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Multi‐fuel scaled‐down autothermal pure H 2 generator: Design and proof of concept
Author(s) -
Shoham Patrascu Michael,
Sheintuch Moshe
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.15193
Subject(s) - process engineering , oxidizing agent , methane , methane reformer , environmental science , nuclear engineering , chemistry , mechanical engineering , materials science , chemical engineering , engineering , steam reforming , catalysis , hydrogen production , biochemistry , organic chemistry
This article presents experimental results of an autothermal scaled‐down system for H 2 production. Pure atmospheric pressure H 2 , separated in situ by Pd–Ag membranes, is produced by steam reforming (SR) of methane, ethanol, or glycerol. Oxidizing the SR effluents in a separate compartment supplies the heat. The oxidation feed is axially distributed to avoid hotspots. The 1.3 L system, comprises 100 cm 2 of membrane area, and generates H 2 flow rate equivalent to 0.15 kW at an efficiency of ∼25%. This process leads to comparable performance when different fuels are used. A mathematical model, validated by the measurements, predicts that increasing the membrane area relative to the outer surface area will substantially increase the efficiency and power output. This design serves as proof of concept for on‐board pure H 2 generators, with flexible fuel sources, and holds a great promise to reduce the need for special H 2 transport and storage technologies for portable or stationary applications. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J , 62: 2112–2125, 2016