A further step toward H2 in automobile : development of an efficient bi-functional catalyst for single stage water gas shift

摘要

The suitability of polymer electrolyte fuel (PEM) cells for stationary and vehicularudapplications initiated research in all areas of fuel processor (i.e. reformer, water-gas-shift,udpreferential oxidation of CO (PROX)) catalysts for hydrogen generation. Water gas shiftud(WGS) reaction is an essential part of these processors because of its role in COudpurification, which poisons the Pt electrodes of PEM, and its role in generating additionaludhydrogen. The WGS reaction is well established in conventional large steady-stateudoperations, such as ammonia plants, but it has found new purpose and challenges to fitudthe requirements for energy power generation through fuel cell. More active catalysts areudnecessary as large volumes of shift reactors are usually required which would beudresponsible for about 50% of the volume of the whole fuel processor. Therefore,udreplacing the conventionally two stages WGS, i.e. the high temperature shift and the lowudtemperature shift, with a single stage WGS shift seems to be promising for reducing theudtotal volume of fuel processor. In this dissertation, a development of active, selective,udand stable single stage water-gas-shift (WGS) catalyst for H2 production for fuel celludapplications has been investigated. Such efficient catalysts could be used in a H2 selectiveudcatalytic membrane reactor in order to overcome thermodynamic limitations whenudtemperature is chosen relatively high for improving reaction rate.