AMMONIA-BASED HYDROGEN GENERATION APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR USING SAME

摘要

A hydrogen generation apparatus employs a thermocatalytic reactor (60) formed of a top plate (62), a bottom plate (66), and a reactor core (64) disposed between the top and bottom plates. The reactor core has a reaction surface (64a) and a combustion surface (64b), each surface having a raised periphery defining opposing ends (61a and 61b) and opposing sides (63a and 63b). The reaction surface (64a) and the top plate (62) together define a reaction chamber and the combustion surface (64b) and the bottom plate (66) together define a combustion chamber. The reaction core (64) has a first set of a plurality of spaced apart, substantially straight radiating fins (76a) extending from the reaction surface (64a) and a second set of a plurality of spaced apart, substantially straight radiating fins (76b) extending from the combustion surface (64b). The first set of fins (76a) defining a plurality of reaction channels (71), while the second set of fins (76b) defines a plurality of combustion channels (69) running parallel to the opposing sides (63a and 63b) and is spaced apart from the opposing ends (61a and 61b).