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Title: Method for forming a chemical microreactor

Abstract

Disclosed is a chemical microreactor that provides a means to generate hydrogen fuel from liquid sources such as ammonia, methanol, and butane through steam reforming processes when mixed with an appropriate amount of water. The microreactor contains capillary microchannels with integrated resistive heaters to facilitate the occurrence of catalytic steam reforming reactions. Two distinct embodiment styles are discussed. One embodiment style employs a packed catalyst capillary microchannel and at least one porous membrane. Another embodiment style employs a porous membrane with a large surface area or a porous membrane support structure containing a plurality of porous membranes having a large surface area in the aggregate, i.e., greater than about 1 m.sup.2/cm.sup.3. Various methods to form packed catalyst capillary microchannels, porous membranes and porous membrane support structures are also disclosed.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Martinez, CA
  2. Livermore, CA
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
963816
Patent Number(s):
7534402
Application Number:
11/196,634
Assignee:
Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (Livermore, CA)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01J - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
08 HYDROGEN

Citation Formats

Morse, Jeffrey D, and Jankowski, Alan. Method for forming a chemical microreactor. United States: N. p., 2009. Web.
Morse, Jeffrey D, & Jankowski, Alan. Method for forming a chemical microreactor. United States.
Morse, Jeffrey D, and Jankowski, Alan. Tue . "Method for forming a chemical microreactor". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/963816.
@article{osti_963816,
title = {Method for forming a chemical microreactor},
author = {Morse, Jeffrey D and Jankowski, Alan},
abstractNote = {Disclosed is a chemical microreactor that provides a means to generate hydrogen fuel from liquid sources such as ammonia, methanol, and butane through steam reforming processes when mixed with an appropriate amount of water. The microreactor contains capillary microchannels with integrated resistive heaters to facilitate the occurrence of catalytic steam reforming reactions. Two distinct embodiment styles are discussed. One embodiment style employs a packed catalyst capillary microchannel and at least one porous membrane. Another embodiment style employs a porous membrane with a large surface area or a porous membrane support structure containing a plurality of porous membranes having a large surface area in the aggregate, i.e., greater than about 1 m.sup.2/cm.sup.3. Various methods to form packed catalyst capillary microchannels, porous membranes and porous membrane support structures are also disclosed.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue May 19 00:00:00 EDT 2009},
month = {Tue May 19 00:00:00 EDT 2009}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Micromachined reactors for catalytic partial oxidation reactions
journal, November 1997


Micro membrane reactor: a flow-through membrane for gas pre-combustion
journal, March 2002


Experimental system for the study of gas-solid heterogeneous catalysis in microreactors
conference, August 2000