Design of an integrated fuel processor for residential PEMFCs applications

• Published in: Journal of power sources Vol. 160; no. 1; pp. 505 - 509
• Main Authors: Seo, Yu Taek, Seo, Dong Joo, Jeong, Jin Hyeok, Yoon, Wang Lai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 29-09-2006; Elsevier Sequoia
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Devices using thermal energy; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Fuel cells; Fuel processor; Heat pipes; Natural gas; Polymer electrolyte fuel cell; Residential co-generation; Steam reforming; Steam reforming; Fuel processor; Natural gas; Polymer electrolyte fuel cell; Residential co-generation; Methane; Prototype; Stability; Polymer electrolytes; Cogeneration; Hydrogen; Compact design; Residential zone; Heat exchanger; Thermal efficiency; Performance; Fuel cell; Production process
• ISSN: 0378-7753; 1873-2755
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2005.12.098

KIER has been developing a novel fuel processing system to provide hydrogen rich gas to residential PEMFCs system. For the effective design of a compact hydrogen production system, each unit process for steam reforming and water gas shift, has a steam generator and internal heat exchangers which are thermally and physically integrated into a single packaged hardware system. The newly designed fuel processor (prototype II) showed a thermal efficiency of 78% as a HHV basis with methane conversion of 89%. The preferential oxidation unit with two staged cascade reactors, reduces, the CO concentration to below 10
ppm without complicated temperature control hardware, which is the prerequisite CO limit for the PEMFC stack. After we achieve the initial performance of the fuel processor, partial load operation was carried out to test the performance and reliability of the fuel processor at various loads. The stability of the fuel processor was also demonstrated for three successive days with a stable composition of product gas and thermal efficiency. The CO concentration remained below 10
ppm during the test period and confirmed the stable performance of the two-stage PrOx reactors.