Annular Fuel Processor with Dewar Heat Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fuel cell technologies face challenges in using hydrogen as a portable fuel due to its low energy density and the burdensome storage and transportation requirements of liquid hydrogen, while existing fuel processors are not commercially available for portable applications and lack efficiency and size reduction.
Innovation Solution
A fuel processor design that includes a reformer with a catalyst and a burner, where the burner is configured to surround the reformer for enhanced thermal transfer, and a dewar that improves thermal management by pre-heating incoming gases or liquids, reducing heat loss, and recycling heat back into the burner, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing fuel consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the reformer chamber volume is increased to accommodate more catalyst, then hydrogen production efficiency is improved, but the overall fuel processor size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting by placing the burner chamber inside the reformer chamber, with the burner annularly surrounding the reformer. This nested configuration allows the burner to directly heat the reformer from the interior, maximizing thermal transfer efficiency while minimizing the overall footprint of the fuel processor. The catalyst is packed within the reformer chamber in a compact arrangement that optimizes hydrogen production within the constrained volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes three-dimensional space optimization by configuring the burner annularly around the reformer in a vertical arrangement. This spatial configuration allows heat to be applied from multiple directions simultaneously, increasing the effective heating surface area without proportionally increasing the overall volume. The catalyst is arranged in a packed bed configuration that maximizes surface area for reaction within the available chamber volume.
2Productivity
If the burner heats incoming process gases or liquids, then the reformer heating efficiency is improved, but heat is stolen from the reformer reducing overall thermal efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-heating incoming process gases and liquids in the dewar chamber using waste heat from the burner exhaust and reformer outer surfaces before they enter the main reaction zones. This pre-heating reduces the thermal load on the burner and reformer, improving overall thermal efficiency. The dewar chamber acts as a heat exchanger that captures and utilizes heat that would otherwise be lost to the environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts harmful heat losses into beneficial pre-heating by directing burner exhaust gases and reformer wall heat to warm incoming process streams in the dewar chamber. The heat that would normally escape through the fuel processor exterior is instead captured and utilized to pre-condition incoming materials, turning energy waste into a useful function that improves overall system efficiency.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the burner is configured to surround the reformer on multiple sides, then thermal transfer to the reformer is increased, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the burner and reformer into a single integrated chamber structure, with the burner annularly surrounding the reformer within the same vessel. This unified design eliminates the need for separate external heating elements and complex interconnections, reducing mechanical complexity while maintaining efficient thermal coupling. The catalyst packed bed in the reformer is directly heated by the burner flames from multiple directions through the shared chamber walls.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enhances hydrogen production efficiency, reduces fuel consumption, and improves thermal management, making it suitable for portable applications by increasing the amount of catalyst used and optimizing heat transfer within the fuel processor.
Implementation Method 1
The reformer includes a catalyst that facilitates the production of hydrogen from the fuel source
Implementation Method 2
The burner provides heat to the reformer. One or more burners may be configured to surround a reformer on multiple sides to increase thermal transfer to the reformer
Implementation Method 3
The dewar is arranged such that inlet process gases or liquids passing through the dewar chamber intercepts heat generated in the burner before the heat escapes the fuel processor
Implementation Method 4
Passing inlet process gases or liquids through a dewar chamber in this manner performs three functions: a) active cooling of dissipation of heat generated in burner
Implementation Method 5
A fuel cell electrochemically combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is a fuel processor that produces hydrogen from a fuel source. The fuel processor comprises a reformer and burner. The reformer includes a catalyst that facilitates the production of hydrogen from the fuel source. Voluminous reformer chamber designs are provided that increase the amount of catalyst that can be used in a reformer and increase hydrogen output for a given fuel processor size. The burner provides heat to the reformer. One or more burners may be configured to surround a reformer on multiple sides to increase thermal transfer to the reformer. Dewars are also described that increase thermal management of a fuel processor and increase burner efficiency. A dewar includes one or more dewar chambers that receive inlet air before a burner receives the air. The dewar is arranged such that air passing through the dewar chamber intercepts heat generated in the burner before the heat escapes the fuel processor.