Appeal No. 2002-0249
Application No. 09/321,390
a) a monolithic open cell foam catalyst bed, said catalyst
bed including an inlet end and an outlet end, an inlet portion of
said catalyst bed being provided with a catalyst which is
operable to combust a portion of the fuel gas so as to raise the
temperature of said catalyst bed while inhibiting carbon
deposition in catalyzed cells of said foam;
b) a fuel gas inlet passage, said fuel gas inlet passage
being disposed in heat exchange relationship with a processed
fuel gas stream disposed in an outlet passage from said catalyst
bed whereby heat will be transferred to said fuel gas inlet
passage from the processed fuel gas stream;
c) an air inlet passage, said air inlet passage being
disposed in heat exchange relationship with the processed fuel
gas stream whereby heat from the processed fuel gas stream will
be transferred to said air inlet passage; and
d) a fuel gas reforming catalyst deposited in said foam
catalyst bed.
13. The autothermal reformer assembly of claim 1 wherein
said foam catalyst bed includes a metal support selected from the
group consisting of stainless steel, nickel alloys and iron-
aluminum alloys.
19. A hydrocarbon fuel gas autothermal reformer assembly
comprising:
a) a cylindrical monolithic open cell foam catalyst bed,
said catalyst bed including an inlet end and an outlet end;
b) a fuel gas/steam mixture inlet passage; and
c) a fuel gas reforming catalyst deposited in said
cylindrical foam catalyst bed.
22. A hydrocarbon fuel gas autothermal reformer assembly
comprising a monolithic open cell foam catalyst bed, said
catalyst bed including an inlet end and an outlet end, an inlet
portion of said catalyst bed being provided with a noble metal-
promoted catalyst which is operable to combust a portion of the
fuel gas at a temperature of about 500oF thereby enabling start
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