Alexis Smith

Author:

Alexis Smith

ISBN #:

0929335015

US Patent:

20040037758, Feb 26, 2004

Filed:

Jun 13, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/463763

Inventors:

Darryl Pollica - Medford MA, US
William Northrop - Ann Arbor MI, US
Chunming Qi - Lexington MA, US
Mark Hagan - New Haven CT, US
Alexis Smith - Berkeley CA, US
Lawrence Clawson - Dover MA, US

International Classification:

B01J008/00
F28D001/00

US Classification:

422/190000, 422/198000, 422/211000, 422/222000, 422/200000, 423/247000

Abstract:

According to the present invention, a temperature profile within a preferential oxidation reactor is controlled using a two phase water/steam system to provide a temperature range within the reactor () which favors the selective oxidation of CO in a hydrogen rich reformate stream. The reformate is flowed in a mixture with oxygen over a preferential oxidation catalyst (). The temperature profile is controlled by flowing a stream of water proximate to the preferential oxidation catalyst () so as the stream of water and the reformate stream passing over the catalyst () are in a heat transfer arrangement. The stream of water is maintained as a two phase stream from a point at which the water reaches its boiling temperature to a point proximate an outlet from which the stream of water exits the reactor ().