SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR SUPPLYING AUXILIARY FUEL STREAMS DURING INTERMITTENT BYPRODUCT DISCHARGE FROM PRESSURE SWING ADSORPTION ASSEMBLIES

摘要

PRESSURE SWING ADSORPTION (PSA) ASSEMBLIES AND HYDROGEN-PRODUCING FUEL PROCESSING ASSEMBLIES AND/OR FUEL CELL SYSTEMS INCLUDING THE SAME. THE PSA ASSEMBLIES INCLUDE, OR ARE UTILIZED WITH, COMBUSTION FUEL STREAM SUPPLY SYSTEMS THAT ARE ADAPTED TO REGULATE THE FLOW OF A BYPRODUCT STREAM (76) FROM THE PSA ASSEMBLY (73) FOR DELIVERY TO A HEATING ASSEMBLY (71) FOR USE AS A COMBUSTIBLE FUEL STREAM, SUCH AS TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST A HYDROGEN-PRODUCING REGION (70) OF THE FUEL PROCESSING SYSTEM (64) AT A HYDROGEN-PRODUCING TEMPERATURE OR RANGE OF TEMPERATURES. IN SOME EMBODIMENTS, THE COMBUSTION FUEL STREAM SUPPLY SYSTEM IS CONFIGURED TO ENSURE THAT THE SUPPLY OF COMBUSTIBLE FUEL FROM THE PSA ASSEMBLY (73) TO THE HEATING ASSEMBLY (71) CONTAINS AT LEAST A SUFFICIENT FUEL VALUE, SUCH AS TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST THE HYDROGEN-PRODUCING REGION (70) AT OR WITHIN A PREDETERMINED HYDROGEN-PRODUCING TEMPERATURE OR RANGE OF TEMPERATURES.