EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF AN AUTOTHERMAL GASOLINE REFORMER FOR AUTOMOTIVE PURPOSES

摘要

One of the main uses of fossil fuels is in the transportation sector, leading to environmental consequences such as climate change and smog. In order to move towards a more sustainable energy infrastructure, a transition must begin between fossil fuels and renewable fuels, such as biogas and hydrogen. One possibility to drive this transition is through the application of reforming technology to the automotive sector. The objectives of this project were to experimentally validate a computational fluid dynamics model, while at the same time analyze the data and model in order to improve the design of the bench-scale reformer for use in automotive applications. The model was validated through the experimental data generated through the use of a series of thermocouples and gas chromatography. The highest lower heating value efficiency and dry molar percentage output of hydrogen were 58% and 43% respectively, with conversion percentages approaching 100%.