• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.800-809
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• 2011

The reaction characteristics of an integrated reactor with steam reformer and catalytic combustor using anode offgas for high temperature fuel cells such as MCFC and SOFC have been experimentally investigated in the present study. The coupled reactor had a coaxial cylindrical shape, and the inner and the outer tube was packed with combustion catalysts and reforming catalysts, respectively. Thus, the endothermic steam reforming could proceed by absorbing heat from catalytic combustion of anode offgas. Results show that increasing inlet temperature and decreasing excess air ratio increased the reformer temperature, which led to the increase in $H_2$ yield. The reforming performance for SOFC conditions was better than that for MCFC conditions since the composition of flammable components became smaller for MCFC cases. Measured reformate composition under various test conditions correlated well with thermal equilibrium composition.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.370-375
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• 2013

We analyze the effects of CO poisoning and air bleeding on the performance of a PEM (polymer electrolyte membrane) fuel cell stack fabricated using commercial MEA (membrane electrode assembly). Dynamic response data from the experiments on the performance of a stack are identified by obtaining steady-state gains and time-constants of the first-order system model expressed as a first-order differential equation. It is found that the cell voltage of the stack decreases by 1.3-1.6 mV as the CO concentration rises by 1 ppm. The time elapsed to reach a new steady state after a change in the CO concentration is shortened as the magnitude of the change in the CO concentration increases. In general, the steady-state gain becomes bigger and the time-constant gets smaller with increasing the air concentration (air-bleeding level) in the reformate gas to restore the cell voltage. However, it is possible to recover 87%-96% of the original cell voltages, which are measured with free of CO, within 1-30 min by introducing the bleed air as much as 1% of the reformate gas into the stack.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.765-772
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• 2011

In this research, the fuel cell system model capable of generating codes in real time was developed to construct of a HIL (Hardware-In-the-Loop) for a SOFC-powered ship. Moreover, the effects of the distribution of the exhaust gas flow rates in a stack, the flow rates of fuels and temperature of air supplied on the temperature characteristics of fuels supplied to the cathode and the anode, the output power of the stack and system efficiency are examined to minimize the temperature difference between fuels supplied to the stack used in a 500kW SOFC system using methane as a fuel. As a result, the temperatures of fuels supplied to the cathode and the anode maintain at 830K when the opening factor of three-way valve located at outlet of turbine is 0.839. Also the process for optimization of methane flow rate considering the fuel cell stack and system efficiency is required to increase the temperatures of fuels supplied to the stack.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.745-753
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• 2016

Micro methanol-steam reformer for fuel cell can effectively produce hydrogen as reforming response to steam takes place in low temperature (less than $250^{\circ}C$). This study conducted numerical research on this reformer. First, study set wall temperature of the reformer at 100, 140, 180 and $220^{\circ}C$ while methanol conversion efficiency was set in 0, 0.072, 3.83 and 46.51% respectively. Then, porosity of catalyst was set in 0.1, 0.35, 0.6 and 0.85 and although there was no significant difference in methanol conversion efficiency, values of pressure drop were 4645.97, 59.50, 5.12 and 0.45 kPa respectively. This study verified that methanol-steam reformer rarely responds under the temperature of $180^{\circ}C$ and porosity does not have much effect on methanol conversion efficiency if the fluid flowing through reformer lowers activation energy by sufficiently contacting reformer.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.9-16
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• 2019

In today's global energy market, the importance of green energy is emerging. Hydrogen energy is the future clean energy source and one of the pollution-free energy sources. In particular, the fuel cell method using hydrogen enhances the flexibility of renewable energy and enables energy storage and conversion for a long time. Therefore, it is considered to be a solution that can solve environmental problems caused by the use of fossil resources and energy problems caused by exhaustion of resources simultaneously. The purpose of this study is to efficiently produce hydrogen using plasma, and to study the optimization of DME reforming by checking the reforming reaction and yield according to temperature. The research method uses a 2.45 GHz electromagnetic plasma torch to produce hydrogen by reforming DME(Di Methyl Ether), a clean fuel. Gasification analysis was performed under low temperature conditions ($T3=1100^{\circ}C$), low temperature peroxygen conditions ($T3=1100^{\circ}C$), and high temperature conditions ($T3=1376^{\circ}C$). The low temperature gasification analysis showed that methane is generated due to unstable reforming reaction near $1100^{\circ}C$. The low temperature peroxygen gasification analysis showed less hydrogen but more carbon dioxide than the low temperature gasification analysis. Gasification analysis at high temperature indicated that methane was generated from about $1150^{\circ}C$, but it was not generated above $1200^{\circ}C$. In conclusion, the higher the temperature during the reforming reaction, the higher the proportion of hydrogen, but the higher the proportion of CO. However, it was confirmed that the problem of heat loss and reforming occurred due to the structural problem of the gasifier. In future developments, there is a need to reduce incomplete combustion by improving gasifiers to obtain high yields of hydrogen and to reduce the generation of gases such as carbon monoxide and methane. The optimization plan to produce hydrogen by steam plasma reforming of DME proposed in this study is expected to make a meaningful contribution to producing eco-friendly and renewable energy in the future.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.519-530
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• 2009

Reducing the emission of carbon dioxide, which is the main contributor to the green house effect, is becoming a global hot issue. Great attention has been thus given to utilization of carbon dioxide rather than just capturing and isolating it because it could convert carbon dioxide to high-value chemicals. In this paper, recent research trends are investigated on the catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to syngas in the context of $CH_4$, dry-reforming, trireforming, and the electro-catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide through SOFC(Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) system. Research trends for utilizing syngas to high-value-added useful products, mainly fuel such as DME(Dimethyl Ether) are also discussed.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.129-136
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• 2017

Characteristics of $ZrO_2$ felt supported Cu/Zn catalysts have been investigated for the production of hydrogen via methanol steam reforming. Cu and Zn in different weight percent were loaded using wet impregnation over $ZrO_2$ felt support. The catalysts were characterized with BET and FE-SEM. The performance of these synthesized catalysts were investigated at SCR=1.5, $GHSV=2000h^{-1}$, temperature=$300{\sim}400^{\circ}C$, and pressure=2.5~19.5 barA. The results showed that the $Cu^{32.5}Zn^{7.5}ZrO_2$ catalyst was most active in terms of methanol conversion and hydrogen production. The methanol conversion in steam reforming of methanol was 84.6% at 19.5 barA and furnace $400^{\circ}C$ over $Cu^{32.5}Zn^{7.5}ZrO_2$ catalyst. The catalysts prepared using $ZrO_2$ felt show higher reactor temperature than the pellet type catalyst at same furnace temperature.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.773-776
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• 2009

In this paper, new concept of the diesel fuel processing is introduced for the stable operation of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Heavier hydrocarbons than $CH_4$, such as ethylene, ethane, propane, and etc., induce the carbon deposition on anode of SOFCs. In the reformate of heavy hydrocarbons (diesel, gasoline, kerosene, and JP-8), concentration of ethylene is usually higher than low hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, and butane. So, removal of low hydrocarbons (over C1-hydrocarbons), especially ethylene, at the reformate gases is important for stable operation of SOFCs. New methodology as named "post-reformer" is introduced for removing the low hydrocarbons at the reformate gas stream. Catalyst of the NECS-PR4 is selected for post-reforming catalyst because the catalyst of NECS-PR4 shows the high selectivity for removing low hydrocarbons and achieving the high reforming efficiency. The diesel reformer and post-reformer are continuously operated for about 200 hours as integrated mode. The reforming performance is not degraded and low hydrocarbons in the diesel reformate are completely removed.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.267-274
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• 2009

Considerable attention has been given to developing methodologies to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide from industry to meet strengthened environmental regulations. In this article, recent research trends on dry reforming of methane as an alternative method to reduce $CO_2$ emission from large scale industrial processes are addressed. To efficiently provide the energy needed in this strong endothermic reaction without additional $CO_2$ emission, it seems to be desirable to adopt autothermal reaction mode. The produced synthesis gas could be used as a reducing gas, or a feedstock for synthesis of chemicals and fuels.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.61-67
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• 2011

The study is to analyze the chemical and heat-flow reactions in the hydrogen generation unit(autothermal reformer), using computational numerical tools. Autothermal reformer(ATR) is involved in complex chemical reaction, mass and heat transfer due to exothermic and endothermic reactions. Therefore it is necessary to reveal the effects of various operation parameters and geometries on the ATR performance by using numerical analysis. Numerical analysis needs to dominant chemical reactions that includes Full Combustion(FC) reaction, Steam Reforming(SR) reaction, Water-Gas Shift(WGS) reaction and Direct Steam Reforming(DSR) reaction. The objective of the study is to improve theoretically the reformer design capability for the goal of high hydrogen production in the autothermal reformer using methane. Hydrogen production reached maximum in a certain value of Oxygen to Carbon Ratio(OCR) or Steam to Carbon Ratio(SCR). When the longitudinal distance to dimeter ratio(L/D) is increased, hydrogen production increases.