An experimental study of methanol reformation. Master's thesis

Technical Report · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:6292172

Shafer, J B

Transportation vehicles' overall efficiency could be greatly increased if a hydrogen-air fuel cell served as the power source. Carrying hydrogen on board a vehicle presents immense weight and safety problems, however, and the fuel cell vehicle has so far been successful only in space or research study. Reforming of a source fuel into a hydrogen-rich gas offers a solution to the problems, especially if waste heat from the fuel cell can be used in the reforming. This paper discusses the ideas behind fuel cell vehicles, the choice of methanol as the source fuel and the detailed design and construction of a reformer system to test the possibilities. The reformer system is now operating at The University of Arizona, and early data has provided successful results. The system was designed to be reliable and capable of testing methanol reforming using variables of temperature, pressure, methanol to water ratio, carbon buildup, flow rate and differing catalysts. Early results predict that at temperatures of 400 F and below a larger catalyst volume may be required to produce the volume of hydrogen needed at fuel cell maximum power. Ethanol research is proposed.

• Research Organization: Air Force Inst. of Tech., Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6292172
• Report Number(s): AD-A-091412
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
300503 -- Fuel Cells-- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330300* -- Advanced Propulsion Systems-- Electric-Powered Systems
ALCOHOL FUELS
ALCOHOLS
ALKYL RADICALS
CARBON
CATALYSTS
CATALYTIC REFORMING
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC-POWERED VEHICLES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FLOW RATE
FUEL CELLS
FUELS
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
METHANOL FUELS
METHYL RADICALS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POWER SUPPLIES
RADICALS
REFORMER PROCESSES
SAFETY
SYNTHETIC FUELS
TRANSPORTATION SECTOR
VEHICLES
WASTES