Rapid starting methanol reactor system
Abstract
The invention relates to a methanol-to-hydrogen cracking reactor for use with a fuel cell vehicular power plant. The system is particularly designed for rapid start-up of the catalytic methanol cracking reactor after an extended shut-down period, i.e., after the vehicular fuel cell power plant has been inoperative overnight. Rapid system start-up is accomplished by a combination of direct and indirect heating of the cracking catalyst. Initially, liquid methanol is burned with a stoichiometric or slightly lean air mixture in the combustion chamber of the reactor assembly. The hot combustion gas travels down a flue gas chamber in heat exchange relationship with the catalytic cracking chamber transferring heat across the catalyst chamber wall to heat the catalyst indirectly. The combustion gas is then diverted back through the catalyst bed to heat the catalyst pellets directly. When the cracking reactor temperature reaches operating temperature, methanol combustion is stopped and a hot gas valve is switched to route the flue gas overboard, with methanol being fed directly to the catalytic cracking reactor. Thereafter, the burner operates on excess hydrogen from the fuel cells.
- Inventors:
-
- 38 Berkshire St., Swampscott, MA 01907
- 39 Nancy Ave., Peabody, MA 01960
- 12 Old Cart Rd., Hamilton, MA 01936
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 865168
- Patent Number(s):
- 4473622
- Assignee:
- Chludzinski, Paul J. (38 Berkshire St., Swampscott, MA 01907);Dantowitz, Philip (39 Nancy Ave., Peabody, MA 01960);McElroy, James F. (12 Old Cart Rd., Hamilton, MA 01936)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01B - NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01M - PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- rapid; starting; methanol; reactor; relates; methanol-to-hydrogen; cracking; fuel; cell; vehicular; power; plant; particularly; designed; start-up; catalytic; extended; shut-down; period; inoperative; overnight; accomplished; combination; direct; indirect; heating; catalyst; initially; liquid; burned; stoichiometric; slightly; lean; air; mixture; combustion; chamber; assembly; hot; gas; travels; flue; heat; exchange; relationship; transferring; wall; indirectly; diverted; bed; pellets; directly; temperature; reaches; operating; stopped; valve; switched; route; overboard; fed; thereafter; burner; operates; excess; hydrogen; cells; catalytic cracking; fuel cell; transferring heat; hot combustion; cell power; combustion chamber; fuel cells; heat exchange; power plant; operating temperature; hot gas; flue gas; exchange relationship; combustion gas; chamber wall; catalyst bed; air mixture; exchange relation; gas chamber; reactor assembly; methanol reactor; cracking reactor; cracking catalyst; indirect heating; gas valve; catalyst chamber; excess hydrogen; fed directly; vehicular power; indirect heat; cell vehicular; direct heat; /429/48/201/422/
Citation Formats
Chludzinski, Paul J, Dantowitz, Philip, and McElroy, James F. Rapid starting methanol reactor system. United States: N. p., 1984.
Web.
Chludzinski, Paul J, Dantowitz, Philip, & McElroy, James F. Rapid starting methanol reactor system. United States.
Chludzinski, Paul J, Dantowitz, Philip, and McElroy, James F. Sun .
"Rapid starting methanol reactor system". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/865168.
@article{osti_865168,
title = {Rapid starting methanol reactor system},
author = {Chludzinski, Paul J and Dantowitz, Philip and McElroy, James F},
abstractNote = {The invention relates to a methanol-to-hydrogen cracking reactor for use with a fuel cell vehicular power plant. The system is particularly designed for rapid start-up of the catalytic methanol cracking reactor after an extended shut-down period, i.e., after the vehicular fuel cell power plant has been inoperative overnight. Rapid system start-up is accomplished by a combination of direct and indirect heating of the cracking catalyst. Initially, liquid methanol is burned with a stoichiometric or slightly lean air mixture in the combustion chamber of the reactor assembly. The hot combustion gas travels down a flue gas chamber in heat exchange relationship with the catalytic cracking chamber transferring heat across the catalyst chamber wall to heat the catalyst indirectly. The combustion gas is then diverted back through the catalyst bed to heat the catalyst pellets directly. When the cracking reactor temperature reaches operating temperature, methanol combustion is stopped and a hot gas valve is switched to route the flue gas overboard, with methanol being fed directly to the catalytic cracking reactor. Thereafter, the burner operates on excess hydrogen from the fuel cells.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1984},
month = {1}
}