Kilowatt-scale ATR Fuel Processors

Experimental results concerning the development of a small-scale 1 kW autothermal reformer of propane were reported by Rampe et al. [76]. In the proposed reactor, two reactions occur on a metal honeycomb structure coated with platinum. Air and water are mixed before they are fed to the reactor in counterflow to the product gas outside the reactor wall, where the water is vaporized and the steam and air are heated up. Then, they are mixed with propane at the bottom of the reactor. It was verified that the preheating operation mode led to about a 4% higher efficiency, since the higher inlet air temperature causes a higher temperature level in the reaction zone, resulting in improved kinetics of the reforming reaction. 

Heinzel et al. [77] compared the performance of a natural gas autothermal reformer with that of a steam reformer. The ATR reactor was loaded with a Pt catalyst on a metallic substrate followed by a fixed bed of Pt catalyst. In the start-up phase, the metallic substrate was electrically heated until the catalytic combustion of a stoichiometric methane-air mixture occurred. The reactor temperature was increased by the heat of the combustion reaction and later water was added to limit the temperature rise in the catalyst, while the air flow was reduced to sub-stoichiometric settings. With respect to the steam reformer, the behavior of the ATR reactor was more flexible regarding the start-up time and the load change, thus being more suitable for small-scale stationary applications. 

Lenz and Aicher reported the experimental results obtained with an autothermal reformer fed with desulfurized kerosene employing a metallic monolith coated with alumina washcoat supporting precious metal catalysts (Pt and Rh) [78]. The experiments were performed at steam-to-carbon ratios S/C = 1.5-2.5 and 

---