Review of small stationary reformers for hydrogen production. Development of a methanol fuelled reformer for fuel cell applications. Hydrogen production for fuel cells via reformation of coal. Dynamic modeling and control analysis of a methanol. Direct methanol fuel cells or dmfcs are a subcategory of protonexchange fuel cells in which methanol is used as the fuel. The blue world technologies fuel cell system is fuelled by methanol which is simple and costeffective. Performance enhancement by optimizing the reformer for an internal. John bogild hansen haldor topsoe methanol workshop, lund university march 17, 2015. Reforming lowcost natural gas can provide hydrogen today for fuel cell electric vehicles fcevs as well as other applications. Autothermal methanol reforming for hydrogen production in. Reformed methanol fuel cell last updated february 03, 2020 block diagram of a reformed methanol fuel cell.
Steam reforming of methanol for fuel cell grade hydrogen. Reformer natural gas fuel reformer distillation tower methanol convertor 2. Air, water and methanol are preheated at the desired reformer temperature levels by utilizing the thermal content of the burner effluent hxa, hx b. Future directions demonstrate and characterize operation of a hydrogen fuel cell fed by coalderived methanol. Hydrogen production for fuel cells via reforming of coal.
Methanol steam reformer high temperature pem fuel cell. Irmfc, where the methanol gets reformed by a catalyst incorporated into the anode. Demonstrated hydrogen production from steam reforming and autothermal reforming of coalderived methanol. Strategies for optimizing a methanol reformer for fuel cell.
Due to the relatively low reforming temperature of methanol, the use of a methanol reformer in combination with an htpem fuel cell leads to several benefits. Methanol reforming systems combined with htpem fuel. Reformers for the production of hydrogen from methanol and. Pdf internal reforming methanol fuel cell irmfc has potential applications in portable or stationary power supply system, but currently. A timedependent model based on detailed reaction kinetics from the literature is developed to. Meanwhile, compared to other feedstocks, methanol exploitation shows various advantages as a hydrogen carrier for fuel cell applications and, namely, it can be produced from renewable sources and the reforming reaction occurs at relatively low temperatures, ca. The basic idea for vehicle onboard reforming is that for example a methanol tank and a steam reforming unit would replace the bulky pressurized hydrogen tanks that. A hybrid phosphorusacid fuel cell system incorporated. Characterization and modeling of a methanol reforming fuel cell system. There are processes in use and undergoing development to combat this bottleneck in fuel cell producibility.
The application of methanol reforming process for fuel cell in automobile purpose and electronic application has been mainly focused. Fuel cells science and technology 2002, scientific advances in fuel cell systems, amsterdam, 2526 september, 2002. Hydrogen, which is the fuel for the cell, is produced in a ceramic microreactor via the catalytic reaction of methanol steam reforming. Internal fuel reforming fuel flexibility batteryfuel cell integratiom component requirements power density comparable with hydrogen fuel cells combining electrocatalysis and fuel reforming catalysis working below 550 c with no coking issues non or extremely low pt catalysts adaptable to different liquid fuels 7. Catalytic processes for clean hydrogen production from hydrocarbons pdf.
For automotive power applications, cost constraints proved the indirect system superior to the direct methanol system. Comparison of efficiency between systems with a high temperature ht pemfc stack and a classical, lowtemperature lt pemfc stack has been made. A novel palladiumbased catalyst has been developed for use in a miniature fuel cell power source for portable applications, incorporating a polymer electrolyte membrane pem fuel cell. The goal was to provide a forum for fuel cell companies, mobile network operators, cell site leasing companies, engineering firms, government entities, and others. In situ hydrogen utilization in an internal reforming methanol fuel cell. Micromachined methanol steam reforming system as a hydrogen supplier for portable proton exchange membrane fuel cells daeeun parka.
A bench station has been developed in order to accommodate all the inherent steam reforming equipment. Gas chromatography of reformate via autothermal reforming, 4. Micromachined methanol steam reforming system as a hydrogen. Study on a compact methanol reformer for a miniature fuel cell article in fuel and energy abstracts 361. This is because methane and methanol stored at liquid state. Studies show that the composition of the reformatted gas can cause a highly degrading e. Methanol reformer is a plug flow reactor packed bed structure that operates at. Oxidative steam reforming of methanol osrm process is employed in this system in cooperated with a high efficient evaporator, and the reacted gas is sent into a phosphorusacid fuel cell pafc for direct power generation after surplus methanol water filtration. Karakterisering og modellering af en methanol reformering fuel cell system.
Methanol steam reforming, hydrogen production, znoal 2o 3 catalyst, napromotion, activity 1. Methanol is a highdensity liquid fuel and has the potential to replace fossil oil by taking advantage of the existing liquid fuel infrastructure. Hydrogen obtained by methanol reforming in current processes always contains more than 100 ppm co, a poison for pem fuel cell catalysts operating below 100 c. Jul, 2019 significant investigations aimed at further improving methanol reforming to hydrogen, whether focused on onboard or stationary applications, are under way. Rmfc systems offer advantages over direct methanol fuel cell dmfc systems including higher efficiency, smaller cell stacks, no water management, better operation at low. Micromachined methanol steam reforming system as a. Waste heat from fuel cell drives the reforming process. Nov 27, 2012 the increase in co content will decrease the production of h 2 and co 2 from the steam reforming of methanol and act as a poison to the downstream fuel cell catalysts.
Reformed methanol fuel cell rmfc or indirect methanol fuel cell imfc systems are a subcategory of protonexchange fuel cells where, the fuel, methanol ch 3 oh, is reformed, before being fed into the fuel cell. Introduction as electronic devices become smaller and more complex, hydrogenfed compact fuel cell systems become a feasible solution for the resulting power requirements, replacing current liion batteries. Methanol steam reforming for hydrogen production chemical. The reforming of methanol requires temperatures of 2000c or higher, while the reforming of ethanol or hydrocarbons requires temperatures 4500c. The increase in co content will decrease the production of h 2 and co 2 from the steam reforming of methanol and act as a poison to the downstream fuel cell catalysts. Steam reforming of methanol over a cuoznoal2o3 catalyst.
These techniques include steam reforming, partial oxidation, and autothermal reforming. Glaskowsky runs the numbers on a new fuelcell power supply from idatech. Methanol can be an efficient substitute for gasoline or converted to dme alternative to diesel. Besides the mediumlow operating temperature make them suitable for. Over the long term, doe expects that hydrogen production from natural gas will be augmented with production from renewable, nuclear, coal with carbon capture and storage, and other lowcarbon, domestic energy resources. Idatechs fuel cell products utilize advanced proton exchange membrane pem technology and proprietary liquid fuel reforming for generating h2 onsite and on demand the company offers 250w, 3kw and 5kw fuel cell products that provide solutions for stationary power applications requiring 100w. In situ hydrogen utilization in an internal reforming methanol fuel cell article in international journal of hydrogen energy 3931. This progress report is the sixth report submitted to the doe reporting on the status and progress made during the course of the project. Dynamic modeling and control issues on a methanol reforming. Methanol reforming systems combined with htpem fuel cell and. Internal reforming methanol fuel cell irmfc mainly comprises. Many thanks to all the members of our steam reforming and fuel cells. In this work, the methanol steam reforming catalyst was considered into the anodic compartment of a high temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell htpemfc, where reforming and electrochemical. Reformed methanol fuel cell rmfc or indirect methanol fuel cell imfc systems are a.
There is also interest in the development of much smaller units based on similar technology to produce hydrogen as a feedstock for fuel cells. Methanol reformed to hydrogen gas before being fed into fuel cell. Technical advances improve the potential for a fuel cell. Study on a compact methanol reformer for a miniature fuel. Direct methanol fuel cells technological advances and further requirements by m. Methanol steam reforming has been characterized using different catalyst formulas and reformers, in order to provide fuel cell grade hydrogen. Characterization and modeling of a methanol reforming fuel. It must offer significant benefits, as it has not only inspired the development of a type of fuel cell dedicated to its use the direct methanol fuel cell dmfc but is also becoming increasingly popular as a source of hydrogen for systems based on proton exchange membrane fuel cells pemfc.
Smallscale steam reforming units to supply fuel cells are currently the subject of research and development, typically involving the reforming of methanol, but other fuels are also being considered such. Fuel cells use hydrogen as a fuel to produce clean and efficient electricity that can power cars, trucks, buses, ships, cell phone towers, homes and businesses. Pdf miniaturized methanol reformer for fuel cell powered. In this paper, a phosphoric acid fuel cell integrated with reformer and evaporator is demonstrated. A process design of aer in conjunction with proton exchange membrane fuel cell pemfc is conducted using honeywell unisims design software. Methanol steam reforming over nadoped znoal2o3 catalysts. Operation with methanol fuel with no gas cleanup needed. Pdf in situ hydrogen utilization in an internal reforming. The methanol fuel cell market for mobile applications is also growing. Methanol fuel used in vehicles methanol energy specification. Modeling a novel combined solid oxide electrolysis cell. Hards johnson matthey technology centre the direct methanol fuel cell dmfc has been considered as the ideal fuel cell system since it produces electric power by the direct conversion of the methanol fuel at the fuel cell anode.
Methanol seems to be one of the most suitable candidates for onboard hydrogen production. Reformed methanol fuel cell wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Higher efficiency, smaller cell stacks, better operationstorage at low temps. Tia fuel cell focus group tia created an exploratory focus group on fuel cell standards for wireless and information and communication technology ict infrastructure in 20. Reformed methanol is not a possibility due to purity requirements of which reason almost all ltpemfc. One of the setbacks to the mass production and use of fuel cells as a source of power is that hydrogen is not widely available to use as fuel.
Methanol steam reforming for hydrogen generation via. In situ hydrogen utilization in an internal reforming. Methanol reforming typically takes place at 220300 degrees celsius and is an endothermic process, meaning that we need to add thermal energy to drive the process. Direct methanol fuel cells dmfc a fair amount of research is conducted in direct methanol fuel cells dmfc, which are characterised by reforming the methanol directly on the anode surface through the use of a suitable catalyst ptru c. Steam reforming of gaseous hydrocarbons is seen as a potential way to provide fuel for fuel cells. In fuel cells, methanol can be used either directly in direct methanol fuel cells dmfc or indirectly via methanol steam reforming into hydrogenrich gas mixture in ht pemfcs.
A direct methanol fuel cell offers a number of advantages, including. To overcome this, several maritime fuel cell studies have considered onboard reforming of methane and methanol to hydrogen, although the applied fuel cell types are di erent 5,1220. Their main advantage is the ease of transport of methanol, an energydense yet reasonably stable liquid at all environmental conditions. Methanol and fuel cells fuel cell today, the leading. Gernand and yildiz bayazitoglu mechanical engineering and materials science department, rice university, houston, texas, usa a spiral microchannel methanol reformer has been developed to provide power in conjunction with a micro fuel cell for a portable, lowpower. Methanol steam reforming for fuel cell applications. A reforming unit can reform the hydrocarbons into reformat gas containing h2, co, co2 and h2o. Crosslinked advent tps meas employed for fuel cell. Fuel cell can be operated efficiently by onboard hydrogen production. Pdf methanol steam reforming for hydrogen production. Review of small stationary reformers for hydrogen production dr.
Pdf hydrogen production from steammethanol reforming. Methanol is an excellent hydrogen carrier fuel, packing more hydrogen in this simple alcohol molecule than can be found in liquified hydrogen. Although fuel cell reformers are typically designed to produce a. Methanol also enables existing infrastructure and logistics systems to be reused during methanol storage, transportation. Worlds largest methanol fuel cell factory production of core materials, key components, fuel cell stack 750 mw capacity 50,000 units per year production ready 2020. Fuel cell powered electric cars using onboard methanol reforming to produce a hydrogenrich gas represent a lowemissions alternative to gasoline internal combustion engines ice. Reformed fuel cells indirect fuel cells reformed fuel cells are hybrid systems in which a hydrocarbon fuel is first reformed or processed to remove hydrogen, which is then injected into the fuel cell. The thermodynamic equilibrium gas compositions have been calculated for typical cases related to the use of methanol reformers in connection with fuel cells. So that was that for methanol and fuel cell vehicles or was it. Quantified the differences between coalderived and fuel cell grade methanol.
Dynamic modeling and control issues on a methanol reforming unit for hydrogen production and use in a pem fuel cell dimitris ipsakis1,2, spyros voutetakis1, panos seferlis3, simira papadopoulou1,4 1chemical process engineering research institute c. Methanol reformer design considerations hansen major. Jan 01, 2008 methanol fuel cells how costefficient are they. This is in contrast to direct fuel cells where the hydrocarbon fuel is injected directly in to the fuel cell. This report covers the time period of january 1 march 31, 2005. Hydrogen for fuel cells from methanol reforming methanol. Nonsyngas direct steam reforming of methanol to hydrogen. Eliminating the requirement for fuel reforming andor onboard hydrogen storage. The methanol fuel cell system is based on hightemperature pem technology and methanol to hydrogen reforming. Fuel cells are the best tool for the efficient and clean use of hydrogen energy, and related technologies. He has worked on miniature power supplies using a fuel processor and fuel cell, heterogeneous catalyst development, steam reforming, semiconductor processing, pem fuel cells, and battery fabricationtesting.
Pdf synergetic integration of a methanol steam reforming. An internal reforming methanol fuel cell irmfc stack poses a highly potential technological challenge for high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane. As dmfc do not need any reforming of methanol, there are no losses in the reformer. His work involves process intensification and microchannel reactors for energy production. Spiral methanol to hydrogen microreformer for fuel cell. A simpler system design, with the potential for lowvolume, lightweight packaging. For the proton exchange membrane fuel cell operating temperature,80c and the phosphoric acid fuel cell operating temperature 1900c, this fuel. Commercial breakthrough of advanced fuel cells cobra ii.
Reformed methanol fuel cells enabling the methanol vision. Idatech briefing for htac doe hydrogen and fuel cells. Easy to transport, energydensestable low efficiency good for portable power waste. However, with a welltowheel efficiency of 22%, the indirect methanol system was inferior to direct hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Fuel cell testing with reformate via steam reforming, 5. Serenergy was established in 2006 as a specialist designer and manufacturer of hightemperature pemfc integrated with methanol reforming. Technological aspects of an auxiliary power unit with internal. Spiral methanol to hydrogen micro reformer for fuel cell applications jeremy m. The fuel cell control unit governs the fuel cell system as well as communicates with the vehicle. A methanol reformer is a device used in chemical engineering, especially in the area of fuel cell technology, which can produce pure hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide by reacting a methanol and water steam mixture. Improving and understanding direct methanol fuel cell dmfc.