CATALYTIC REFORMING-SHIFT PROCESSORS FOR HYDROGEN GENERATION AND CONTINUOUS FUEL CELL OPERATION

摘要

Improved multi-operational reforming and gas-shift processing and conversion systems for methane, natural gas, and coal gas to hydrogen and carbon oxide mixtures are utilized with product gases used to power hydrogen based fuel cells and to alternatively synthesize chemicals or fuels such as methanol. The systems involve effective reaction and separation processors as single, integrated or consecutive units to perform hydrocarbon conversion and recycling with product separation and downstream hydrogen utilization in fuel cells. Their design is based on reaction, separation and accompanied process engineering principles involving appropriate catalysis and specifications for feedstock and product gas composition. Experiments and modeling are underway to describe in detail the process function and operation of the developed systems. Inherent process parameters are varied within the models to describe variation effects on reactant conversion, yield, hydrogen throughput. Such parameters are among others the temperature, pressure, feed composition and inlet flowrate in the reactor and the hydrogen purity, feed rate and power output from the fuel cell. These new reaction-fuel cell power systems contribute into environmental and greenhouse pollution prevention by eliminating air pollutants including nitric oxides and carbon dioxide.