New PNNL Small-Scale Hydrodesulfurizer/Steam Reformer System Lets Portable Fuel Cells Use JP-8 or Diesel
12 June 2009
| JP-8 steam reformer (left) and a compact hydrodesulfurization system (right). Source: PNNL. Click to enlarge. |
A new system developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory allows portable fuel cells to operate using JP-8—a common fuel used worldwide in military applications with and sulfur levels that can vary considerably from region to region—or road diesel.
The development of fuel cell power systems supplied by liquid hydrocarbon fuels such as JP-8 or diesel has continued to be challenged by the difficulty in cleanly reforming these fuels without catalyst deterioration. One of the major sources of catalyst deterioration and resulting low conversion activity has been the presence of sulfur in these fuels.
Various approaches to dealing with sulfur have included: the development of sulfur-tolerant catalysts; use of sulfur specific and regenerable adsorbents; selective oxidation of sulfur species followed by their adsorptive removal; and removal by catalytic hydrodesulfurization (HDS).
All have their challenges when applied to small and potentially portable fuel cell systems. The only commercially proven technology is hydrodesulfurization (HDS), which has generally been considered impractical for operation in small-scale applications. The requirement for available high pressure hydrogen has provided a major hurdle.
To address these issues, the PNNL team has developed a small-scale hydrodesulfurization units that is coupled with a steam reformer operating at 15-20 atm. Rather than requiring hydrogen, steam reformate can be utilized for the HDS unit. A fraction of the total reformate is diverted to the HDS unit, with the remainder treated as needed and provided to the fuel cell.
In a paper presented at the 21st North American Meeting (21st NAM) of the Catalysis Society in San Francisco, PNNL scientist David King described extended tests integrating the HDS unit with a microchannel steam reformer, in which actual steam reformate feeds the HDS unit and the clean fuel as processed by the HDS unit is fed to the reformer.
Results presented at the conference showed HDS of the JP-8 fuel to less than 500 ppbw (parts per billion by weight). For the steam reformer, a modest excess of catalyst was utilized over that required for sulfur-free fuel in anticipation of possible catalyst deactivation even at 500 ppbw S. With that modification, the steam reformer maintained target performance over the course of 300 hours. For HDS of road diesel, the PNNL team achieved 0.8 ppmw S, starting with 4 ppmw in the fuel. The team believes that with implementation of improved catalysts, less than 0.5 ppmw S is achievable.
The production of clean hydrogen or syngas for portable fuel cell systems operating on JP-8 fuel is possible when employing an integrated HDS/steam reformer system. Extension to non-military applications, including road diesel fuel, also appears possible. This provides a large step forward in enabling fuel cells to operate with a range of heavy hydrocarbon fuels.
—King et al.
Resources
So here you have it. The oil company answer to the transportation problem: starting out with oil, you refine it into diesel, then reformed the diesel into hydrogen run the fuel cell to produce electricity and then use the electrons to drive an electric motor. It takes a lot of energy to produce these electrons.
Why not install a battery, charge it on the grid and drive away...uses a lot less energy to produce the electrons.
Posted by: Lad | 12 June 2009 at 09:53 AM
Two problems Lad, batteries take 8 hours to recharge and don't have the capacity to provide a 300 mile range unless one is willing to pay an arm and a leg.
Then there is the other minor problem of durability.
The fuel reformer described isn't designed for transportation rather it's to be used for stationary applications for the military.
Posted by: Mannstein | 12 June 2009 at 07:13 PM
This is mostly about a portable high power powerplant that can run on jp-8. Combine this with 10 honda stacks and you have a 1 meg powerstation small enough to fit in a hummer and be airdropped anywhere on earth.
Posted by: wintermane2000 | 13 June 2009 at 12:41 AM
A steam reformer can transform any kind of liquid (bio)fuel or (bio)methane to H2. Combine this with a fuel cell and you have the perfect range extender. The ultimate steam reformer could even be like a 'back-to-the-future-like' trashcan where you introduce some organic waste, that is then reformed to H2 (although without subsequent nuclear fusion). driving on bananas might be a little bit to far, but wood pellets or compressed switchgrass might do the job soon.
Though cheap, high-capacity, durable, ecofriendly batterypacks would also be fantastic, there is certainly a big future for these micro-reformers.
Posted by: Alain | 15 June 2009 at 09:38 AM
Daimler NECAR had a methanol reformer on board. It worked well, did not cost too much nor take up too much room. So now you could have a fuel cell that runs on a liquid fuel, methanol than can be made from coal or biomass.
Posted by: SJC | 15 June 2009 at 01:30 PM