Reformer including catalyst in an inlet plenum

1. A reformer, comprising:

a housing including an inlet and an outlet;

a reforming section in the housing;

an inlet plenum in the housing between the inlet and the reforming section, the inlet plenum including a mesh container; and

a catalyst situated in the mesh container in the inlet plenum where a source fluid passing through the inlet plenum will be exposed to the catalyst prior to entering the reforming section.

2. The reformer of claim 1 , wherein the mesh container comprises a tube of mesh material.

3. The reformer of claim 2 , wherein the tube comprises a cylinder having coaxial inner and outer mesh walls and the catalyst is situated between the inner and outer mesh walls.

4. The reformer of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises a pre-reformer catalyst.

5. The reformer of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises nickel.

6. A method of reforming a source fluid, the method comprising:

directing the source fluid through an inlet plenum of a reformer;

exposing at least some of the source fluid to a catalyst in the inlet plenum; and

reforming the exposed source fluid after it exits the inlet plenum,

wherein, the catalyst in the inlet plenum is situated in a mesh container and exposing the source fluid to the catalyst comprises directing the source fluid into contact with the mesh container.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein, the catalyst comprises a pre-reformer catalyst.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein, the catalyst comprises nickel.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein, exposing the source fluid to the catalyst comprises directing the source fluid at least partially through the mesh container.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the source fluid comprises a hydrocarbon.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the source fluid comprises at least one of natural gas, pure methane, ethane, propane or liquefied petroleum gas.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the source fluid comprises natural gas.