Patent 8992642 was granted and assigned to Prototech Limited on March, 2015 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
An integrated reformer and combustion apparatus for use in a fuel cell system comprises at least one reformer plate (3) at which in use a reforming reaction can take place and at least one combustion plate (1) at which in use a combustion reaction can take place. The plates are arranged in a stack such that the reformer plates (3) and combustion plates (1) are interspersed. The apparatus is arranged such that in use a reforming reaction and a combustion reaction can take place simultaneously, the combustion reaction providing heat for the reforming reaction. A further fluid circuit (19, 29) may be provided in thermal communication with at least one of the reformer unit and the combustion unit so as to allow the temperature of that unit to be controlled.