Processing of fuel gases, in particular for fuel cells and apparatus therefor

摘要

An apparatus for processing fuel gases, in particular for a fuel cell (12), includes primary (8) and secondary catalytic oxidation means for the oxidation of carbon monoxide in a reformed fuel gas flow. Small quantities of oxygen required for the secondary oxidation are provided by passing the oxygen through a first oxygen permeable membrane (22). The oxygen may be supplied as air, pure oxygen or an oxygenated solution. An oxygen fuel supply to the fuel cell may additionally be humidified by allowing water to pass from a water flow across a further membrane (21) into the oxygen supply. Oxygen passing across the further membrane (21) in the opposite sense to the water may serve to oxygenate the water for supplying to the first membrane (22).