Hydrogen production system by methanol reforming with microreactor

摘要

The microreactor system with a hydrogen production unit by methanol reforming and a CO removal unit by selective oxidation for small PEMFC was developed. First, the preparation of Cu/ZnO/Al_2O_3 catalyst for methanol reforming was examined. By the appropriate selection of temperature and pH in precipitation formation and Al_2O_3 support, it was possible to obtain the Cu/ZnO/Al_2O_3 catalyst with superior catalytic activity than a commercial catalyst. It was indicated that the optimization of preparation condition brings about the catalyst with large Cu surface area and small ZnO crystallite. Further, by use of the microreactor, which fabricated a Si substrate, with the superior Cu/ZnO/Al_2O_3 catalyst deposited on a microchannel, the sufficient hydrogen production rate, which corresponds to an electric power enough to drive a portable telephone that consumes about 1 W, was obtained under the practical operating condition. Finally, the developed small PEMFC, which consists of the methanol reformer and the CO remover having a Pt/Al_2O_3 catalyst, generated a maximum output almost equal to pure H_2 gas.