Reforming in Chip-Like Microreactors

For the low power supply in the range of few watts, chip-like reactors were developed by several groups. Frequently, production techniques usually applied for fabrication of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) were adapted to fabricate these small reactors. The devices are actually micro , not just as far as their channel dimensions are concerned, but also due to their outer dimensions. 

Target applications are the replacement of batteries for mobile phones and, in larger sizes, power supplies for electronic equipment such as laptops and camcorders. 

Kim and Kwon described methanol conversion of greater than 80% in their electrically heated microreactor, which carried a copper/zinc oxide catalyst [143]. About 4mLmin hydrogen were produced by the reactor. At 300 °C reaction temperature and S/C 1.1, full conversion of the methanol was achieved. However, the weight hourly space velocity of about 13 L (h gcat) was rather low, as is typical for copper/zinc oxide catalysts. 

Yoshida et al. presented a small fuel processor sub-system for methanol steam reforming consisting of an evaporator, a steam reformer and a methanol burner for power supply [534]. The dimensions of the whole arrangement amounted to 

Other micro methanol steam reformers were developed, heated either by electricity [536] or coupled with a catalytic burner [537]. 

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