This work was part of an effort to develop on-board fuel processing for automotive fuel cell systems. For efficient, low-temperature fuel cells, hydrogen fuel or hydrogen rich reformate is required. While hydrogen storage on-board would provide operational simplicity, storing a sufficient quantity of hydrogen within the constraints of an automobile is problematic. The energy storage density and handling of a liquid fuel are much preferred. However, to meet customary automotive requirements, it is imperative that vehicles have a short start time, and reducing the start-time of a fuel processor for use with automotive fuel cell systems is aimed at. A fuel processor was constructed which incorporated two burners with direct steam generation by water injection into the burner exhaust. These burners with direct water vaporization enabled rapid fuel processor start-up for automotive fuel cell systems. The fuel processor consisted of a conventional chain of reactors: auto-thermal reformer, water gas shift reactor and preferential oxidation reactor. The criticality of steam to the fuel reforming process was illustrated. By utilizing direct vaporization of water, and hydrogen for catalyst light-off, excellent start performance was obtained with a start time of 20 s to 30 % power and 140 s to full power.
Fast starting fuel processor for automotive fuel cell systems
Schnell startender Brennstoffprozessor für Brennstoffzellensysteme in Automobilen
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy ; 30 , 9 ; 953-962
2005
10 Seiten, 11 Bilder, 2 Tabellen, 4 Quellen
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Englisch
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