Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Autothermal Reforming of No. 2 Fuel Oil. Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5747546
The fuel cell systems that are being considered for use as dispersed generators by electric utilities are, at present, limited to the use of clean light hydrocarbon fuels such as naphtha and natural gas. This report presents the results of research on a fuel processing concept, termed Autothermal Reforming, or ATR, which may expand the useful fuel range to include middle distillate fuels derived from petroleum or coal. Experiments were conducted with a 4-in.-dia by 15-in.-long catalytic reactor (nickel catalyst) to produce a hydrogen-rich gas from No. 2 Fuel Oil and steam-air mixtures, at essentially atmospheric pressure. The hydrogen yield was mapped in the carbon-free region as a function of the major operating parameters, particularly the steam-to-carbon and air-to-carbon ratios, and the preheat temperature. The results are compared with the equilibrium yield predictions. Two optimum cases were identified. The first case represents a partial oxidation process with air with just enough steam added to suppress carbon formation. In the second case, 80 percent of the hydrogen was produced by partial oxidation and 20 percent by steam reforming. A preheat temperature of 1400/sup 0/F and a catalyst bed temperature of 2000/sup 0/F was required to achieve the second case results, at an air-to-carbon molar ratio of 1.9 and a steam-to-carbon molar ratio of 3.0. This hydrogen yield translates to a 9500 Btu/kWh power plant heat rate at typical phosphoric acid fuel cell operating conditions.
Research Organization:
Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (USA)
OSTI ID:
5747546
Report Number(s):
EPRI-EM-1126
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English