Miniature Fuel Processors for Portable Fuel Cell Power Supplies

Conference · Mon Jun 02 04:00:00 EDT 2003

OSTI ID:15004443

Holladay, Jamie D ^[1]; Jones, Evan O ^[1]; Palo, Daniel R ^[1]; Phelps, Max R ^[1]; Chin, Ya-Huei ^[2]; Dagle, Robert A ^[1]; Hu, Jianli ^[1]; Wang, Yong ^[1]; Baker, Eddie G ^[1]

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1. BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)
2. Cathy; BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)

Miniature and micro-scale fuel processors are discussed. The enabling technologies for these devices are the novel catalysts and the micro-technology-based designs. The novel catalyst allows for methanol reforming at high gas hourly space velocities of 50,000 hr-1 or higher, while maintaining a carbon monoxide levels at 1% or less. The micro-technology-based designs enable the devices to be extremely compact and lightweight. The miniature fuel processors can nominally provide between 25-50 watts equivalent of hydrogen which is ample for soldier or personal portable power supplies. The integrated processors have a volume less than 50 cm3, a mass less than 150 grams, and thermal efficiencies of up to 83%. With reasonable assumptions on fuel cell efficiencies, anode gas and water management, parasitic power loss, etc., the energy density was estimated at 1700 Whr/kg. The miniature processors have been demonstrated with a carbon monoxide clean-up method and a fuel cell stack. The micro-scale fuel processors have been designed to provide up to 0.3 watt equivalent of power with efficiencies over 20%. They have a volume of less than 0.25 cm3 and a mass of less than 1 gram.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 15004443
• Report Number(s): PNWD-SA-5862
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

08 HYDROGEN
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
ANODES
CARBON MONOXIDE
CATALYSTS
ENERGY DENSITY
FUEL CELLS
Fuel processing
HYDROGEN
MANAGEMENT
MEMS
METHANOL
POWER SUPPLIES
WATER
fuel cells
methanol procesing
micro-channel technology