Impact of reformer/burner thermal integration on the efficiency and dynamic response of an onboard fuel processor in an indirect methanol fuel cell vehicle

摘要

Using a fuel other than pure hydrogen in a fuel cell vehicle (FCV) employing a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack typically requires an on-board fuel processor to provide hydrogen-rich fuel to the stack. On board fuel processors that generate hydrogen from on-board liquid methanol (and other hydrocarbons) have been proposed as possible alternative sources of hydrogen needed by the fuel cell. This paper focuses on a methanol fueled fuel processor that using steam reformation process to generate hydrogne. The reformation process involves a steam reformer and a catalytic burner (which provides the necessary energy for the endothermic steam reforming reactions to occur). This paper focuses on the importance of reformer/burner thermal integration and its impact on the dynamic response of the fuel processor. The model uses MATLAB/Simulink software and the simulation provides results for both dynamic response and energy efficiency.