an organic solvent; the metal core comprises nickel; and the rhodium layer is a result of a rhodium salt reduced by the nickel.

Assignees

• Doosan Fuel Cell America Inc

Inventors

• Shao Minhua

Classifications

• B01J35/026

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• C01B2203/1241

  Natural gas or methane · CPC title

• B01J37/16

  Reducing · CPC title

• C01B3/40

  characterised by the catalyst · CPC title

• B01J37/0221

  of particles · CPC title