The dissociation reaction is accomplished heterogeneously within a chemical fuel processor, also known as a reformer, that in conjunction with thermal energy and a suitable catalyst, yields a reformate gas including N However, liquid fuels must be dissociated to release their hydrogen content from the liquid fuel prior to use in a fuel cell. 21, 1993 and and assigned to the General Motors Corporation.įor vehicular applications, it is desirable to use a liquid fuel such as a low molecular weight alcohol (e.g., methanol or ethanol), or hydrocarbons (e.g., gasoline) as the fuel for the vehicle because of the ease of onboard storage of liquid fuels and the existence of a nationwide infrastructure for supplying liquid fuels. Typical PEM fuel cells with membrane electrode assembly (MEA) are described in U.S. One reactant, oxygen or air, passes over one electrode and hydrogen, the other reactant, passes over the other electrode to produce electricity, water and heat. The MEA is typically porous and electrically conductive to promote the desired electrochemical reaction from two reactants.
REACTOR OVERSIGHT PROCESS PORTABLE
In one form being developed for both portable and stationary applications, an ion-conducting polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) is disposed between two electrode layers to form a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy converter consisting of two electrodes which sandwich an electrolyte.
The invention relates to a thermal management system for the processing of fuel for fuel cells.įuel cells are a leading alternate fuel powerplant candidates for both portable and stationary electrical power generation. The method of claim 1 wherein said first and second vaporized portions constitute at least a portion of said water supply stream. A method of operating a fuel reforming system for the production of a hydrogen-containing reformate gas comprising the steps of:reacting an air supply stream, a water supply stream and a fuel supply stream in an auto thermal reformer to form said reformate gas having a concentration of carbon monoxide introducing said reformate gas and a first air stream into a preferential oxidation reactor to lower said concentration of carbon monoxide heating a first water stream, which does not contain fuel, in said preferential oxidation reactor to form a first portion of vaporized water, the temperature of the preferential oxidation reactor being controlled by said first water stream heating a second water stream, which does not contain fuel, in a vaporizer to form a second portion of vaporized waters,mixing said first portion and said second portion of said vaporized water to form a steam stream which is mixed with said air supply stream for regulating the temperature of said reformate gas, provided that said mixed stream does not contain fuel.ġ0. The steam fluid heats the auto thermal reactor and the air stream prior to entering the ATR and the reformate gas prior to entering the water shift gas reactor (WGS) to control the temperature of the reformate gas.ġ. The first portion of vaporized water and the second portion of vaporized water form a steam fluid. Then, reacting the air stream with the reformate gas exiting the PrOx is reached in a fuel cell to form an anode exhaust stream which is subsequently combined with the air stream to heat the water stream to form a second portion of vaporized water. The temperature of the preferential oxidizer reaction is controlled with a water stream by vaporizing the water stream to form a first portion of vaporized water. Then, preferentially oxidizing the reformate gas and the air stream in the preferential oxidizer reactor (PrOx).
The process includes supplying an air stream and a fuel stream into a auto thermal reactor (ATR) and forming reformate gas therein. Pettit Īn improved fuel processor thermal management system for use with a fuel cell is disclosed. Reformate reactor steam prox fuel exchanger heat gas wgs atr
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