Reformed methanol fuel cell technology

Palmer, N. I., Liebeiman, B., Vertes, M. A. (1965). A comparison between external and internal reforming methanol fuel cell systems. Hydrocarbon fuel cell technology (pp. 135-154). 

All fuel cells for use in vehicles are based on proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology. The methanol fuel-processor fuel cell (FPFC) vehicle comprises an on-board fuel processor with downstream PEMFC. On-board methanol reforming was a development focus of industry for a number of years until around 2002. Direct-methanol fuel cells (DMFC) are no longer considered for the propulsion of commercial vehicles in the industry (see also Chapter 13). 

The specific catalytic properties of polyciystalline and single crystal surfaces have prompted extensive research on their oxidation in electrochemical- and gas- pliase environments. Recent developments in fuel cell technology have renewed efforts to improve Pt-Ru electrocatalysis for both reformate hydrogen- and methanol-oxidation. In the following Section, we discuss the oxidation of single crystal surfaces in both UHV- and electro-chcmical-cnvi ronments. 

The direct methanol fuel cell is a special form of low-temperature fuel cells based on PEM technology. In the DMFC, methanol is directly fed into the fuel cell without the intermediate step of reforming the alcohol into hydrogen. Methanol is an attractive fuel option because it can be produced from natural gas or renewable biomass resources. It has the advantage of a high specific energy density, since it is liquid at operation conditions. The DMFC can be operated with liquid or gaseous methanoFwater mixtures. 

Description. "DaimlerChrysler, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, has been pioneering fuel ceU technology development decisively since 1994, when it began a program to develop methanol fuel cells for its own use. In fact, DaimlerChrysler and Toyota have already built prototype fuel cell vehicles that cleanly and efficiently reform liquid methanol to gaseous hydrogen on board their cars." ... 

Fuel cell technology, particularly for transport applications, would take a leap forward if a viable system were developed that could use a liquid fuel without reforming. The development of anode catalysts with the activity to operate on simple hydrocarbon fuels is unlikely. However, Shell and other oil companies established in the 1960s that methanol, with anode catalysts such as Pl/Ru, had potential. Early work utilized sulfuric acid as the electrolyte. 

Toyota has been sharing technology with partner GM on electric, hybrid, and fuel cell cars. In 1998, the research division was testing methanol reformers and metal hydride hydrogen storage and had prototypes of each. 

Pfeifer, P., Schubert, K., Fichtner, M., Liauw, M. A., Emig, G., Methanol-steam reforming in microstructures difference between palladium and copper catalysts and testing of reactors for 200W fuel cell power, in Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Microreaction Technology, IMRET 6 (11-14 March 2002), AIChE Pub. No. 164, New Orleans, 2002, 125-130. 

R. Kumar, S. Ahmed, and M. Krumpelt, Rapid-Start Reformer for Methanol and Fuel Cell Vehicles, Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Technology 96, pp. 123-127 (1996). 

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