Experimental Performance Evaluation of a Catalytic Flat Plate Fuel Reformer for Fuel Cell Grade Reformate

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanta K. Das ◽  
K. Joel Berry
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Flat Plate ◽  
Reaction Rates ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Channel Height ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Cfd Model ◽  
Current Voltage ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Current Voltage Characteristics

Compact and efficient fuel reforming system design is a major challenge because of strict requirements of efficient heat distribution on both the reforming and combustion side. As an alternative to traditional packed bed tubular reformers, catalytic flat plate fuel reformer offers better heat integration by combining the combustion reaction on one side and reforming reaction on the other side. In this study, with the help of a two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, a catalytic flat plate fuel reformer is built and investigated its performance experimentally. The CFD model simulation results help to capture the effect of design parameters such as catalyst layer thickness, reaction rates, inlet temperature and velocity, and channel height. The CFD model study results also help to design and built the actual reformer in such a way that eliminate the limitations or uncertainties of heat and mass transfer coefficients. In our study, we experimentally evaluated the catalytic flat plate fuel reformer performance using natural gas. The effect of reformate gas on the current-voltage characteristics of a 5kW high temperature PEM fuel cell (HTPEMFC) stack is investigated extensively. The results shows that the overall system performance increases in terms of current-voltage characteristics of HTPEMFC while fed with reformate directly from the catalytic flat plate reformer.

CFD Modeling of a Catalytic Flat Plate Fuel Reformer for Hydrogen Generation

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kranthi K. Gadde ◽  
Panini K. Kolavennu ◽  
Susanta K. Das ◽  
K. J. Berry
Keyword(s):  
Flat Plate ◽  
Catalytic Combustion ◽  
Reaction Rates ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Cfd Modeling ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Channel Height ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Two Dimensional

In this study, steam reforming of methane coupled with methane catalytic combustion in a catalytic plate reactor is studied using a two-dimensional mathematical model for co-current flow arrangement. A two-dimensional approach makes the model more realistic by increasing its capability to capture the effect of parameters such as catalyst thickness, reaction rates, inlet temperature and velocity, and channel height, and eliminates the uncertainties introduced by heat and mass transfer coefficients used in one-dimensional models. In our work, we simulate the entire flat plate reformer (both reforming side and combustion side) and carry out parametric studies related to channel height, inlet velocities, and catalyst layer thickness that can provide guidance for the practical implementation of such design. The operating conditions chosen make possible a comparison of the catalytic plate reactor and catalytic combustion analysis with the conventional steam reformer. The CFD results obtained in this study will be very helpful to understand the optimization of design parameters to build a first generation prototype.

Performance Evaluation of a Catalytic Flat Plate Fuel Reformer for Hydrogen-Rich Reformate

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanta K. Das ◽  
K. Joel Berry
Keyword(s):  
Flat Plate ◽  
Reaction Rates ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Channel Height ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Optimized Design ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Transfer Coefficients

A two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is used for reforming methane with the help of catalytic combustion and reformation in a catalytic flat plate reformer. The two-dimensional approach makes the computational model more realistic by eliminating the uncertainties introduced by heat and mass transfer coefficients used in one-dimensional models. It also increased its capability to capture the effect of design parameters such as catalyst thickness, reaction rates, inlet temperature and velocity, and channel height has on producing high purity reformate gas. In order to carry out parametric studies related to various design parameters, in our present work, we simulate the entire flat plate reformer domain by considering full electro-kinetics that provide guidance for the practical implementation of such design. We chose different designs and operating conditions in such a way which makes possible to build a catalytic flat plate fuel reformer prototype. Based on the CFD results obtained in this study, we built a first generation catalytic flat plate fuel reformer prototype using the optimized design parameters. The performance of the fuel reformer prototype is tested with a 5-cell high temperature PEM fuel cell stack.

Modeling of a Catalytic Flat Plate Fuel Reformer for Hydrogen-Rich Reformate Fuel

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanta K. Das ◽  
Kranthi K. Gadde
Keyword(s):  
Flat Plate ◽  
Catalytic Combustion ◽  
Reaction Rates ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Channel Height ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Optimized Design ◽  
Two Dimensional

In this study, using a two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model with co-current flow arrangement, steam reforming of methane coupled with methane catalytic combustion in a catalytic plate reactor is investigated. The two-dimensional approach makes the model more realistic by increasing its capability to capture the effect of design parameters such as catalyst thickness, reaction rates, inlet temperature and velocity, and channel height, and eliminates the uncertainties introduced by heat and mass transfer coefficients used in one-dimensional models. In our work, we simulate the entire flat plate reformer electro-kinetics and carry out parametric studies related to design matrices that can provide guidance for the practical implementation of such design. The operating conditions are chosen in such a way which makes possible a good comparison of the catalytic plate reactor and catalytic combustion analysis with the conventional steam reformer. The CFD results obtained in this study is very helpful to understand the optimized design parameters to build a first generation prototype.

Experimental Performance Comparison of a Single Cell and Multi-Cell Stack of High Temperature PEM Fuel Cell Prototype

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanta K. Das ◽  
Etim U. Ubong ◽  
Antonio Reis ◽  
K. Joel Berry
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Operating Temperature ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Fuel Cell Stack ◽  
Current Voltage ◽  
Current Voltage Characteristics

In this study, we experimentally studied our newly designed and built single cell and multi-cell high temperature (140°C∼180°C) polymer electrolyte membrane (HTPEM) fuel cell stack prototype at different operating conditions to investigate the effects of operating temperature, pressure and CO concentration on the cell performance. In particular, the effects of these parameters on the current-voltage characteristics of the fuel cell stack are investigated extensively. Experimental results obtained from both the single cell and multi-cell stack with high temperature PBI-based membrane show that the high CO tolerance at high operating temperature of HTPEM fuel cell stack makes it possible to feed the reformate gas directly from the reformer without further CO removal. In order to develop design parameters for fuel reformer, experimental data of this type would be very useful. The experimental results revealed the fact that a fuel reformer is a consumer of heat and water, and the HTPEM fuel cell stacks are a producer of heat and water. Therefore, the integration of the fuel cell stack and the reformer is expected to improve the entire system’s performance and efficiency. The results obtained from this study showed significant variations in current-voltage characteristics of HTPEM fuel cell stack at different temperatures with different CO poisoning rates. The results are promising to understand the overall system performance development strategy of HTPEM fuel cell in terms of current-voltage characteristics while fed with on-site reformate with different CO ratios in the anode fuel stream.

Experimental Evaluation of CO Poisoning of an Air-Breathing High Temperature PEM Fuel Cell Stack

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanta K. Das ◽  
Antonio Reis ◽  
Etim U. Ubong ◽  
K. Joel Berry
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
System Performance ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Co Poisoning ◽  
Fuel Cell Stack ◽  
Current Voltage ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
Current Voltage Characteristics ◽  
High Temperature Pem

In this paper, we experimentally studied an air breathing high temperature PEM fuel cell at steady operating conditions to investigate the effects of CO poisoning at different temperatures ranges between 120°C∼180°C. The effects of changes in temperatures with different amount of CO poisoning on the current-voltage characteristics of the fuel cell are investigated. Experimental data of this type would be very useful to develop design parameters of fuel processor based on reformate hydrocarbons. The high CO tolerance of high temperature PEM fuel cells makes it possible to use the reformate gas directly from the reformer without further CO removal. Here we considered the fact that a steam reformer is a consumer of heat and water, and fuel cell stacks are a producer of heat and water. Thus, integration of the fuel cell stack and the reformer is expected to improve the system performance. The results obtained from the experiments showed variations in current-voltage characteristics at different temperatures with different CO poisoning rates. The results will help to understand the overall system performance development strategy of high temperature PEM fuel cell in terms of current-voltage characteristics, when fed with on-site reformate hydrogen gas with variable CO concentrations.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of a Catalytic Flat Plate Fuel Reformer for On-Board Hydrogen Generation

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanta K. Das ◽  
Kranthi K. Gadde
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Flat Plate ◽  
Catalytic Combustion ◽  
Cocurrent Flow ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Channel Height ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Wgs Reaction

A catalytic flat plate fuel reformer offers better heat integration by combining the exothermic catalytic combustion reaction on one side and the endothermic catalytic reforming reaction on the other side. In this study, steam reforming of natural gas (methane) coupled with a methane catalytic combustion in a catalytic flat plate reformer is studied using a two-dimensional model for a cocurrent flow arrangement. The two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model makes the predictions more realistic by increasing its capability to capture the effect of various design parameters and eliminates the uncertainties introduced by heat and mass transfer coefficients used in one-dimensional models. In our work we simulated the entire catalytic flat plate reformer (both reforming side and combustion side) and carried-out studies related to important design parameters such as channel height, inlet fuel velocities, and catalyst layer thickness that can provide guidance for the practical implementation of such fuel reformer design. The simulated transverse temperature profiles (not shown here due to page limitation) show that there is virtually no heat loss across the plate at the reformer exit. Introduction of a water gas shift (WGS) reaction at the reformer side along with our optimized reformer design parameters decreases the amount of carbon monoxide (CO) almost 90%–98% in the final reformate exiting the reformer as compared to without the WGS reaction. The CFD results obtained in this study will be very helpful to understand the optimization of design parameters to build a first generation prototype.

Deposition of a Thin-Film CGO Electrolyte for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

2016 ◽  
Vol 685 ◽  
pp. 776-780
Author(s):  
Andrey A. Solovyev ◽  
Anastasya N. Kovalchuk ◽  
Igor V. Ionov ◽  
S.V. Rabotkin ◽  
Anna V. Shipilova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Magnetron Sputtering ◽  
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells ◽  
Operating Temperature ◽  
Solid Oxide ◽  
Oxide Fuel ◽  
Current Voltage ◽  
Current Voltage Characteristics ◽  
Ysz Electrolyte

Reducing the operating temperature of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) from 800-1000°C is one of the main SOFC research goals. It can be achieved by lowering the thickness of an electrolyte (ZrO2:Y2O3 (YSZ) is widely used as electrolyte material). On the other hand the problem can be solved by using of another electrolyte material with high ionic conductivity at intermediate temperatures. Therefore the present study deals with magnetron sputtering of ceria gadolinium oxide (CGO), which has a higher conductivity compared to YSZ. The microstructure of CGO layers deposited on porous NiO/YSZ substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering of Ce:Gd cathode is investigated. Current voltage characteristics (CVC) of a fuel cell with NiO/YSZ anode, CGO electrolyte and LSCF/CGO cathode were obtained. It was shown that the power density of a fuel cell with CGO electrolyte weakly depends on the operating temperature in the range of 650-750°C in contradistinction to YSZ electrolyte, and is about 600-650 mW/cm2.

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