Kilowatt fuel processors

For reformate flow rates up to 400 Ndm3 min-1, the CO output was determined as < 12 ppm for simulated methanol. The reactors were operated at full load (20 kW equivalent power output) for -100 h without deactivation. In connection with the 20 kW methanol reformer, the CO output of the two final reactors was < 10 ppm for more than 2 h at a feed concentration of 1.6% carbon monoxide. Because the reformer was realized as a combination of steam reformer and catalytic burner in the plate and fin design as well, this may be regarded as an impressive demonstration of the capabilities of the integrated heat exchanger design for fuel processors in the kilowatt range. 

Nuvera will design, build, test, and deliver a 15 kilowatt electrical (kWe ) direct current (DC) fuel cell power module that will be specifically designed for stationary power operation using ethanol as a primary fuel. Two PEM fuel cell stacks in parallel will produce 250 amps and 60 volts at rated power. The power module will consist of a fuel processor, carbon monoxide (CO) clean-up, fuel cell, air, fuel, water, and anode exhaust gas management subsystems. A state-of-the-art control system will interface with the power system controller and will control the fuel cell power module under start-up, steady-state, transient, and shutdown operation. Temperature, pressure, and flow sensors will be incorporated in the power module to monitor and control the key system variables under these various operating modes. The power module subsystem will be tested at Nuvera and subsequently be delivered to the Williams Bio-Energy Pekin, Illinois site. 

Design, build and demonstrate a fully integrated, 50-kilowatt electric (kWe) catalytic autothermal fuel processor system. The fuel processor will produce a hydrogen-rich gas for direct use in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems for vehicle applications. 

Demonstrate rapid start-up of an engineering-scale ( 5 kilowatts electrical [kWe]) fuel processor. 

The processor can be divided into four zones based on the operating temperature reformer, scmbber-high temperature shift (S-HTS), low temperature shift (LTS), and preferential oxidation (PROX). Operating temperatures are nominally 700°C in the reformer, 400°C in the S-HTS, 200°C in the LTS, and 100°C in the PROX. In actual operation, temperatures are not discrete rather, there is a gradual decrease between each zone. The middle zones, S-HTS and LTS, comprise 70% of the total heat required during start-up. The fuel requirements and heat flow for a 50-kilowatt (kW) processor are shown in Figure 1. 

The higher GHSV that can be achieved with the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) copper/mixed oxide translates into a 20% reduetion in the WGS eatalyst volume compared with the commercial catalysts. The projected size, weight, and cost of copper/mixed oxide catalyst for an automotive fuel processor are 0.15 liter/kilowatt electric (L/kWe),... 

Because the reformer was a combination of steam reformer and catalytic burner in plate and fin design, this was regarded as an early and impressive demonstration of the capabilities of the integrated heat exchanger design for fuel processors in the kilowatt range. 

Costs are likely to drop, but right now, many fuel cell and processor component costs are rigid and do not depend so much on the power output. In smaller systems, the cost per kilowatt is higher. While 20-kW units could cost 1,500/kW, a small 2-kW unit might cost 5,000/kW or more. 

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