Appeal 2007-4230
Application 09/984,339
Appellants’ invention is directed to a method of operating a steam
reforming plant including a mixture preparation stage, a reactor having a
reformer and a carbon monoxide oxidation stage, a control circuit having a
control unit, and a temperature sensor. A steam/hydrocarbon1 mixture is
prepared in the mixture preparation stage using a temperature of a product
gas leaving the carbon monoxide stage for setting the steam/ hydrocarbon
mixing ratio of the mixture generated in the mixture preparation stage to
counteract an aging-related shift in a temperature profile within the
reforming reactor. The plant can be a mobile plant used in combination with
fuel cell vehicles for the purposed of supplying hydrogen to the fuel cells
(Specification ¶ 0003). Claim 1 is illustrative and reproduced below:
1. A method for operating a plant for the steam reforming of
hydrocarbons, comprising:
providing a control circuit including a control unit, a mixture
preparation stage, a reactor having a reformer and a CO oxidation stage, and
a temperature sensor,
in the mixture-preparation stage, generating a steam/hydrocarbon
mixture from water and at least one hydrocarbon;
introducing the prepared steam/hydrocarbon mixture into the reformer
of the reforming reactor; and
counteracting an aging-related shift in a temperature profile within the
reforming reactor by setting a steam/hydrocarbon mixing ratio of the
steam/hydrocarbon mixture generated in the mixture-preparation stage as a
function of a temperature of a reformate gas stream emerging from the CO
oxidation stage of the reforming reactor.
1 The term “hydrocarbon” is used by Appellants in a manner that includes
methanol within the scope thereof (Specification ¶ 0002).
2
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