Abstract
Proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems offer a potential power source for utility and mobile applications. Currently, practical fuel cell systems use fuel processors for the production of a hydrogen-rich gas for the fuel cell anode. Liquid fuels such as ethanol, which can be produced from renewable feed stocks, are attractive options as feeds to a fuel processor. The generation of hydrogen gas for fuel cells, in most cases, becomes the crucial design issue with respect to weight and volume in these applications. Furthermore, these fuel processors require a gas clean-up system to ensure that the fuel quality meets the demands of the cell anode. The endothermic nature of the reformer will have a significant effect on the overall system efficiency. The gas clean-up system may also significantly affect the overall heat balance. A model of a methanol steam reformer that was previously developed has been used as the basis for a model for an ethanol steam reformer. Similarly, a steady-state electrochemical fuel cell model (SSEM) that was previously developed was used. A palladium diffuser purifier simulation was used for gas clean-up. The ethanol fuel processor model and the SSEM have been incorporated into a process simulation and system analysismore » of an ethanol-fueled reformer/fuel cell system. The performance of this complete system has been investigated for a variety of operating conditions. Assuming that ethanol reforming could be done at 400 C, a net electrical efficiency based on the LHV of ethanol of approximately 54% was calculated. The efficiency, however, is very sensitive to reforming temperature and drops rapidly as the reformer temperature increases. The fractional recovery of hydrogen by the gas clean-up system is also an important factor. The net thermal efficiency passes through a maximum at the point when the heating value in the retentate from the purifier just meets the endothermic heating requirements of the reformer.« less
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