Hydrogen Purification Device

Abstract

Hydrogen purification devices and their components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the device can include at least one foil microscreen assembly disposed between and coupled to a first end frame and a second end frame. The at least one foil microscreen assembly can include at least one hydrogen-selective membrane and at least one microscreen structure including a non-porous planar sheet having a plurality of apertures forming a plurality of fluid passages. The planar sheet can include generally opposing planar surfaces configured to provide support for the permeate side. The plurality of fluid passages can extend between the opposing surfaces. The at least one hydrogen-selective membrane can be metallurgically bonded to the at least one microscreen structure.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 071,139, filed on August 27, 2020, entitled “Hydrogen Purification Devices.” This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 600,096, entitled "Hydrogen Generation Assemblies," filed Aug. 30, 2012, now abandoned, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 829,766, entitled "Hydrogen Generation Assemblies and Hydrogen Purification Devices," filed Mar. 14, 2013, now issued as U.S. Patent No. 9,187,324, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 931,585, entitled "Hydrogen Generation Assemblies and Hydrogen Purification Devices," filed Nov. 3, 2015, now issued as U.S. Patent No. 9,616,389, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 931,585, entitled "Hydrogen Generation Assemblies and Hydrogen Purification Devices," filed Apr. 10, 2017, now issued as U.S. Patent No. 10,166,506, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15 / 483,265 entitled "Hydrogen Purification Devices," which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15 / 483,265 entitled "Hydrogen Purification Devices," which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15 / 862,474 entitled "Hydrogen Purification Devices," filed on January 4, 2018, now issuing as U.S. Patent No. 10,717,040. The complete disclosures of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. [Background technology]

[0002] A hydrogen generation assembly is an assembly that converts one or more feedstocks into a product stream that includes hydrogen gas as a primary component. The feedstock may include a carbon-containing feedstock and, in some embodiments, may also include water. The feedstock is delivered to the hydrogen-producing region of the hydrogen generation assembly from a feedstock delivery system, typically under pressure and at elevated temperatures. The hydrogen-producing region is often associated with a temperature regulation assembly, such as a heating or cooling assembly that consumes one or more fuel streams to maintain the hydrogen-producing region within an appropriate temperature range for effectively producing hydrogen gas. The hydrogen generation assembly may generate hydrogen gas via any suitable mechanism, such as steam reforming, autothermal reforming, pyrolysis, and / or catalytic partial oxidation.

[0003] However, the hydrogen gas generated or produced may have impurities. The gas may be referred to as a mixed gas stream that includes hydrogen gas and other gases. Before the mixed gas stream can be used, it needs to be purified, such as by removing at least a portion of the other gases. Thus, the hydrogen generation assembly may include a hydrogen purification device for increasing the hydrogen purity of the mixed gas stream. The hydrogen purification device may include at least one hydrogen-selective membrane for separating the mixed gas stream into a product stream and a by-product stream. The product stream includes a higher concentration of hydrogen gas and / or a reduced concentration of one or more other gases from the mixed gas stream. Hydrogen purification using one or more hydrogen-selective membranes is a pressure-driven separation process in which the one or more hydrogen-selective membranes are contained within a pressure vessel. The mixed gas stream contacts the mixed gas surface of the membrane, and a product stream is formed from at least a portion of the mixed gas stream that permeates the membrane. The pressure vessel is typically sealed to prevent gas from entering or leaving the pressure vessel except through defined inlet and outlet ports or conduits.

[0004] The product streams can be used in a variety of applications. One such application is energy production, such as in electrochemical fuel cells. An electrochemical fuel cell is a device that converts a fuel and an oxidant into electricity, a reaction product, and heat. For example, a fuel cell can convert hydrogen and oxygen into water and electricity. In these fuel cells, hydrogen is the fuel, oxygen is the oxidant, and water is the reaction product. A fuel cell stack includes multiple fuel cells and can be utilized with a hydrogen generation assembly to provide an energy production assembly.

[0005] Examples of hydrogen generation assemblies, hydrogen processing assemblies, and / or components of those assemblies are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,861,137, 6,319,306, 6,494,937, 6,562,111, 7,063,047, 7,306,868, 7,470,293, 7,601,302, 7,632,322, and 8,961,627. No. 2006 / 0090397, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006 / 0272212, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007 / 0266631, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007 / 0274904, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0085434, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0138678, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0230039, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0064887.

[0006] The complete disclosures of the above patents and published patent applications are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Pat. No. 5,861,137 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 6,319,306 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 6,494,937 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent No. 6,562,111 [Patent Document 5] U.S. Patent No. 7,063,047 [Patent Document 6] U.S. Pat. No. 7,306,868 [Patent Document 7] U.S. Patent No. 7,470,293 [Patent Document 8] U.S. Patent No. 7,601,302 [Patent Document 9] U.S. Patent No. 7,632,322 [Patent Document 10] U.S. Pat. No. 8,961,627 [Patent Document 11] US Patent Application Publication No. 2006 / 0090397 [Patent Document 12] US Patent Application Publication No. 2006 / 0272212 [Patent Document 13] US Patent Application Publication No. 2007 / 0266631 [Patent Document 14] US Patent Application Publication No. 2007 / 0274904 [Patent Document 15] US Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0085434 [Patent Document 16] US Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0138678 [Patent Document 17] US Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0230039 [Patent Document 18] US Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0064887 [Patent Document 19] U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,594 [Patent Document 20] U.S. Patent No. 6,221,117 [Patent Document 21] U.S. Patent No. 6,537,352 [Patent Document 22] U.S. Patent No. 6,152,995 [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a hydrogen generation assembly. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of the hydrogen generation assembly of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a schematic diagram of a hydrogen purification device of the hydrogen generation assembly of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view of the example hydrogen purification device of FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a top view of an example of a foil microscreen assembly of the hydrogen purification device of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a top view of an example microscreen structure of the foil microscreen assembly of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 7 is a partial view of the microscreen structure of FIG. 6 with another example of an aperture. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a partial view of the microscreen structure of FIG. 6 with additional examples of apertures. [Figure 9] 7 is a partial view of the microscreen structure of FIG. 6 with further examples of apertures. [Figure 10] 7 is a partial view of the microscreen structure of FIG. 6 with yet another example of an aperture. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a top view of an additional example of a foil microscreen assembly of the hydrogen purification device of FIG. 3. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a top view of an example microscreen structure of the foil microscreen assembly of FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a top view of another example of a foil microscreen assembly of the hydrogen purification device of FIG. 3. [Figure 14] 4 is a top view of a further example of a foil microscreen assembly of the hydrogen purification device of FIG. 3. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view of another example of the hydrogen purification device of FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] 1 illustrates one example of a hydrogen generation assembly 20. Unless specifically excluded, the hydrogen generation assembly 20 may include one or more components of the other hydrogen generation assemblies described in this disclosure. The hydrogen generation assembly may include any suitable structure configured to generate a product hydrogen stream 21. For example, the hydrogen generation assembly may include a feedstock delivery system 22 and a fuel processing assembly 24. The feedstock delivery system may include any suitable structure configured to selectively deliver at least one feed stream 26 to the fuel processing assembly.

[0010] In some embodiments, the feedstock delivery system 22 may further include any suitable structure configured to selectively deliver at least one fuel stream 28 to a burner or other heating assembly of the fuel processing assembly 24. In some embodiments, the feed stream 26 and the fuel stream 28 may be the same stream delivered to different portions of the fuel processing assembly. The feedstock delivery system may include any suitable delivery mechanism, such as a positive displacement or other suitable pump or mechanism for propelling the fluid streams. In some embodiments, the feedstock delivery system may be configured to deliver the feed stream 26 and / or the fuel stream 28 without requiring the use of a pump and / or other powered fluid delivery mechanism. Examples of suitable feedstock delivery systems that may be used with the hydrogen generation assembly 20 include the feedstock delivery systems described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,470,293 and 7,601,302, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006 / 0090397. The complete disclosures of the above patents and patent applications are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0011] Feed stream 26 may include at least one hydrogen-production fluid 30, which may include one or more fluids that may be utilized as reactants to generate product hydrogen stream 21. For example, hydrogen-production fluid may include at least one carbon-containing feedstock, such as hydrocarbons and / or alcohols. Examples of suitable hydrocarbons include methane, propane, natural gas, diesel, kerosene, gasoline, and the like. Examples of suitable alcohols include methanol, ethanol, polyols (such as ethylene glycol and propylene glycol), and the like. Additionally, hydrogen-production fluid 30 may include water, such as when fuel processing assembly 24 generates the product hydrogen stream via steam reforming and / or autothermal reforming. When fuel processing assembly 24 generates the product hydrogen stream via pyrolysis or catalytic partial oxidation, feed stream 26 does not include water.

[0012] In some embodiments, the feedstock delivery system 22 may be configured to deliver a hydrogen-production fluid 30 that includes a mixture of water and a water-miscible carbon-containing feedstock (such as methanol and / or another water-soluble alcohol). The ratio of water to carbon-containing feedstock in such a fluid stream may vary according to one or more factors, such as the particular carbon-containing feedstock used, the user's preferences, the design of the fuel processing assembly, the mechanism used by the fuel processing assembly to generate the product hydrogen stream, etc. For example, the water to carbon molar ratio may be about 1:1 to 3:1. Additionally, a mixture of water and methanol may be delivered at or near a 1:1 molar ratio (37% water, 63% methanol by weight), and a mixture of hydrocarbons or other alcohols may be delivered at a water to carbon molar ratio greater than 1:1.

[0013] Where fuel processing assembly 24 generates product hydrogen stream 21 via reforming, feed stream 26 may include, for example, about 25-75% by volume methanol or ethanol (or another suitable water-miscible carbon-containing feedstock) and about 25-75% by volume water. For feed streams that at least substantially include methanol and water, the streams may include about 50-75% by volume methanol and about 25-50% by volume water. Streams that include ethanol or other water-miscible alcohols may include about 25-60% by volume alcohol and about 40-75% by volume water. One example feed stream for hydrogen generation assembly 20 utilizing steam or autothermal reforming includes 69% by volume methanol and 31% by volume water.

[0014] Although the feedstock delivery system 22 is shown configured to deliver a single feed stream 26, the feedstock delivery system may be configured to deliver two or more feed streams 26. The streams may contain the same or different feedstocks, may have different compositions, may have at least one common component, may have no common components, or may have the same composition. For example, a first feed stream may include a first component, such as a carbon-containing feedstock, and a second feed stream may include a second component, such as water. Additionally, although the feedstock delivery system 22 may be configured in some embodiments to deliver a single fuel stream 28, the feedstock delivery system may be configured to deliver two or more fuel streams. The fuel streams may have different compositions, may have at least one common component, may have no common components, or may have the same composition. Furthermore, the feed stream and the fuel stream may exit the feedstock delivery system at different stages. For example, one of the streams may be a fluid stream and the other a gas stream. In some embodiments, both streams may be fluid streams, and in other embodiments, both streams may be gas streams. Additionally, although the hydrogen generation assembly 20 is shown as including a single feedstock delivery system 22, the hydrogen generation assembly may include two or more feedstock delivery systems 22.

[0015] The fuel processing assembly 24 may include a hydrogen-producing region 32 configured to produce an output stream 34 including hydrogen gas via any suitable hydrogen production mechanism. The output stream may include hydrogen gas as at least a major component and may include additional gaseous components. Thus, the output stream 34 may be referred to as a "mixed gas stream" that includes hydrogen gas as its major component but includes other gases.

[0016] The hydrogen-producing region 32 may include any suitable catalyst-containing bed or region. When the hydrogen production mechanism is steam reforming, the hydrogen-producing region may include a suitable steam reforming catalyst 36 to facilitate production of an output stream 34 from a feed stream 26 that includes a carbon-containing feedstock and water. In such an embodiment, the fuel processing assembly 24 may be referred to as a "steam reformer," the hydrogen-producing region 32 may be referred to as a "reforming region," and the output stream 34 may be referred to as a "reformed stream." Other gases that may be present in the reformed stream may include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, steam, and / or unreacted carbon-containing feedstock.

[0017] Where the hydrogen production mechanism is autothermal reforming, hydrogen-producing region 32 may include a suitable autothermal reforming catalyst to promote production of output stream 34 from feed stream 26 comprising water and carbon-containing feedstock in the presence of air. Additionally, fuel processing assembly 24 may include an air delivery assembly 38 configured to deliver an air stream to the hydrogen-producing region.

[0018] In some embodiments, the fuel processing assembly 24 may include a purification (or separation) area 40, which may include any suitable structure configured to generate at least one hydrogen-rich stream 42 from the output (or mixed gas) stream 34. The hydrogen-rich stream 42 may include a higher concentration of hydrogen than the output stream 34 and / or a reduced concentration of one or more other gases (or impurities) that were present in the output stream. The product hydrogen stream 21 includes at least a portion of the hydrogen-rich stream 42. Thus, the product hydrogen stream 21 and the hydrogen-rich stream 42 may be the same stream and may have the same composition and flow rate. Alternatively, a portion of the purified hydrogen gas in the hydrogen-rich stream 42 may be stored, such as in a suitable hydrogen storage assembly, for later use and / or consumed by the fuel processing assembly. The purification area 40 may also be referred to as a "hydrogen purification device" or a "hydrogen processing assembly."

[0019] In some embodiments, refining region 40 may produce at least one by-product stream 44, which may contain no hydrogen gas or may contain some hydrogen gas. The by-product stream may be discharged, sent to a burner assembly and / or other combustion source, used as a heated fluid stream, stored for later use, and / or otherwise utilized, stored, and / or disposed of. Additionally, refining region 40 may emit the by-product stream as a continuous stream in response to delivery of output stream 34, or may emit the stream intermittently, such as in a batch process or when a by-product portion of the output stream is at least temporarily retained in the refining region.

[0020] Fuel processing assembly 24 may include one or more purification regions configured to produce one or more by-product streams that include a sufficient amount of hydrogen gas suitable for use as a fuel stream (or feed stream) for a heating assembly for the fuel processing assembly. In some embodiments, the by-product streams may have a sufficient fuel value or hydrogen content to enable the heating assembly to maintain the hydrogen-producing region at a desired operating temperature or within a selected temperature range. For example, the by-product streams may include hydrogen gas at 10-30% by volume, 15-25% by volume, 20-30% by volume, at least 10 or 15% by volume, at least 20% by volume, etc.

[0021] The purification region 40 may include any suitable structure configured to concentrate (and / or increase) the concentration of at least one component of the output stream 21. In most applications, the hydrogen-rich stream 42 will have a higher hydrogen concentration than the output stream (or mixed gas stream) 34. The hydrogen-rich stream may also include reduced concentrations of one or more non-hydrogen components that were present in the output stream 34 when the hydrogen-rich stream had a higher, the same, or lower hydrogen concentration than the output stream. For example, in a conventional fuel cell system, the presence of even a few ppm of carbon monoxide can damage the fuel cell stack, but other non-hydrogen components present in the output stream 34, such as water, can be present in much higher concentrations without damaging the stack. Thus, in such applications, the purification region may not increase the overall hydrogen concentration, but will reduce the concentration of one or more non-hydrogen components that are harmful or potentially harmful to the desired application for the product hydrogen stream.

[0022] Examples of devices suitable for purification region 40 include one or more hydrogen-selective membranes 46, a chemical carbon monoxide removal assembly 48, and / or a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system 50. Purification region 40 may include more than one type of purification device, and the devices may have the same or different structures and / or operate by the same or different mechanisms. Fuel processing assembly 24 may include at least one restrictive orifice and / or other flow restrictor downstream of the purification region, such as associated with one or more product hydrogen streams, a hydrogen-rich stream, and / or a by-product stream.

[0023] The hydrogen-selective membrane 46 is permeable to hydrogen gas but is at least substantially (if not completely) impermeable to other components of the output stream 34. The membrane 46 may be formed from any hydrogen-permeable material suitable for use in the operating environment and parameters in which the purification region 40 will be operated. Examples of suitable materials for the membrane 46 include palladium and palladium alloys, particularly thin films of such metals and metal alloys. Palladium alloys have proven particularly effective, particularly palladium containing 35% to 45% copper by weight. A palladium-copper alloy containing about 40% copper by weight has proven particularly effective, although other relative concentrations and compositions may be used. Three other particularly effective alloys are palladium with 2% to 20% gold by weight, particularly palladium with 5% gold by weight, palladium with 3% to 10% indium and 0% to 10% ruthenium by weight, particularly palladium with 6% indium and 0.5% ruthenium by weight, and palladium with 20% to 30% silver by weight. When palladium and palladium alloys are used, the hydrogen-selective membrane 46 is sometimes referred to as a "foil." Typical thicknesses of hydrogen-permeable metal foils are less than 25 microns (micrometers), preferably 15 microns or less, and most preferably between 5 and 12 microns. The foils can be of any suitable dimensions, such as 110 mm by 270 mm.

[0024] The chemical carbon monoxide removal assembly 48 is a device that chemically reacts carbon monoxide and / or other undesirable components of the output stream 34 to form other compositions that are less potentially harmful. Examples of chemical carbon monoxide removal assemblies include water-gas shift reactors configured to produce hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide from water and carbon monoxide, partial oxidation reactors configured to convert carbon monoxide and oxygen (typically from air) to carbon dioxide, and methanation reactors configured to convert carbon monoxide and hydrogen to methane and water. The fuel processing assembly 24 may include more than one type and / or number of chemical removal assemblies 48.

[0025] Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) is a chemical process in which gaseous impurities are removed from the output stream 34 based on the principle that, under appropriate conditions of temperature and pressure, certain gases are more strongly adsorbed onto an adsorbent material than others. Typically, non-hydrogen impurities are adsorbed and removed from the output stream 34. Adsorption of impurity gases occurs at high pressure. When the pressure is reduced, the impurities are desorbed from the adsorbent material, thus regenerating the adsorbent material. Typically, PSA is a cyclic process, requiring at least two beds for continuous (as opposed to batch) operation. Examples of suitable adsorbent materials that may be used in the adsorbent beds are activated carbon and zeolites. The PSA system 50 also provides an example of a device for use in the purification region 40 in which by-products or removed components are not directly discharged from the region as a gas stream concurrent with the purification of the output stream. Instead, these by-product components are removed when the adsorbent material is regenerated or otherwise removed from the purification region.

[0026] In Figure 1, a refining region 40 is shown within the fuel processing assembly 24. Alternatively, the refining region may be located separately downstream from the fuel processing assembly, as shown diagrammatically in dashed lines in Figure 1. The refining region 40 may also include internal and external portions of the fuel processing assembly.

[0027] Fuel processing assembly 24 may also include a temperature regulation assembly in the form of a heating assembly 52. ​​The heating assembly may be configured to generate at least one heated exhaust stream (or combustion stream) 54 from at least one fuel stream 28, typically combusted in the presence of air. Heated exhaust stream 54 is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 as heating hydrogen-producing region 32. Heating assembly 52 may include any suitable structure configured to generate a heated exhaust stream, such as a burner or combustion catalyst in which fuel is combusted with air to generate the heated exhaust stream. The heating assembly may include an igniter or ignition source 58 configured to initiate combustion of the fuel. Examples of suitable ignition sources include one or more spark plugs, glow plugs, combustion catalysts, pilot lights, piezoelectric igniters, spark igniters, hot surface igniters, and the like.

[0028] In some embodiments, the heating assembly 52 may include a burner assembly 60 and may be referred to as a combustion-based or combustion-driven heating assembly. In a combustion-based heating assembly, the heating assembly 52 may be configured to receive at least one fuel stream 28 and combust the fuel stream in the presence of air to provide a hot combustion stream 54 that may be used to heat at least the hydrogen-producing region of the fuel processing assembly. The air may be delivered to the heating assembly via a variety of mechanisms. For example, an air stream 62 may be delivered to the heating assembly as a separate stream, as shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively or additionally, the air stream 62 may be delivered to the heating assembly along with at least one of the fuel streams 28 for the heating assembly 52 and / or may be drawn from the environment in which the heating assembly is utilized.

[0029] Combustion stream 54 may additionally or alternatively be used to heat other portions of the fuel processing assembly and / or fuel cell system in which the heating assembly is used. Additionally, other configurations and types of heating assembly 52 may be used. For example, heating assembly 52 may be an electrically powered heating assembly configured to heat at least hydrogen-producing region 32 of fuel processing assembly 24 by generating heat using at least one heating element, such as a resistive heating element. In those embodiments, heating assembly 52 may not receive and combust a combustible fuel stream to heat the hydrogen-producing region to a suitable hydrogen-producing temperature. An example of a heating assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,632,322, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0030] Heating assembly 52 may be housed within a common shell or housing with the hydrogen-producing region and / or the separation region (discussed further below). The heating assembly may be located separately with respect to hydrogen-producing region 32, but in thermal and / or fluid communication with that region to provide the desired heating of at least the hydrogen-producing region. Heating assembly 52 may be located partially or completely within the common shell, and / or at least a portion (or all) of the heating assembly may be located external to the shell. If the heating assembly is located external to the shell, hot combustion gases from burner assembly 60 may be transported to one or more components within the shell via appropriate heat transfer conduits.

[0031] The heating assembly may also be configured to heat the feedstock delivery system 22, the feedstock feed stream, the hydrogen-producing region 32, the purification (or separation) region 40, or any suitable combination of those systems, streams, and regions. Heating the feedstock feed stream may include vaporizing a liquid reactant stream or components of the hydrogen-production fluid used to produce hydrogen gas in the hydrogen-producing region. In that embodiment, the fuel processing assembly 24 may be described as including a vaporization region 64. The heating assembly may additionally be configured to heat other components of the hydrogen generation assembly. For example, the heated exhaust stream may be configured to heat a pressure vessel and / or other canister containing the heated fuel and / or hydrogen-production fluid that forms at least a portion of the feed stream 26 and the fuel stream 28.

[0032] Heating assembly 52 may achieve and / or maintain any suitable temperature in hydrogen-producing region 32. Steam reformers typically operate at temperatures in the range of 200° C. to 900° C.; however, temperatures outside this range are within the scope of this disclosure. When the carbon-containing feedstock is methanol, the steam reforming reaction typically operates at a temperature range of about 200-500° C. Exemplary subsets of that range include 350-450° C., 375-425° C., and 375-400° C. When the carbon-containing feedstock is a hydrocarbon, ethanol, or another alcohol, a temperature range of about 400-900° C. is typically used for the steam reforming reaction. Exemplary subsets of that range include 750-850° C., 725-825° C., 650-750° C., 700-800° C., 700-900° C., 500-800° C., 400-600° C., and 600-800° C. Hydrogen-producing region 32 may include two or more zones or sections, each of which may be operated at the same or different temperatures. For example, if the hydrogen-production fluid includes a hydrocarbon, hydrogen-producing region 32 may include two different hydrogen-producing sections or regions, one operating at a lower temperature than the other to provide a pre-reforming region. In those embodiments, the fuel processing assembly may be referred to as including two or more hydrogen-producing regions.

[0033] Fuel stream 28 may include any combustible liquid and / or gas suitable for consumption by heating assembly 52 to provide the desired heat output. Some fuel streams may be gases when delivered and combusted by heating assembly 52, while other fuel streams may be delivered to the heating assembly as a liquid stream. Examples of suitable heating fuels for fuel stream 28 include carbon-containing feedstocks such as methanol, methane, ethane, ethanol, ethylene, propane, propylene, butane, and the like. Additional examples include low molecular weight condensable fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas, ammonia, light amines, dimethyl ether, low molecular weight hydrocarbons, and the like. Still other examples include hydrogen and carbon monoxide. In embodiments of hydrogen generation assembly 20 that include a temperature regulation assembly in the form of a cooling assembly (as may be used when an exothermic hydrogen production process, e.g., partial oxidation, is utilized instead of an endothermic process such as steam reforming), the feedstock delivery system may be configured to supply a fuel or coolant stream to the assembly. Any suitable fuel or coolant may be used.

[0034] The fuel processing assembly 24 may additionally include a shell or housing 66 in which at least the hydrogen-producing region 32 is included, as shown in FIG. 1. In some embodiments, the vaporization region 64 and / or purification region 40 may additionally be included within the shell. The shell 66 may allow the components of the steam reformer or other fuel processing mechanism to be moved as a unit. The shell may also protect the components of the fuel processing assembly from damage by providing a protective enclosure and / or reduce the heating demands of the fuel processing assembly as the components are heated as a unit. The shell 66 may include an insulating material 68, such as a solid insulating material, a blanket insulating material, and / or an air-filled cavity. The insulating material may be inside the shell, outside the shell, or both. If the insulating material is outside the shell, the fuel processing assembly 24 may further include an outer cover or jacket 70 on the outside of the insulation, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1. The fuel processing assembly may include a different shell that includes additional components of the fuel processing assembly, such as the feedstock delivery system 22 and / or other components.

[0035] One or more components of fuel processing assembly 24 may extend beyond the shell or may be located outside the shell. For example, purification region 40 may be located outside shell 66, such as spaced apart from the shell but in fluid communication with it by an appropriate fluid communication conduit. As another example, a portion of hydrogen-producing region 32 (such as a portion of one or more reforming catalyst beds) may extend beyond the shell, as shown diagrammatically by the wavy lines representing an alternative shell configuration in FIG. 1. Examples of suitable hydrogen generation assemblies and components thereof are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,861,137, 5,997,594, and 6,221,117, the complete disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0036] Another example of hydrogen generation assembly 20 is shown in FIG. 2 and generally indicated at 72. Unless specifically excluded, hydrogen generation assembly 72 may include one or more components of hydrogen generation assembly 20. Hydrogen generation assembly 72 may include a feedstock delivery system 74, a vaporization region 76, a hydrogen production region 78, and a heating assembly 80, as shown in FIG. 2. In some embodiments, hydrogen generation assembly 20 may also include a purification region 82.

[0037] The feedstock delivery system may include any suitable structure configured to deliver one or more feed streams and / or fuel streams to one or more other components of the hydrogen generation assembly. For example, the feedstock delivery system may include a feedstock tank (or container) 84 and a pump 86. The feedstock tank may contain any suitable hydrogen-production fluid 88, such as water and a carbon-containing feedstock (e.g., a methanol / water mixture). The pump 86 may have any suitable structure configured to deliver the hydrogen-production fluid, which may be in the form of at least one liquid-containing feed stream 90 including water and a carbon-containing feedstock, to the vaporization region 76 and / or the hydrogen-production region 78.

[0038] Vaporization region 76 may include any suitable structure configured to receive and vaporize at least a portion of a liquid-containing feed stream, such as liquid-containing feed stream 90. For example, vaporization region 76 may include a vaporizer 92 configured to at least partially convert liquid-containing feed stream 90 into one or more vapor feed streams 94. The vapor feed streams may include liquid, in some embodiments. One example of a suitable vaporizer is a coiled tubing vaporizer, such as a coiled stainless steel tube.

[0039] The hydrogen-producing region 78 may include any suitable structure configured to receive one or more feed streams, such as the steam feed stream 94 from the vaporization region, to produce one or more output streams 96 that include hydrogen gas as a primary component and other gases. The hydrogen-producing region may produce the output stream via any suitable mechanism. For example, the hydrogen-producing region 78 may produce the output stream 96 via a steam reforming reaction. In that example, the hydrogen-producing region 78 may include a steam reforming region 97 having a reforming catalyst 98 configured to facilitate and / or promote the steam reforming reaction. When the hydrogen-producing region 78 produces the output stream 96 via a steam reforming reaction, the hydrogen generation assembly 72 may be referred to as a “steam reforming hydrogen generation assembly” and the output stream 96 may be referred to as a “reformed stream.”

[0040] Heating assembly 80 may include any suitable structure configured to generate at least one heated exhaust stream 99 for heating one or more other components of hydrogen generation assembly 72. For example, the heating assembly may heat the vaporization region to any suitable temperature, such as at least a minimum vaporization temperature or a temperature at which at least a portion of the liquid-containing feed stream is vaporized to form a vapor feed stream. Additionally or alternatively, heating assembly 80 may heat the hydrogen-production region to any suitable temperature, such as at least a minimum hydrogen-production temperature or a temperature at which at least a portion of the vapor feed stream is reacted to produce hydrogen gas to form an output stream. The heating assembly may be in thermal communication with one or more components of the hydrogen generation assembly, such as the vaporization region and / or the hydrogen-production region.

[0041] The heating assembly may include a burner assembly 100, at least one blower 102, and an igniter assembly 104, as shown in FIG. 2. The burner assembly may include any suitable structure configured to receive at least one air stream 106 and at least one fuel stream 108 and combust the at least one fuel stream in a combustion region 110 to generate a heated exhaust stream 99. The fuel stream may be provided by the feedstock delivery system 74 and / or the purification region 82. The combustion region may be contained within an enclosure of the hydrogen generation assembly. The blower 102 may include any suitable structure configured to generate the air stream 106. The igniter assembly 104 may include any suitable structure configured to ignite the fuel stream 108.

[0042] The purification region 82 may include any suitable structure configured to produce at least one hydrogen-rich stream 112, which may include a higher concentration of hydrogen than the output stream 96 and / or a reduced concentration of one or more other gases (or impurities) that were present in the output stream. The purification region may produce at least one by-product stream or fuel stream 108, which may be sent to the burner assembly 100 and used as a fuel stream for that assembly, as shown in FIG. 2. The purification region 82 may include a flow restriction orifice 111, a filter assembly 114, a membrane assembly 116, and a methanation reactor assembly 118. The filter assembly (such as one or more hot gas filters) may be configured to remove impurities from the output stream 96 prior to the hydrogen purification membrane assembly.

[0043] The membrane assembly 116 may include any suitable structure configured to receive the output or mixed gas stream 96 containing hydrogen gas and other gases and produce a permeate or hydrogen-rich stream 112 containing a higher concentration of hydrogen gas than the mixed gas stream and / or a lower concentration of other gases than the mixed gas stream. The membrane assembly 116 may incorporate planar or tubular hydrogen-permeable (or hydrogen-selective) membranes, and two or more hydrogen-permeable membranes may be incorporated into the membrane assembly 116. The permeate stream may be used for any suitable application, such as one or more fuel cells. In some embodiments, the membrane assembly may produce a by-product or fuel stream 108 that includes at least a substantial portion of the other gases. The methanation reactor assembly 118 may include any suitable structure configured to convert carbon monoxide and hydrogen into methane and water. Although purification region 82 is shown as including flow restriction orifice 111, filter assembly 114, membrane assembly 116, and methanation reactor assembly 118, the purification region may have less than all of those assemblies and / or may alternatively or additionally include one or more other components configured to purify output stream 96. For example, purification region 82 may include only membrane assembly 116.

[0044] In some embodiments, hydrogen generation assembly 72 may include a shell or housing 120 that may at least partially contain one or more other components of the assembly. For example, shell 120 may at least partially contain vaporization region 76, hydrogen-production region 78, heating assembly 80, and / or purification region 82, as shown in FIG. 2. Shell 120 may include one or more exhaust ports 122 configured to exhaust at least one combustion exhaust stream 124 generated by heating assembly 80.

[0045] Hydrogen generation assembly 72 may, in some embodiments, include a control system 126, which may include any suitable structure configured to control the operation of hydrogen generation assembly 72. For example, control assembly 126 may include a control assembly 128, at least one valve 130, at least one pressure relief valve 132, and one or more temperature measurement devices 134. Control assembly 128 may detect temperatures in the hydrogen-producing and / or purification regions via temperature measurement device 134, which may include one or more thermocouples and / or other suitable devices. Based on the detected temperatures, an operator of the control assembly and / or control system may adjust the delivery of feed stream 90 to vaporization region 76 and / or hydrogen-producing region 78 via valve 130 and pump 86. Valve 130 may include a solenoid valve and / or any suitable valve. Pressure relief valve 132 may be configured to ensure that excess pressure in the system is relieved.

[0046] In some embodiments, hydrogen generation assembly 72 may include a heat exchange assembly 136, which may include one or more heat exchangers 138 configured to transfer heat from one portion of the hydrogen generation assembly to another. For example, heat exchange assembly 136 may transfer heat from hydrogen-rich stream 112 to feed stream 90 to increase the temperature of the feed stream prior to entering vaporization region 76 as well as to cool hydrogen-rich stream 112.

[0047] An example of the purification region 40 (or hydrogen purification device) of the hydrogen generation assembly 20 of FIG. 1 is generally shown at 144 in FIG. 3. Unless specifically excluded, the hydrogen purification device may include one or more components of the other purification regions described in this disclosure. The hydrogen purification device 40 may include a hydrogen separation region 146 and an enclosure 148. The enclosure may define an interior volume 150 having an inner perimeter 152. The enclosure 148 may include at least a first portion 154 and a second portion 156 coupled together to form a body 149 in the form of a sealed pressure vessel that may include defined input and output ports. The ports may define fluid pathways through which gases and other fluids are delivered to or removed from the interior volume of the enclosure.

[0048] The first and second portions 154 and 156 may be coupled together using any suitable retention mechanism or structure 158. Examples of suitable retention structures include welds and / or bolts. Examples of seals that may be used to provide a fluid-tight interface between the first and second portions may include gaskets and / or welds. Additionally or alternatively, the first and second portions 154 and 156 may be secured together such that at least a predetermined amount of compression is applied to the various components defining the hydrogen separation region within the enclosure and / or other components that may be incorporated into the hydrogen generation assembly. The applied compression may ensure that the various components are held in the proper position within the enclosure. Additionally or alternatively, the compression applied to the various components defining the hydrogen separation region and / or other components may provide a fluid-tight interface between the various components defining the hydrogen separation region, between the various other components, and / or between the components defining the hydrogen separation region and other components.

[0049] The enclosure 148 may include a mixed gas region 160 and a permeate region 162, as shown in FIG. 3. The mixed gas and permeate regions may be separated by a hydrogen separation region 146. At least one input port 164 may be provided through which a fluid stream 166 is delivered to the enclosure. The fluid stream 166 may be a mixed gas stream 168 including hydrogen gas 170 and other gases 172 that is delivered to the mixed gas region 160. Hydrogen gas may be a major component of the mixed gas stream. The hydrogen separation region 146 may extend between the mixed gas region 160 and the permeate region 162 such that gas in the mixed gas region must pass through the hydrogen separation region to enter the permeate region. The gas may be required to pass through at least one hydrogen selective membrane, for example, as discussed further below. The permeate or mixed gas regions may be of any suitable relative size within the enclosure.

[0050] The enclosure 148 may include at least one product output port 174 through which a permeate stream 176 may be received and removed from the permeate region 162. The permeate stream may include at least one of a higher concentration of hydrogen gas than the mixed gas stream and a lower concentration of other gases than the mixed gas stream. The permeate stream 176 may, in some embodiments, at least initially include a carrier or sweep gas component, such that it may be delivered as a sweep gas stream 178 via a sweep gas port 180 in fluid communication with the permeate region. The enclosure may also include at least one by-product output port 182 through which a by-product stream 184, including a substantial portion of the other gases 172 and at least one of a reduced concentration (relative to the mixed gas stream) of hydrogen gas 170, is removed from the mixed gas region.

[0051] The hydrogen separation region 146 may include at least one hydrogen-selective membrane 186 having a first or mixed gas surface 188 oriented for contact by the mixed gas stream 168 and a second or permeate surface 190 generally opposite surface 188. The mixed gas stream 168 may be delivered to the mixed gas region of the enclosure to contact the mixed gas surface of the one or more hydrogen-selective membranes. A permeate stream 176 may be formed from at least a portion of the mixed gas stream that passes through the hydrogen separation region to the permeate region 162. A by-product stream 184 may be formed from at least a portion of the mixed gas stream that does not pass through the hydrogen separation region. In some embodiments, the by-product stream 184 may include a portion of the hydrogen gas present in the mixed gas stream. The hydrogen separation region may also be configured to trap or otherwise retain at least a portion of other gases, which may be removed as a by-product stream when the separation region is replaced, regenerated, or otherwise recharged.

[0052] 3 , streams 166, 176, 178, and / or 184 may include two or more actual streams flowing into or out of hydrogen purification device 144. For example, the hydrogen purification device may receive multiple mixed gas streams 168, a single mixed gas stream 168 that is split into two or more streams before contacting hydrogen separation region 146, a single stream that is delivered to interior volume 150, etc. Thus, enclosure 148 may include two or more input ports 164, product output port 174, sweep gas port 180, and / or by-product output port 182.

[0053] The hydrogen-selective membrane may be formed from any hydrogen-permeable material suitable for use in the operating environment and parameters in which the hydrogen purification device will be operated. Examples of hydrogen purification devices are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,997,594 and 6,537,352, the complete disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. In some embodiments, the hydrogen-selective membrane may be formed from at least one of palladium and palladium alloys. Examples of palladium alloys also include alloys of palladium with copper, silver, and / or gold. Examples of various membranes, membrane configurations, and / or methods of preparing the membranes and membrane configurations are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,152,995, 6,221,117, 6,319,306, and 6,537,352, the complete disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0054] In some embodiments, a plurality of spaced apart hydrogen-selective membranes 186 may be used in the hydrogen-separation region to form at least a portion of a hydrogen-separation assembly 192. If present, the plurality of membranes may collectively define one or more membrane assemblies 194. In such embodiments, the hydrogen-separation assembly may generally extend from the first portion 154 to the second portion 156. Thus, the first and second portions may effectively compress the hydrogen-separation assembly. In some embodiments, the enclosure 148 may additionally or alternatively include end plates (or end frames) coupled to opposite sides of the body portion. In such embodiments, the end plates may effectively compress the hydrogen-separation assembly (and other components that may be housed within the enclosure) between a pair of opposing end plates.

[0055] Hydrogen purification using one or more hydrogen-selective membranes is typically a pressure-driven separation process in which a mixed gas stream is delivered to contact the mixed gas surface of the membrane at a higher pressure than the gas in the permeate region of the hydrogen separation region. The hydrogen separation region, in some embodiments, when utilized to separate the mixed gas stream into a permeate stream and a by-product stream, may be heated to an elevated temperature via any suitable mechanism. Examples of suitable operating temperatures for hydrogen purification using palladium or palladium alloy membranes include temperatures of at least 275° C., temperatures of at least 325° C., temperatures of at least 350° C., temperatures in the range of 275-500° C., temperatures in the range of 275-375° C., temperatures in the range of 300-450° C., temperatures in the range of 350-450° C., and the like.

[0056] An example of a hydrogen purification device 144 is generally shown at 196 in FIG. 4. Unless specifically excluded, hydrogen purification device 196 may include one or more components of other hydrogen purification devices and / or purification regions described in this disclosure. Hydrogen purification device 196 may include a shell or enclosure 198 that may include a first end plate or end frame 200 and a second end plate or end frame 202. The first and second end plates may be configured to be secured and / or compressed together to define a sealed pressure vessel having an interior compartment 204 in which the hydrogen separation region is supported. The first and second end plates may include input ports, output ports, sweep gas ports, and by-product ports (not shown) similar to hydrogen purification device 144.

[0057] The hydrogen purification device 196 may also include at least one foil microscreen assembly 205, which may be disposed between and / or secured to the first and second end plates. The foil microscreen assembly may include at least one hydrogen-selective membrane 206 and at least one microscreen structure 208, as shown in FIG. 5. The hydrogen-selective membrane may be configured to receive at least a portion of the mixed gas stream from the input port and separate the mixed gas stream into at least a portion of a permeate stream and at least a portion of a by-product stream. The hydrogen-selective membrane 206 may include a feed side 210 and a permeate side 212. At least a portion of the permeate stream is formed from a portion of the mixed gas stream that passes from the feed side to the permeate side, and the remaining portion of the mixed gas stream that remains on the feed side forms at least a portion of the by-product stream.

[0058] One or more of the hydrogen-selective membranes may be metallurgically bonded to the microscreen structure 208. For example, the permeate side of the hydrogen-selective membrane may be metallurgically bonded to the microscreen structure. In some embodiments, one or more of the hydrogen-selective membranes 206 (and / or the permeate sides of the membranes) may be diffusion bonded to the microscreen structure to form a solid-state diffusion bond between the membrane and the microscreen structure. For example, the permeate sides of the membrane and the microscreen structure may be brought into contact with one another and exposed to high temperatures and / or pressures to allow the surfaces of the membrane and the microscreen structure to intertwine over time.

[0059] In some embodiments, the microscreen structure may be coated with a thin layer of a metal or intermediate bonding layer that aids in diffusion bonding. For example, a thin coating of nickel, copper, silver, gold, or other metal that is suitable for solid-state diffusion bonding but (1) does not melt or enter a liquid phase below 700° C., and (2) forms a low melting alloy below 700° C. upon diffusion into the hydrogen-selective membrane. The thin metal layer may be applied to the microscreen structure via a suitable deposition process (e.g., electrochemical plating, vapor deposition, sputtering, etc.) of a thin coating of the intermediate bonding layer to the surface of the microscreen structure that will be in contact with the hydrogen-selective membrane. In some embodiments, the foil microscreen assembly 205 includes only the hydrogen-selective membrane and the microscreen structure (with or without the above coatings) and does not include any other frames, gaskets, components, and / or structures attached to, bonded to, and / or metallurgically bonded to either or both of the hydrogen-selective membrane and / or the microscreen structure. In other embodiments, the hydrogen-selective membrane may be secured to at least one membrane frame (not shown), which may in turn be secured to first and second end frames.

[0060] The microscreen structure 208 may include any suitable structure configured to support at least one hydrogen-selective membrane. For example, the microscreen structure may include a non-porous planar sheet 213 having generally opposing surfaces 214 and 215 configured to provide support to the permeate side 212, and a plurality of apertures 216 that form a plurality of fluid passages 217 extending between the opposing surfaces that allow the permeate stream to flow through the microscreen structure, as shown in FIG. 6. The apertures may be formed on the non-porous planar sheet via electrochemical etching, laser drilling, and other mechanical forming processes such as stamping or die cutting. In other words, the planar sheet is made of one or more materials that do not include any openings or apertures, and the only apertures or openings on the sheet are added via one or more of the methods described above. In some embodiments, one or more of the apertures (or all of the apertures) may be formed on the non-porous planar sheet such that their longitudinal axes, or the longitudinal axes of the fluid passages, are perpendicular to the plane of the non-porous planar sheet, as shown in FIG. 6. The non-porous planar sheet can be of any suitable thickness, such as between 100 microns and about 200 microns.

[0061] In some embodiments, the microscreen structure 208 may include one or more perforated regions (or portions) 218 ​​that include a plurality of apertures and one or more non-perforated regions (or portions) 219 that do not include (or exclude) a plurality of apertures. Although only a few apertures 216 are shown in FIG. 6, the apertures 216 are distributed over the entire length and width of the perforated portions only. The perforated regions may be separated or spaced apart from one or more other perforated regions. The non-perforated regions 219 may include a perimeter region (or portion) 220 that forms a frame around one or more of the perforated regions, and / or one or more border regions (or portions) 221 that separate or define two further separate portions of the perforated region. In other words, each perforated portion may be spaced apart from other adjacent separate perforated portions by at least one border portion that is free of a plurality of apertures.

[0062] The apertures 216 may include any suitable pattern, shape, and / or size. In some embodiments, the apertures may be formed using one or more patterns that maximize the combined aperture area while maintaining a sufficiently high stiffness of the microscreen structure to prevent excessive deflection under pressure loads. The apertures 216 may be circular (annular), elongated circular, racetrack shaped, or stadium shaped as shown in FIGS. 7-10, oval, elliptical, hexagonal, triangular, square, octagonal, and / or other suitable shapes. In some embodiments, the apertures 216 in the perforated region may be a single consistent shape. In other embodiments, the apertures 216 in the perforated region may be any suitable combination of two or more different shapes, such as two or more of the above shapes.

[0063] The apertures 216 may have any suitable orientation and / or may be in any suitable pattern. For example, FIG. 7 shows apertures 216 oriented in series in parallel rows longitudinally (or along the length of the perforated region or planar sheet). In other words, each aperture 216 has a length that defines a longitudinal axis 223, and the longitudinal axes of all apertures in FIG. 7 are parallel and / or coaxial with the longitudinal axis 225 of the planar sheet 213 (shown in FIG. 6). Alternatively, FIGS. 9-10 show apertures oriented laterally (or along the width of the perforated region or planar sheet). In other words, the longitudinal axes 223 of all apertures in the examples of FIGS. 9-10 are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 225 of the planar sheet 213.

[0064] Although the apertures 216 are all shown in Figures 7 and 9-10 as having the same direction or orientation, other embodiments of the planar sheet 213 may include apertures 216 having more than one direction and / or orientation. For example, the apertures 216 may be arranged in a staggered manner such that the apertures in each row or column are oriented differently (e.g., 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 degrees) from the apertures in each adjacent row or column. In other words, the longitudinal axes 223 of the apertures 216 in each row or column are parallel to each other and / or are not parallel to the longitudinal axes 223 of the apertures in one or more adjacent rows or columns on the planar sheet 213. In one example, the apertures 216 are also oriented in series in diagonal and parallel rows such that each row of apertures is oriented approximately 90 degrees from the adjacent row of apertures, as shown in Figure 8. Alternatively or additionally, one or more apertures 216 in one or more rows and / or columns may be oriented differently than one or more other apertures in the same row and / or column.

[0065] The apertures may be any suitable size. For example, if the apertures are circular, the diameter may range from about 0.003 inches to about 0.020 inches. Additionally, if the apertures are oval or elliptical, the radius of the rounded end of the oval or ellipse may range from 0.001 inches to about 0.010 inches, and the length of the oval or ellipse may be up to 10 times the radius. Furthermore, if the apertures are elongated circular or stadium shaped, the width or diameter may range from 0.005 inches to 0.02 inches, and the length may be 10 times or more the diameter, such as 0.05 inches to 0.8 inches. Example dimensions of the apertures in FIG. 8 are 0.10 inches in diameter at the rounded end, and 0.028 inches in length (i.e., an aspect ratio of about 3), with 0.006 inch spacing between apertures, or 0.011 inches between the centers of adjacent apertures. The pattern and exemplary dimensions shown in FIG. 8 provide a total open area in the microscreen structure of approximately 50%.

[0066] In some examples, the aperture or apertures 216 may be sized to span the entire or substantially the entire width or length of the perforated region. .figure In the example shown in FIG. 9, the stadium-shaped apertures are oriented laterally and are the full width or substantially the full width of the perforated region or portion such that the aspect ratio (length / width) is much greater than 10. One example of the dimensions of the apertures in FIG. 9 are 0.005 to 0.02 inches wide and up to 8 inches long. The apertures can be spaced apart from one another by about 0.006 inches (i.e., the width of the non-perforated portion or solid land between adjacent apertures) to provide a total open area of ​​up to about 62.5%.

[0067] In some examples, the apertures 216 may have a combination of sizes. For example, the apertures 216 may be sized such that the planar sheet 213 includes rows and / or columns of apertures having (1) a smaller number of apertures having one or more longer lengths and (2) a larger number of apertures having one or more shorter lengths. In some examples, the rows and / or columns having a smaller number of apertures having a longer length alternate with the rows and / or columns having a larger number of apertures having a shorter length in a staggered manner. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the apertures 216 are oriented laterally (or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 225 of the planar sheet 213), with each row and / or column alternating between two apertures having a longer length and three apertures having a shorter length. The length of the apertures in each row and / or column may be the same or different. An example of the dimensions of the apertures in Figure 10 is 0.005 inches to 0.02 inches wide and 0.05 inches to 8 inches long. The apertures may be spaced apart from one another by approximately 0.006 inches (i.e., the width of the non-perforated portion or solid land between adjacent apertures). Other combinations of aperture 216 patterns, sizes, orientations, and / or shapes are possible and are included within the present disclosure.

[0068] The non-porous planar sheet may include any suitable material. For example, the non-porous planar sheet may include stainless steel. The stainless steel may include 300 series stainless steel (e.g., stainless steel 303 (aluminum modified), stainless steel 404, etc.), 400 series stainless steel, 17-7PH, 14-8PH, and / or 15-7PH. In some embodiments, the stainless steel may include about 0.6% to about 3.0% aluminum by weight. In some embodiments, the non-porous planar sheet may include carbon steel, copper or copper alloy, aluminum or aluminum alloy, nickel, nickel-copper alloy, and / or base metal plated with silver, nickel, and / or copper. The base metal may include carbon steel or one or more of the stainless steels discussed above.

[0069] The hydrogen-selective membrane 206 may be sized larger than the perforated area or field of the microscreen structure such that when the hydrogen-selective membrane is metallurgically bonded to the microscreen structure, a peripheral portion 222 of the hydrogen-selective membrane contacts one or more non-perforated areas 219 of the microscreen structure. In some embodiments, a single hydrogen-selective membrane may be metallurgically bonded to a single microscreen structure, as shown in FIG. 5. In other embodiments, two or more hydrogen-selective membranes 206 may be metallurgically bonded to a single microscreen structure 208. For example, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more hydrogen-selective membranes 206 may be metallurgically bonded to a single microscreen structure 208. FIGS. 11-12 show an exemplary foil microscreen assembly 205 having six hydrogen-selective membranes 206 metallurgically bonded to a single microscreen structure 208. FIG. 13 shows an exemplary foil microscreen assembly 205 having two hydrogen-selective membranes 206 metallurgically bonded to a single microscreen structure 208, and FIG. 14 shows an exemplary foil microscreen assembly 205 having four hydrogen-selective membranes 206 metallurgically bonded to a single microscreen structure 208.

[0070] When two or more hydrogen-selective membranes 206 are metallurgically bonded to the microscreen structure, the microscreen structure may include two or more distinct perforated regions 218 separated by one or more non-perforated regions 219. In some embodiments, the perforated regions 218 may be the same size as the other perforated regions 218. For example, FIG. 12 shows six distinct perforated regions 218 of approximately the same size. In other embodiments, one or more perforated regions 218 may be sized smaller and / or larger than the other perforated regions 218. The hydrogen-selective membranes 206 may be metallurgically bonded to each of the perforated regions as shown in FIG. 11. Alternatively or additionally, the hydrogen-selective membranes may be metallurgically bonded to two or more distinct perforated regions 218. The hydrogen-selective membranes 206 may be sized such that a peripheral portion 222 of the membrane contacts one or more non-perforated regions 219 when the membrane is metallurgically bonded to one or more perforated regions 218.

[0071] The microscreen structure 208 may be sized to be contained (e.g., completely contained) within the open area of ​​the transmission frame and / or supported by the membrane support structure within the open area, as shown in FIG. 5. In other words, the microscreen structure may be sized so as not to contact the peripheral shell of the transmission frame when the microscreen structure and transmission frame are secured or compressed to the first and second end frames. Alternatively, the microscreen structure may be supported by and / or secured to a non-porous peripheral wall portion or frame (not shown), such as the peripheral shell of the transmission frame. When the microscreen structure is secured to a non-porous peripheral wall portion, the microscreen structure may be referred to as a "porous central region portion." Examples of other microscreen structures are discussed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0064887, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0072] The hydrogen purification device 196 may also include a plurality of plates or frames 224 disposed between and secured to the first and / or second end frames. The frames may include any suitable structure and / or may be any suitable shape, such as square, rectangular, or circular. For example, the frame 224 may include a peripheral shell 226 and at least one support member 228, as shown in FIG. 4. The peripheral shell may define an open area 230 and a frame plane 232. Additionally, the peripheral shell 226 may include first and second opposing sides 234 and 236 and third and fourth opposing sides 238 and 240, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0073] The first support members 228 may include any suitable structure configured to support the first portion 242 of the foil microscreen assembly 205, as shown in FIG. 4. For example, the first support members of the plurality of frames may be coplanar with each other (or with other first support members of other frames of the plurality of frames) in a first support plane 244 to support the first portion 242 of the hydrogen-selective membrane, as shown in FIG. 4. In other words, the first support members of each frame of the plurality of frames may mirror the first support members of other frames of the plurality of frames. The first support members may have any suitable orientation with respect to the frame plane 232. For example, the first support plane 244 may be perpendicular to the frame plane, as shown in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the first membrane support plane may intersect, but not be perpendicular to, the frame plane 232.

[0074] In some embodiments, the frame 224 may include second support members 246 and / or third support members 248, which may include any suitable structure configured to support the second portion 250 and / or third portion 252 of the foil microscreen assembly 205, as shown in FIG. 4. For example, the second support members of the plurality of frames may be coplanar with each other (or with other second support members of the plurality of frames) in a second support plane 254 to support the second portion 250 of the foil microscreen assembly. Additionally, the third support members of the plurality of frames may be coplanar with each other (or with other third support members of the plurality of frames) in a third support plane 256 to support the third portion 252 of the foil microscreen assembly. In other words, the second support members of each frame of the plurality of frames may mirror the second support members of the other frames of the plurality of frames, and the third support members of each frame of the plurality of frames may mirror the third support members of the other frames of the plurality of frames. The second and / or third support members may have any suitable orientation relative to the frame plane 232. For example, the second support plane 254 and / or the third support plane 256 may be perpendicular to the frame plane, as shown in Figure 4. Alternatively, the second and / or third support plane may intersect, but not be perpendicular to, the frame plane 232.

[0075] The second support member 246 and / or the third support member 248 may have any suitable orientation relative to the first support member 228. For example, the first support member 228 may extend into the open area 230 from the third side 238 of the surrounding shell 226, the second support member 246 may extend into the open area from the fourth side 240 (opposite the third side) of the surrounding shell, and the third support member 248 may extend into the open area from the third side. Alternatively, the first, second, and / or third support members may extend into the open area from the same side, such as the first, second, third, or fourth side, of the surrounding shell. In some embodiments, the first, second, and / or third support members may extend into the open area from the first side and / or the second side (opposite the first side) of the surrounding shell.

[0076] The first, second, and / or third support members may be in the form of, for example, one or more protrusions or fingers 258 attached to and / or formed with the surrounding shell. The protrusions may extend from the surrounding shell in any suitable direction. The protrusions may be the full thickness of the surrounding shell or less than the full thickness of the shell. The protrusions of each frame of the frames 224 may be compressed against the foil microscreen assembly, thereby locking the assembly in place. In other words, the protrusions of the frames 224 may support the foil microscreen assembly by laminating the extensions of the end frames into the first and / or second membrane support planes. In some embodiments, the protrusions 258 may include one or more receptacles or apertures (not shown) configured to receive at least one fastener (not shown) to secure the frame 224 to the first and / or second end frames.

[0077] The frame 224 may include at least one feed frame 260, at least one transmission frame 262, and a number of gaskets or gasket frames 264, as shown in FIG. 4. The feed frame 260 may be disposed between one of the first and second end frames and at least one foil microscreen assembly 205, or between two foil microscreen assemblies 205. The feed frame may include a feed frame peripheral shell 266, a feed frame input conduit 268, a feed frame output conduit 270, a feed frame open area 272, and at least a first feed frame support member 274, as shown in FIG. 4. In some embodiments, the feed frame may include a second feed frame support member 276 and / or a third feed frame support member 278. In some embodiments, the end plates, foil microscreen assembly, and frame 224 are fastened or compressed together, such as mechanically fastened and / or mechanically compressed via bolts and / or other fasteners, without any metallurgical bonds and / or other types of chemical bonds between two or more components of the hydrogen purification device (other than the metallurgical bonds described above between the hydrogen-selective membrane and the coated or uncoated microscreen structure in the foil microscreen assembly). For example, there are no gaskets and / or frames metallurgically or otherwise chemically bonded to the hydrogen-selective membrane and / or microscreen structure of the foil microscreen assembly, and all other components of the hydrogen purification device.

[0078] Another example of a hydrogen purification device 144 is shown generally at 396 in Figure 15. Unless specifically excluded, the hydrogen purification device 396 may include one or more components of other hydrogen purification devices and / or purification regions described in this disclosure.

[0079] Hydrogen purification device 396 is similar in many respects to hydrogen purification device 196, but has a different shaped frame, no support members, a different sized foil microscreen assembly, and fewer gasket frames, as described further below. Components or parts of hydrogen purification device 396 correspond to components or parts of hydrogen purification device 196 and are labeled with similar reference numbers in FIG. 15 with the general designation "3XX" instead of "1XX" and "4XX" instead of "2XX." Thus, features 398, 400, 402, 404, 405, 406, 408, 424, 426, 434, 436, 438, 440, 460, 462, 464, etc. may be identical or substantially identical to their respective counterparts in hydrogen purification device 196, i.e., features 198, 200, 202, 204, 205, 206, 208, 224, 226, 234, 236, 238, 240, 260, 262, 264, etc.

[0080] The hydrogen purification device 396 may include a shell or enclosure 398 that may include a first end plate or end frame 400 and a second end plate or end frame 402. The first and second end plates may be configured to be secured and / or compressed together to define a sealed pressure vessel having an interior compartment 404 in which the hydrogen separation region is supported.

[0081] The hydrogen purification device 396 may also include at least one foil microscreen assembly 405, which may be disposed between and / or secured to the first and second end plates. The foil microscreen assembly may include at least one hydrogen-selective membrane 406 and at least one microscreen structure 408. One or more of the hydrogen-selective membranes may be metallurgically bonded to the microscreen structure 408. For example, one or more of the hydrogen-selective membranes 406 may be diffusion bonded to the microscreen structure to form a solid-state diffusion bond between the membrane and the microscreen structure. The foil microscreen assembly 405 is sized to fit into the open area of ​​the transmission frame and is therefore smaller in length and width compared to or relative to the foil microscreen assembly 205.

[0082] The hydrogen purification device 396 may also include a plurality of plates or frames 424 disposed between and secured to the first and / or second end frames. The frame 424 may include a peripheral shell 426. The peripheral shell may define an open area 430. Additionally, the peripheral shell 426 may include first and second opposing sides 434 and 436 and third and fourth opposing sides 438 and 440. Unlike the frame 224 of the hydrogen purification device 196, the frame 424 does not include any support members.

[0083] The frame 424 may include at least one feed frame 460, at least one transmission frame 462, and a number of gaskets or gasket frames 464. The feed frame 460 may be disposed between one of the first and second end frames and at least one foil microscreen assembly 405, or between two foil microscreen assemblies 405. The feed frame may include at least substantially similar components as the feed frame 260, such as a feed frame peripheral shell, a feed frame input conduit, a feed frame output conduit, and / or a feed frame open area.

[0084] The transmission frame 462 may be positioned such that at least one foil microscreen assembly is disposed between one of the first and second end frames and the transmission frame, or between two foil microscreen assemblies. The transmission frame may include at least substantially similar components as the transmission frame 262, such as a transmission frame peripheral shell, a transmission frame output conduit, a transmission frame open area, and / or a membrane support structure.

[0085] Frame 424 may also include a gasket or gasket frame 464. The gasket frame may include any suitable structure configured to provide a fluid-tight interface between other frames, such as between first and second end plates 400 and 402 and feed frame 460, and / or between feed frame 460 and foil microscreen assembly 405. Unlike hydrogen purification device 196, hydrogen purification device 396 does not include a gasket frame 464 between the foil microscreen assembly and the permeate frame 462. Similar to hydrogen purification device 196, the width of the feed frame and gasket frame is greater than the width of the permeate frame (or the open area of ​​the feed frame and gasket frame is less than the open area of ​​the permeate frame) such that the additional width covers the ends of the foil microscreen assembly (e.g., the additional width of the feed frame and gasket frame covers the ends of the foil microscreen assembly) to eliminate or minimize leakage from the feed side to the permeate side or from the permeate side to the feed side. In some embodiments, the additional width corresponds to the width of the peripheral (non-perforated) portion of the microscreen structure of the foil microscreen assembly. [Industrial Applicability]

[0086] The present disclosure, including hydrogen purification devices and components of those devices, is applicable to fuel processing and other industries in which hydrogen gas is purified, produced, and / or utilized.

[0087] The above disclosure encompasses multiple separate inventions with independent utility. Each of these inventions is disclosed in its preferred form, but the specific embodiments thereof disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense, as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the invention includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions, and / or properties disclosed herein. Similarly, when any claim recites "a" or "first" element or the equivalent, such claim should be understood to include the incorporation of one or more such elements, and neither require nor exclude two or more such elements.

[0088] Inventions embodied in various combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements, and / or properties may be claimed by presenting new claims in the related application, and such new claims, whether directed to different inventions or to the same invention, and whether of different, broader, narrower, or equal scope to the original claims, will also be deemed to fall within the scope of the inventive subject matter of this disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 20 Hydrogen Generation Assembly 21 Product Hydrogen Stream 22 Raw Material Delivery System 24 Fuel Processing Assembly 26 Supply Stream 28 Fuel Stream 30 Hydrogen generation fluid 32 Hydrogen Generation Area 34 Output stream, output (or mixed gas) stream, output stream (or mixed gas stream) 36 Steam reforming catalyst 38 Air Delivery Assembly 40 Purification (or separation) area, purification area, hydrogen purification device 42 Hydrogen-rich stream 44 By-Product Streams 46 Hydrogen-selective membrane, membrane 48 Chemical carbon monoxide removal assembly, chemical removal assembly 50 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) System, PSA System 52 Heating Assembly 54 Heated exhaust stream (or combustion stream), heated exhaust stream, high temperature combustion stream 58 Ignition devices or sources of ignition 60 Burner Assembly 62 Air Stream 64 Vaporization Area 66 Shell or housing, shell 68 Insulation Materials 70 Outer cover or jacket 72 Hydrogen Generation Assembly 74 Raw Material Delivery System 76 Vaporization Area 78 Hydrogen Generation Area 80 Heating Assembly 82 Purification area 84 Raw material tank (or container) 86 Pump 88 Hydrogen generation fluid 90 Liquid-containing feed stream 92 Carburetor 94 Steam Feed Stream 96 Output stream, output or mixed gas stream 97 Steam Reforming Area 98 Reforming catalyst 99 Heated Exhaust Stream 100 Burner Assembly 102 Blower 104 Igniter Assembly 106 Air Stream 108 Fuel Stream, By-Product or Fuel Stream 110 Combustion Zone 111 Flow restriction orifice 112 Hydrogen-rich stream, permeate or hydrogen-rich stream 114 Filter Assembly 116 Membrane Assembly 118 Methanation Reactor Assembly 120 Shell or housing, shell 122 Exhaust port 124 Combustion Exhaust Stream 126 Control systems, control assemblies 128 Control Assembly 130 Valve 132 Pressure relief valve 134 Temperature measuring devices 136 Heat Exchange Assembly 138 Heat exchanger 144 Hydrogen Purification Device 146 Hydrogen Separation Region 148 Enclosure 149 Main Body 150 Internal volume 152 Inner circumference 154 First Part 156 Second Part 158 Retention Mechanism or Structure 160 Mixed Gas Region 162 Transparent area 164 input ports 166 Fluid Stream, Stream 168 Mixed Gas Streams 170 Hydrogen Gas 172 Other gases 174 Product output port 176 Transparent Stream, Stream 178 Sweep gas stream, stream 180 Swept gas port 182 By-product output port 184 By-product Stream, Stream 186 Hydrogen-selective membrane 188 First or mixed gas surface, surface 190 Second or transparent surface 192 Hydrogen Selective Assembly 194 Membrane Assembly 196 Hydrogen Purification Device 198 Shell or Enclosure 200 First end plate or end frame 202 Second end plate or end frame 204 Inner Compartment 205 Foil Microscreen Assembly 206 Hydrogen-selective membrane 208 Microscreen Structure 210 Supply Side 212 Transmission side 213 Non-porous flat sheet, flat sheet 214 Surface 215 Surface 216 Aperture 217 Fluid passage 218 perforated area (or part), perforated area 219 non-porous area (or part), non-porous area 220 Surrounding area (or part) 221 Boundary area (or part) 222 Surrounding area 223 Longitudinal axis 224 Plates or frames, frames 225 Longitudinal axis 226 Surrounding Shell 228 First support member 230 open area 232 Frame Plane 234 First Opposite Side 236 Second Opposite Side 238 Third opposing side, third side 240 Third opposing side, fourth side 242 First Part 244 First Support Plane 246 Second Support Member 248 Third Support Member 250 Second Part 252 Third Part 254 Second Support Plane 256 Third Support Plane 258 Protrusion or finger, protrusion 260 Supply Frame 262 Transparent Frame 264 Gasket or Gasket Frame 266 Supply Frame Surrounding Shell 268 Supply Frame Input Conduit 270 Supply Frame Output Duct 272 Supply Frame Opening Area 274 Supply frame support member 276 Second supply frame support member 278 Third supply frame support member 396 Hydrogen Purification Device 398 Shell or Enclosure 400 First end plate or end frame, first end plate 402 Second end plate or end frame, second end plate 404 Inner compartment 405 Foil Microscreen Assembly 406 Hydrogen-selective membrane 408 Microscreen Structure 424 Plates or frames, frames 430 Open area 434 First Opposite Side 436 Second Opposite Side 438 Third Opposite Side 440 Fourth Opposite Side 460 Supply Frame 462 Transparent Frame 464 Gasket or gasket frame, gasket frame

Claims

1. First and second end frames, an input port configured to receive a mixed gas stream including hydrogen gas and other gases; an output port configured to receive a permeate stream comprising a higher concentration of hydrogen gas than the mixed gas stream and at least one of the other gases at a lower concentration than the mixed gas stream; a by-product port configured to receive a by-product stream comprising at least a substantial portion of the other gas; a first and second end frame including: at least one foil microscreen assembly disposed between and secured to the first end frame and the second end frame, the at least one foil microscreen assembly comprising: at least one hydrogen-selective membrane having a feed side and a permeate side, wherein at least a portion of said permeate stream is formed from a portion of said mixed gas stream passing from said feed side to said permeate side, and a remaining portion of said mixed gas stream remaining on said feed side forms at least a portion of said by-product stream; at least one microscreen structure including a non-porous planar sheet having a plurality of apertures forming a plurality of fluid passageways, each aperture of the plurality of apertures having a length defining a longitudinal axis, the plurality of apertures being arranged on the non-porous planar sheet in a plurality of rows such that the longitudinal axes of the apertures of the plurality of apertures in each row of a plurality of rows are (1) parallel to one another, and (2) non-parallel to the longitudinal axes of the apertures of the plurality of apertures in adjacent rows of the plurality of rows, and (3) oriented at an angle relative to the longitudinal axes of the apertures of the plurality of apertures in adjacent rows of the plurality of rows, the non-porous planar sheet including generally opposing planar surfaces configured to provide support for the permeate side, the plurality of fluid passageways extending between the opposing surfaces, and the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane being metallurgically bonded to the at least one microscreen structure; At least one foil microscreen assembly comprising: a plurality of frames disposed between the first and second end frames and the at least one foil microscreen assembly and secured to the first and second end frames, each frame of the plurality of frames including a peripheral shell defining an open area; A hydrogen purification device comprising:

2. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the non-porous planar sheet includes two or more separate portions having the plurality of apertures, each separate portion of the two or more separate portions being separated from an adjacent separate portion of the two or more separate portions by at least one boundary portion that is free of the plurality of apertures.

3. 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane comprises two or more hydrogen-selective membranes, different ones of the two or more hydrogen-selective membranes being metallurgically bonded to each distinct portion of the two or more distinct portions.

4. 4. The device of claim 3, wherein each hydrogen-selective membrane of the two or more hydrogen-selective membranes is sized larger than a corresponding discrete portion such that a peripheral portion of the hydrogen-selective membrane contacts one or more portions of the non-porous planar sheet that do not include the plurality of apertures.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane is diffusion bonded to the at least one microscreen structure.

6. First and second end frames, an input port configured to receive a mixed gas stream including hydrogen gas and other gases; an output port configured to receive a permeate stream comprising a higher concentration of hydrogen gas than the mixed gas stream and at least one of the other gases at a lower concentration than the mixed gas stream; a by-product port configured to receive a by-product stream including at least a substantial portion of the other gas; a first and second end frame including: at least one foil microscreen assembly disposed between and secured to the first end frame and the second end frame, the at least one foil microscreen assembly comprising: at least one hydrogen-selective membrane having a feed side and a permeate side, wherein at least a portion of said permeate stream is formed from a portion of said mixed gas stream passing from said feed side to said permeate side, and a remaining portion of said mixed gas stream remaining on said feed side forms at least a portion of said by-product stream; at least one microscreen structure including a non-porous planar sheet having a plurality of stadium-shaped apertures forming a plurality of fluid passageways, each aperture of the plurality of stadium-shaped apertures having a length greater than or equal to 10 times a radius of the aperture, the planar sheet including generally opposing planar surfaces configured to provide support for the permeate side, the plurality of fluid passageways extending between the opposing surfaces, and the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane metallurgically bonded to the at least one microscreen structure; At least one foil microscreen assembly comprising: a plurality of frames disposed between the first and second end frames and the at least one foil microscreen assembly and secured to the first and second end frames, each frame of the plurality of frames including a peripheral shell defining an open area; Equipped with 1. A hydrogen purification device comprising: a non-porous planar sheet having a length and a width; a plurality of stadium-shaped apertures disposed along a substantial portion of the length and along a substantial portion of the width of the non-porous planar sheet; and each aperture of the plurality of stadium-shaped apertures having a length that is at least 25% of the width of the non-porous planar sheet.

7. 7. The device of claim 6, wherein the non-porous planar sheet includes a length and a width, and the plurality of stadium-shaped apertures are disposed along a substantial portion of the length and a substantial portion of the width of the non-porous planar sheet.

8. 8. The device of claim 7, wherein one or more of said plurality of stadium-shaped apertures has a length that is a substantial portion of said width of said non-porous planar sheet.

9. 7. The device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of stadium-shaped apertures are arranged on the non-porous planar sheet in the plurality of rows such that (1) longitudinal axes of the stadium-shaped apertures of the plurality of stadium-shaped apertures in each row of the plurality of rows are parallel to one another and to stadium-shaped apertures of the plurality of stadium-shaped apertures in adjacent rows of the plurality of rows, and (2) a length of each stadium-shaped aperture in each row of the plurality of rows is different from a length of one or more stadium-shaped apertures in adjacent rows of the plurality of rows.

10. 7. The device of claim 6, wherein the non-porous planar sheet includes two or more separate portions having the plurality of stadium-shaped apertures, each separate portion of the two or more separate portions being separated from an adjacent separate portion of the two or more separate portions by at least one boundary portion that is free of the plurality of stadium-shaped apertures.

11. 11. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane comprises two or more hydrogen-selective membranes, different ones of the two or more hydrogen-selective membranes being metallurgically bonded to each distinct portion of the two or more distinct portions.

12. 12. The device of claim 11 , wherein each hydrogen-selective membrane of the two or more hydrogen-selective membranes is sized larger than a corresponding discrete portion such that a peripheral portion of the hydrogen-selective membrane contacts one or more portions of the non-porous planar sheet that do not include the plurality of stadium-shaped apertures.

13. The device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane is diffusion bonded to the at least one microscreen structure.

14. at least one hydrogen-selective membrane having a feed side and a permeate side, the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane configured to receive a mixed gas stream, form a permeate stream from a portion of the mixed gas stream passing from the feed side to the permeate side, and form a by-product stream from a remaining portion of the mixed gas stream remaining in the feed side; at least one microscreen structure including a non-porous planar sheet having a plurality of apertures forming a plurality of fluid passageways, each aperture of the plurality of apertures having a length defining a longitudinal axis, the plurality of apertures being arranged on the non-porous planar sheet in a plurality of rows such that the longitudinal axes of the apertures of the plurality of apertures in each row of a plurality of rows are (1) parallel to one another, and (2) non-parallel to the longitudinal axes of the apertures of the plurality of apertures in adjacent rows of the plurality of rows, and (3) oriented at an angle relative to the longitudinal axes of the apertures of the plurality of apertures in adjacent rows of the plurality of rows, the non-porous planar sheet including generally opposing planar surfaces configured to provide support for the permeate side, the plurality of fluid passageways extending between the opposing surfaces, and the permeate side of the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane being metallurgically bonded to the at least one microscreen structure; 1. A foil microscreen assembly comprising:

15. 15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the non-porous planar sheet includes two or more separate portions having the plurality of apertures, each separate portion of the two or more separate portions being separated from an adjacent separate portion of the two or more separate portions by at least one boundary portion that is free of the plurality of apertures.

16. 16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane comprises two or more hydrogen-selective membranes, different ones of the two or more hydrogen-selective membranes being metallurgically bonded to each separate portion of the two or more separate portions.

17. 17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein each hydrogen-selective membrane of the two or more hydrogen-selective membranes is sized larger than a corresponding discrete portion such that a peripheral portion of the hydrogen-selective membrane contacts one or more portions of the non-porous planar sheet that do not include a plurality of stadium-shaped apertures.

18. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane is diffusion bonded to the at least one microscreen structure.

19. at least one hydrogen-selective membrane having a feed side and a permeate side, the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane configured to receive a mixed gas stream, form a permeate stream from a portion of the mixed gas stream passing from the feed side to the permeate side, and form a by-product stream from a remaining portion of the mixed gas stream remaining in the feed side; at least one microscreen structure including a non-porous planar sheet having a plurality of stadium-shaped apertures forming a plurality of fluid passageways, each aperture of the plurality of stadium-shaped apertures having a length greater than or equal to 10 times a radius of the aperture, the planar sheet including generally opposing planar surfaces configured to provide support for the permeate side, the plurality of fluid passageways extending between the opposing surfaces, and the permeate side of the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane being metallurgically bonded to the at least one microscreen structure; Equipped with A foil microscreen assembly, wherein the non-porous planar sheet has a length and a width, the plurality of stadium-shaped apertures are disposed along a substantial portion of the length and along a substantial portion of the width of the non-porous planar sheet, and each aperture of the plurality of stadium-shaped apertures has a length that is at least 25% of the width of the non-porous planar sheet.

20. 20. The assembly of claim 19, wherein said non-porous planar sheet includes two or more separate portions having said plurality of stadium-shaped apertures, each separate portion of said two or more separate portions being separated from an adjacent separate portion of said two or more separate portions by at least one boundary portion that is free of said plurality of apertures.

21. 21. The assembly of claim 20, wherein the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane comprises two or more hydrogen-selective membranes, different ones of the two or more hydrogen-selective membranes being metallurgically bonded to each separate portion of the two or more separate portions.

22. 22. The assembly of claim 21 , wherein each hydrogen-selective membrane of the two or more hydrogen-selective membranes is sized larger than a corresponding discrete portion such that a peripheral portion of the hydrogen-selective membrane contacts one or more portions of the non-porous planar sheet that do not include the plurality of apertures.

23. 20. The assembly of claim 19, wherein the at least one hydrogen-selective membrane is diffusion bonded to the at least one microscreen structure.

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