PORTABLE FUEL PROCESSOR APPARATUS AND ENCLOSURE AND METHOD OF INSTALLING SAME

摘要

A PORTABLE FUEL PROCESSING APPARATUS AND ENCLOSURE (110) INCLUDING AN ENCLOSURE HAVING AN OUTER WALL THAT DEFINES AN INTERIOR SPACE AND PROVIDES A GAS IMPERMEABLE BARRIER. ATTACHED TO THE ENCLOSURE IS PORTING MEANS FOR USE IN MOVING THE ENCLOSURE FROM ONE LOCATION TO ANOTHER. A FUEL REFORMER (115) CAPABLE OF PROVIDING SUFFICIENT HYDROGEN-RICH REFONNATE TO A FUEL CELL STACK FOR USE IN GENERATING AT LEAST ABOUT 1 KW PER HOUR IS DISPOSED WITHIN THE ENCLOSURE. AN OPTIONAL GAS DETECTION SYSTEM INCLUDES A SENSOR (180) DISPOSED WITHIN THE ENCLOSURE TO MONITOR THE INTERIOR OF THE ENCLOSURE FOR PRESENCE OF COMBUSTIBLE GASES. THE PORTABLE APPARATUS CAN HAVE A NUMBER OF CONNECTORS FOR CONNECTING THE ENCLOSURE AND THE FUEL PROCESSING SYSTEMS TO A SOURCE OF A REFORMER FUEL AND WATER AS WELL AS A DOMESTIC DRAIN. PREFERRED SOURCES OF FUEL AND WATER ARE COMMON UTILITY LINES AVAILABLE IN BUILDINGS. ADDITIONAL CONNECTORS CAN BE PROVIDED TO COUPLE THE FUEL PROCESSOR WITH A FUEL CELL, FOR USED IN DELIVERING A REFONNATE STREAM, AIR STREAM AND CIRCULATING COOLING MEDIUM TO A FUEL CELL AND FOR RETURNING A FUEL CELL EXHAUST STREAM TO THE ENCLOSURE. MOREOVER, THE PORTABLE FUEL PROCESSING APPARATUS AND ENCLOSURE CAN FURTHER INCLUDE CONNECTORS FOR ESTABLISHING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS WITH A REMOTE PROCESS CONTROL UNIT (175). A METHOD OF INSTALLING THE PORTABLE FUEL PROCESSING APPARATUS IS ALSO PROVIDED.