Application Fields and Markets for Micro Reactors

Many authors mention the use of micro reactors for fuel processing as one of the most promising fields [1,104]. Wegeng et al. point at using this micro-fuel processing for transportation [Ij. The placement of reformers imder the hood of an automobile for converting liquid hydrocarbons to hydrogen is explicitly mentioned. 

Accordingly, serious commercially oriented attempts are currently being made to develop special gas-phase micro and mini reactors for reformer technology [91, 247-259], This is a complex task since the reaction step itself, hydrogen formation, covers several individual processes. Additionally, heat exchangers are required to optimize the energy balance and the use of liquid reactants demands micro evaporators [254, 260, 261], Moreover, further systems are required to reduce the CO content to a level that is no longer poisonous for a fuel cell. Overall, three to six micro-reactor components are typically needed to construct a complete, ready-to-use micro-reformer system. 

Fuel processing is not discussed in a separate, detailed chapter within this book this will be done in Volume 2. 

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Application Fields and Markets for Micro Reactors 105 1.9.7.1 How Far is the Development A Critical Review... 

A growing number of research groups are active in the field. The activity of reforming catalysts has been improved and a number of test reactors for fuel partial oxidation, reforming, water-gas shift, and selective oxidation reactions were described however, hardly any commercial micro-channel reformers have been reported. Obviously, the developments are still inhibited by a multitude of technical problems, before coming to commercialization. Concerning reformer developments with small-scale, but not micro-channel-based reformers, the first companies have been formed in the meantime (see, e.g., ) and reformers of large capacity for non-stationary household applications are on the market. 

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