Fuel Processors for PEM Fuel Cells

Technical Report · Thu Feb 04 04:00:00 EST 2010

OSTI ID:935948

Thompson, Levi T. ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); University of Michigan

Fuel cells are being developed to power cleaner, more fuel efficient automobiles. The fuel cell technology favored by many automobile manufacturers is PEM fuel cells operating with H₂ from liquid fuels like gasoline and diesel. A key challenge to the commercialization of PEM fuel cell based powertrains is the lack of sufficiently small and inexpensive fuel processors. Improving the performance and cost of the fuel processor will require the development of better performing catalysts, new reactor designs and better integration of the various fuel processing components. These components and systems could also find use in natural gas fuel processing for stationary, distributed generation applications. Prototype fuel processors were produced, and evaluated against the Department of Energy technical targets. Significant advances were made by integrating low-cost microreactor systems, high activity catalysts, π-complexation adsorbents, and high efficiency microcombustor/microvaporizers developed at the University of Michigan. The microreactor system allowed (1) more efficient thermal coupling of the fuel processor operations thereby minimizing heat exchanger requirements, (2) improved catalyst performance due to optimal reactor temperature profiles and increased heat and mass transport rates, and (3) better cold-start and transient responses.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
• DOE Contract Number: FC04-02AL67630
• OSTI ID: 935948
• Report Number(s): DoE-AL--67630
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

08 HYDROGEN
Catalysts
Fuel Flexible
Fuel Processors
Hydrogen
Microreactors
Sorbents