Integrated catalyst-heat exchanger and method of oxidising carbon monoxide in a hydrogen reformer of a fuel cell system

摘要

A method of oxidizing carbon monoxide in a preferential oxidizer (10) for a hydrogen reformer of a fuel cell system, comprises: ```providing a heat exchange system (23) having a single integrated oxidation reaction region (31) in which an oxidation catalyst is disposed for oxidizing carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide; ```introducing a hydrogen-rich reformate to the heat exchange system, the hydrogen-rich reformate being at a predetermined temperature and having a first content of carbon monoxide; ```injecting oxygen to the hydrogen-rich reformate, the oxygen being at a predetermined stoichiometric oxygen/carbon monoxide ratio; ```oxidizing the carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide with the oxidation catalyst when the hydrogen-rich reformate and oxygen contact the single integrated oxidation reaction region so that the hydrogen-rich reformate has a second content of carbon monoxide less than the first content at the predetermined temperature; and ```maintaining the hydrogen-rich reformate at the predetermined temperature when the carbon monoxide is oxidized in the single integrated reaction region of the heat exchange system.