Catalytic combustion thermal energy generation

Advances in chemical reaction engineering and catalytic materials have allowed catalytic combustion for thermal energy generation to be commercialized in consumer and industrial applications. The development of catalysts coated on one side of a metal substrate, coupled with the use of diffusion barriers, has allowed controlling the combustion temperature to suit diverse applications. Catalytic materials have been developed to remain active for thousands of hours under conditions deemed too severe just a few years ago. We may expect that the need for clean distributed power increases the demand for gas turbines fitted with catalytic combustors and promotes the development of catalytic burners to be used in fuel processors for fuel cell power systems. 

Fig. 11. Experimental setup for the in situ detection of chemisorbed CO during catalytic combustion of CO on Pt using optical infrared-visible sum frequency generation (SFG) and mass spectrometry. A mode-locked Nd YAG laser system is used to provide the visible laser beam (second harmonic 532 nm) and to pump an optical parametric system to generate infrared radiation (wir) tunable with a pulse duration of 25 ps. MC monochromator, PMT Photomultiplier, AES Auger Electron Spectrometer, LEED Low Energy Electron Diffraction Spectrometer, QMS Quadrupole Mass Spectrometers for CO Thermal Desorption (TD) and CO2 production rate measurements.

Major tasks of the hydrogen energy program in the Russian Federation in which about 20 scientific organisations are involved include research on fuel cells and electrolyzers both with solid polymer electrolyte, on H2 / O2 steam generator (experiments with 20- 100 kW and 10-20 MW thermal power), and on catalytic combustion [83]. 

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