Enhancement of proton exchange membrane fuel cell net electric power and methanol-reforming performance by vein channel carved into the reactor plate

Abstract

A prospective small power system that uses fuel from a small reactor to turn methanol into hydrogen is a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell (FC). This article examines the fuel conversion ability of the small methanol steam reformer (MSR) creating different vein channels with varying widths and angles on the reactor plate and PEMFC net electric power at various heated temperatures. For each channel, the catalyst quantity remains the same. The maximum hydrogen yield is 92.44%, methanol conversion 0.01187 kmole ⋅ m−3, and cell net electric power 133.86 W. The augmentation of hydrogen yield and methanol conversion from the innovative SR reactor by the vein channel of width 1.25 mm and angle 120° achieves 84.32% and 29.52% compared to the parallel-channel SR reactor under Twall of 250 °C. The novel SR reactor, having a vein channel with a width of 1.5 mm and an angle of 90°, acquires 29.09% compared to the parallel-channel SR reactor in PEM fuel cell net electric power under Twall of 250 °C, allowing low CO exhaust. The findings show that the novel SR reactor with a venous channel enhances the net electrical energy conversion of MSR and PEM fuel cells.