Steam Reforming Of Diesel Research Articles

Steam reforming of dodecane using Ni-red mud catalyst: A sustainable approach for hydrogen production

Conventional energy sources emit huge amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere causing global warming. Hydrogen (H2) is an alternative clean energy carrier that produces only heat and water vapor upon combustion. In this work, we utilized industrial waste material (Red Mud, RM) to develop a cost-effective and efficient catalyst for steam reforming of diesel (n-dodecane as a model compound) for hydrogen production. We impregnated nickel (Ni), a prudent and effective metal, in red mud (RM) in varied proportions to employ as a catalyst for hydrogen production. The catalysts' structure was characterized by powdered X-ray Diffraction (PXRD), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and Electron Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) were used to measure the elemental composition while Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the catalysts’ morphology. Surface area and porosity were analyzed using the N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, and H2-Temperature Programmed Reduction (H2-TPR) to study the reducibility and interaction of Ni species to the RM. The catalysts were then evaluated for hydrogen production by the steam reforming process of n-dodecane (SRD). It was found that the catalyst with 20% Ni loading (20% Ni@RM) can produce hydrogen with selectivity as high as 75%, and stability for 20 h with a negligible decline in the catalyst performance.

Configurations and Operation Methods of Diesel-Based Solid Oxide Fuel Cell System

Solid oxide fuel cell(SOFC) is a recently developed technology which has attracted increasing attention for its high efficiency and low emission. While the production and delivery of hydrogen still have giant obstacles, diesel will be a good substitute for its high heating value and low cost. However, it has not been widely used as the fuel for SOFC and researches on diesel-based SOFC system still remains to be further explored. In this work, a diesel steam reforming(SR)-SOFC system is studied. We proposed a series of system configurations of diesel-based SOFC and fitted key system units based on measured data of reforming and stack experiments. Moreover, the best system operation condition intervals were presented to achieve the maximize system efficiency and heat balance. The results suggest that a system with anode off-gas recirculation and electrodes off-gas mixture has the highest efficiency because it has higher syngas heat value and lower off-gas temperature; by adding a water condenser between reformer and SOFC stack, the system efficiency can be improved for higher percentage of H2 in syngas although the condenser will take away a part of the heat. Under this system configuration and the best system operation condition interval , the system efficiency can reach 58.2%(the stack efficiency is 45.8%), improving approximately 10% comparing with the system without anode off-gas recirculation. This research reveals the efficiency variance between different system configurations and gives a better system configuration as well as preferred operation methods, which lays a theoretical foundation for the upcoming design of a 100kw class physical system.Keywords: solid oxide fuel cell, diesel reforming, system configurations, operation method

Improving anti-coking and sulfur-resisting performance of Rh-based lanthanum zirconate pyrochlore catalysts for diesel reforming through partial substitution with alkali earth metals

This work studied the effect of partial substitution of La by alkali earth metals (Mg, Ca, and Ba) on the catalytic performance of steam reforming of diesel over pyrochlore type catalysts with n-hexadecane as surrogate fuel. The experimental results indicated that LaBaZrRh catalyst exhibited a superb catalytic activity and sulfur tolerance with ∼100% fuel conversion and ∼65.8% H2 concentration in the reformate for a runtime over 30 h in the presence of 50 ppm sulfur. The introduction of Ba was found to greatly inhibit the coke formation and sulfur poisoning to catalysts. The H2-TPR and H2 pulse chemisorption tests further revealed that it is the partial substitution of La by Ba that enhances the interaction between the active metal Rh and La2Zr2O7 support, thus significantly improving the dispersion of Rh active component and decreasing the size of Rh particles. The XPS results showed that the electron-deficient Rh was formed in LaBaZrRh catalyst. The weaker interaction between sulfur and electron-deficient metals led to the easy breaking of the sulfur-metal bond in LaBaZrRh catalyst, thus resulting in good sulfur tolerance. Additionally, the La substitution by Ba also enhanced the concentration of oxygen vacancies, which improved the coking resistance.

Thermochemical Recuperation for Stirling Engines by Diesel Steam Reforming: Thermodynamic Analysis

Thermochemical Recuperation for Stirling Engines by Diesel Steam Reforming: Thermodynamic Analysis

The influence of aromatic compounds on the Rh-containing structured catalyst performance in steam and autothermal reforming of diesel fuel

The detailed experimental studies of the autothermal and steam reforming of model mixtures simulating the composition of commercial diesel fuel were carried out over Rh/Ce0.75Zr0.25O2-δ-ƞ-Al2O3/FeCrAl wire mesh honeycomb catalytic modules. The components of the diesel surrogates were n-hexadecane, o-xylene, and naphthalene as model compounds of aliphatics, mono-aromatics and diaromatics, respectively. It was shown that low reaction rate of diaromatics steam reforming facilitated increasing concentration of C1–C5 hydrocarbon by-products (primarily ethylene) in the gas phase, as well as formation of polyaromatic compounds by concurrent condensation reaction. These undesirable processes were responsible for increasing catalyst coking. Monoaromatic constituents hadn't any significant effect on the progress of undesirable side-reactions during autothermal and steam reforming of diesel surrogates.

Effects of synthesis route on the performance of mesoporous ceria-alumina and ceria-zirconia-alumina supported nickel catalysts in steam and autothermal reforming of diesel

Decline in catalyst performance due to coke deposition is the main problem in diesel steam (SR) and autothermal reforming (ATR) reactions. Good redox potential and strong interaction of CeO2 with nickel increase activity and coke resistivity of Ni/Al2O3 catalysts. In this study, mesoporous Al2O3, CeO2/Al2O3, and CeO2/ZrO2/Al2O3 supported nickel catalysts were successfully synthesized. The highest hydrogen yield, 97.7%, and almost no coke deposition were observed with CeO2/ZrO2/Al2O3 catalyst (Ni@8CeO2-2ZrO2-Al2O3-EISA) in SR reaction. The second highest hydrogen yield, 91.4%, was obtained with CeO2/Al2O3 catalyst (Ni@10CeO2-Al2O3-EISA) with 0.3 wt% coke deposition. Presence of ZrO2 prevented the transformation of cubic CeO2 into CeAlO3, which enhanced water gas shift reaction (WGSR) activity. Ni@10CeO2-Al2O3-EISA did not show any decline in activity in a long-term performance test. Higher CeO2 incorporation (20 wt%) caused lower steam reforming activity. Change of synthesis route from one-pot to impregnation for the CeO2 incorporation decreased the number of acid sites, limiting cracking reactions and causing a significant drop in hydrogen production.

Effect of characteristic component on diesel steam reforming to hydrogen over highly dispersed Ni–Rh- and Ni-based catalysts: Experiment and DFT calculation study

The complicated components of hydrocarbons and sulfides in diesel lead to carbon deposition and sulfur poisoning of the catalyst and make it difficult to study the catalytic reforming mechanism. Herein, Ni–Rh- and Ni-based catalysts with highly dispersed active metals and particle sizes of approximately 4 nm were prepared continuously in a microfluidic system by co-precipitation method and were used to study the component adaptability of diesel steam reforming. Polycyclic aromatics and sulfides are the main materials affecting the catalytic stability, whereas alkanes with different carbon numbers, cycloalkanes, olefins, and monoaromatics have no obvious influence on the durability. The initial hydrogen yields of 0# diesel of the China National VI standard over Ni–Rh- and Ni-based catalysts were 142% and 109%, respectively, at a weight hourly space velocity of 4.5 h−1, and the theoretical yield is 151%. After 20 h, the performance degradation of the two catalysts was less than 25% and 35%, respectively. The density functional theory (DFT) calculation results showed that the adsorption capability of Ni–Rh(111) surface towards CH2O*, CHO*, and O* was weaker than Ni(111) surface. The weak binding of active metal surface and oxygen relevant species is an effective pathway to reduce the energy barrier of diesel steam reforming.

Operation of Rh/Ce0.75Zr0.25O2-δ-ƞ-Al2O3/FeCrAl wire mesh honeycomb catalytic modules in diesel steam and autothermal reforming

The Rh/Ce0·75Zr0·25O2–δ-ƞ-Al2O3/FeCrAl structured catalytic blocks of length 10, 20, and 60 mm were prepared and tested in the reactions of steam and autothermal reforming of n-hexadecane. It was found in a series of experiments on hexadecane steam reforming with the catalyst heating solely through the reactor wall that the complete conversion of hexadecane at a furnace temperature below 750 °C was not achieved even at GHSV = 10,000 h−1. Under these conditions, the formation of carbon on the catalyst surface was observed. At the reactor wall temperature of 800 °C, the complete conversion of hexadecane was achieved even in the 10 mm long catalytic block (GHSV = 60,000 h−1), accompanied by the formation of various intermediate light hydrocarbons. To achieve complete conversion of these intermediate compounds (mainly 1-alkenes), it is necessary to carry out the steam reforming reaction at GHSV = 10,000 h−1. At hexadecane autothermal reforming, heat is supplied to the reaction zone by exothermic oxidation reaction, which makes this process more efficient. In experiments with the use of additional external heat supply through the reactor wall, complete conversion of hexadecane occurred at GHSV = 120,000 h−1. To convert all by-products (mainly 1-alkenes) and achieve a nearly thermodynamic equilibrium distribution of the main reaction products (H2, CO, CO2), the reaction should be carried out at GHSV = 20,000 h−1. Without external heat supply, hexadecane conversion decreased, while the content of light hydrocarbons in the reaction products increased. An increase in the inlet amount of oxygen helps to compensate the heat losses in the reactor and to increase the efficiency of hexadecane autothermal reforming. The performed experiments allow better understanding of the processes which occur during the steam and autothermal reforming of diesel.

Steam reforming of surrogate diesel model over hydrotalcite-derived MO-CaO-Al2O3 (M = Ni & Co) catalysts for SOFC applications

Catalytic steam reforming of diesel fuel has the potential for producing syngas or hydrogen that can be feed to a fuel cell (especially SOFC) for portable power generation. Cost-effective, highly active reforming catalysts with resistance towards carbon formation and sulfur poisoning are critically needed to commercialize such technologies successfully. Thus in the present work, we have explored CaO-Al2O3 based hydrotalcite structure derived catalyst precursors for syngas production via steam reforming of a diesel model compound (n-dodecane). The steam reforming of n-dodecane reactions was also carried out in the presence of 100 ppm of sulfur compounds at a steam-to-carbon ratio of 2. Among all the catalysts tested, the Co-CaO-Al2O3 catalyst gave the best catalytic performance with respect to n-dodecane conversion, stability, and carbon suppression. At 700 °C, the Co-CaO-Al2O3 catalyst possesses > 90% of n-dodecane conversions with a negligible carbon formation (1.04 mg C/g.h) for a period of 24 h. It is also observed that upon deactivation due to sulfur poisoning, the Co-CaO-Al2O3 catalyst can be regenerated by a simple thermal treatment at 750 °C, which is due to the considerably low decomposition temperature behavior of CoSx and CaS species formed for this catalyst. Lower carbon deposition over the Co-CaO-Al2O3 catalyst can be attributed to the better oxygen affinity of Co species and higher normalized basicity than other catalysts.

Hydrogen Production via Model Diesel Steam Reforming over a High-Performance Ni/Ce0.75La0.25O2−δ-γ-Al2O3 Catalyst with Oxygen Vacancies

Hydrogen-rich syngas production via diesel steam reforming (DSR) is of great interest because of the high H2/CO ratio and available external heat sources. In this study, catalysts (particle size (dp) = 3–5 mm) containing 10 wt % Ni were prepared through wet impregnation, and their performance was evaluated in a semipilot fixed-bed reactor (Φ = 42 mm). The catalyst was doped with La, which resulted in excellent catalytic performance under different operating conditions. The apparent activation energies of the catalysts for the model diesel (n-dodecane) steam reforming increased in the order Ni/Ce0.75La0.25O2−δ-γ-Al2O3 (17 kJ/mol) < Ni/CeO2-γ-Al2O3 (18 kJ/mol) < Ni/γ-Al2O3 (27 kJ/mol). The model DSR over Ni/Ce0.75La0.25O2−δ-γ-Al2O3 showed product stability and produced a high H2 content (32 vol %). Fresh and spent catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, H2-temperature programmed reduction, inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The origin of the oxygen vacancies in the La-doped catalyst was elucidated using density functional theory calculations. The improvements in the activity and stability of the Ni/Ce0.75La0.25O2−δ-γ-Al2O3 catalyst are attributed to (1) the enhancement in the oxygen release/storage capacity, (2) the stabilizing interaction between Ni and the surface La2O3 phase, and (3) the small size (11 nm) and uniform distribution of Ni particles. Out of the tested catalysts, the spent Ni/Ce0.75La0.25O2−δ-γ-Al2O3 catalyst showed the lowest coke deposition (5.8 mg/g-cat.) and the least severe Ni agglomeration after 10 h of testing because of its superior ionic mobility and oxygen storage capacity.

Development of ceria and tungsten promoted nickel/alumina catalysts for steam reforming of diesel

Use of diesel fuel for on-board hydrogen production for auxiliary power units (APUs) through diesel steam reforming (DSR) reaction is a promising route. Coke minimization for cheap and active Ni/Al2O3 catalyst is necessary for long term operation in DSR reaction. Coke minimization with high hydrogen productivity can be accomplished through the optimization of operating conditions and promoting the Ni/Al2O3 catalyst with ceria (CeO2) and tungsten (W) which attracts attention with their coke resistive properties. Maximization of hydrogen production and minimization of coke deposition would require an optimization of operating conditions as well as catalyst content in DSR reaction. It is shown that decrease of GHSV from 25,000 h−1 to 7500 h−1 enhances DSR by reducing side product formation, suggesting a mechanism of cracking of longer chain hydrocarbons into C2-C3 compounds which are then reformed into the desired products. Side product formation was also reduced at higher steam feeding by further reforming of side products and promotion of water gas shift reaction (WGSR) activity in excess steam environment enhanced H2 production. CeO2 incorporation lead to formation of CeAlO3 phase which was proven to be effective in promoting WGSR activity, on the other hand W incorporation significantly reduced, even eliminated coke deposition. Hydrogen production capability of Ni-W/Al2O3 catalyst can be improved by using higher steam feeding which enhances WGSR. Long-term operation of DSR reaction for hydrogen production to be used in fuel cell component of APUs can be applied commercially with Ni-W/Al2O3 catalyst.

Steam, dry, and steam-dry chemical looping reforming of diesel fuel in a 1 kWth unit

Chemical looping reforming (CLR) is a process that enables the production of syngas/H2 with CO2 capture by using oxygen carriers that prevent direct contact between the fuel and air. This work presents the experimental results obtained in a 1kWth CLR unit using a Ni-based oxygen carrier and diesel as fuel, as a first trial for further advancement with heavier liquid fuels. The influence of the main operating conditions, such as oxygen-to-diesel molar ratio and the H2O and/or CO2 feed into the system, was analysed in both steam and dry CLR processes. In addition, the combined steam-dry CLR process enabled the production of syngas with any H2/CO molar ratio between 0.2 and 3, which resulted in a wide variety of final products during its use in Fischer-Tropsch processes. In all cases, the syngas composition was close to that given by the thermodynamic equilibrium. These results demonstrate the technical feasibility of steam, dry, and combined steam-dry reforming processes for liquid fossil fuels in a chemical looping system.

Ni Catalysts Supported on Modified Alumina for Diesel Steam Reforming

Nickel catalysts are the most popular for steam reforming, however, they have a number of drawbacks, such as high propensity toward coke formation and intolerance to sulfur. In an effort to improve their behavior, a series of Ni-catalysts supported on pure and La-, Ba-, (La+Ba)- and Ce-doped γ-alumina has been prepared. The doped supports and the catalysts have been extensively characterized. The catalysts performance was evaluated for steam reforming of n-hexadecane pure or doped with dibenzothiophene as surrogate for sulphur-free or commercial diesel, respectively. The undoped catalyst lost its activity after 1.5 h on stream. Doping of the support with La improved the initial catalyst activity. However, this catalyst was completely deactivated after 2 h on stream. Doping with Ba or La+Ba improved the stability of the catalysts. This improvement is attributed to the increase of the dispersion of the nickel phase, the decrease of the support acidity and the increase of Ni-phase reducibility. The best catalyst of the series doped with La+Ba proved to be sulphur tolerant and stable for more than 160 h on stream. Doping of the support with Ce also improved the catalytic performance of the corresponding catalyst, but more work is needed to explain this behavior.

Promoted RhPt bimetallic catalyst supported on δ-Al2O3 and CeO2–ZrO2 during full-scale autothermal reforming for automotive applications: Post-mortem characterization

The influence of sulfur and coke formation on the steam reforming of diesel was evaluated for two promoted RhPt bimetallic catalysts, composed of 1:1 Rh:Pt/10:10 La2O3: CeO2/ δ-Al2O3 (CAT 1) and 1:1 Rh:Pt/4:5 MgO: Y2O3/CeO2−ZrO2 (CAT 2). The intrinsic activity is related to the total Rh and Pt area observed after the exposure to sulfur. Therefore, the degree of deactivation is related to the amount of sulfur deposited on the active metal sites. Sulfur analysis on the aged catalyst washcoat showed a decreasing sulfur concentration in the axial direction of the reformer. The estimated sulfur coverage related to metal surface area after 40h on stream reached values of 0.145 in CAT 2, below the equilibrated sulfur coverage of 0.19 after tests with DIN 590. Thus, showing a partial deactivation due to sulfur poisoning. Further catalyst characterization on carbon deposits and thermal aging was performed by TPO, TGA, BET, CO chemisorption, and TEM analysis.

Direct steam reforming of diesel and diesel–biodiesel blends for distributed hydrogen generation

Distributed hydrogen generation from liquid fuels has attracted increasing attention in the past years. Petroleum-derived fuels with already existing infrastructure benefit from high volumetric and gravimetric energy densities, making them an interesting option for cost competitive decentralized hydrogen production.In the present study, direct steam reforming of diesel and diesel blends (7 vol.% biodiesel) is investigated at various operating conditions using a proprietary precious metal catalyst. The experimental results show a detrimental effect of low catalyst inlet temperatures and high feed mass flow rates on catalyst activity. Moreover, tests with a desulfurized diesel–biodiesel blend indicate improved long-term performance of the precious metal catalyst. By using deeply desulfurized diesel (1.6 ppmw sulfur), applying a high catalyst inlet temperature (>800 °C), a high steam-to-carbon ratio (S/C = 5) and a low feed mass flow per open area of catalyst (11 g/h cm2), a stable product gas composition close to chemical equilibrium was achieved over 100 h on stream. Catalyst deactivation was not observed.

Comparison between a micro reactor with multiple air inlets and a monolith reactor for oxidative steam reforming of diesel

In order to lower the emission from idling heavy-duty trucks auxiliary power units can be implemented. Due to limited space available on-board the truck the units needs to be both efficient and compact. One alternative for these units is a fuel cell supplied with hydrogen from a fuel reformer. Today, mostly monolithic reactors are used in the field of oxidative steam reforming of fuels, which has some challenges that need to be addressed before a possible breakthrough occurs on the market. One is the temperature gradient developed over the length of the monolith as a consequence of the sequential reactions. This could be improved by using a metallic micro reactor with better heat integration between the reaction zones and further improving the integration with multiple air inlets along the catalytic bed.The aim with this study was to compare a conventional monolith reactor for oxidative steam reforming of fuel with a novel micro reactor design where air was dosed at four different positions along the reactor channels. The experiments were not necessarily conducted autothermal, i.e. a heating jacket was applied for operation.

Coupled operation of a diesel steam reformer and an LT- and HT-PEFC

Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC) combined with diesel fuel processors offer a great potential for auxiliary power units (APU) in mobile applications. In a joint research project with partners from industry, Oel-Waerme-Institut GmbH is developing an integrated modular fuel cell system for mobile power generation in caravans and yachts. The system includes a steam reforming fuel processor that allows the operation of low-temperature (LT-) as well as high-temperature (HT-) PEFC.In the presented work the coupled operation of the fuel processor and LT-PEFC and HT-PEFC stacks is demonstrated using logistic diesel from a gas station. For LT-PEFC operation, a single-stage preferential oxidation reactor (PROX) was applied to achieve the required CO concentration. Long-term coupled operation was carried out at a reformer temperature of 780 °C using both diesel surrogate (sulfur content <2 wt. ppm) and logistic diesel from a gas station (sulfur content <10 wt. ppm). In contrast to diesel surrogate, an increase in residual hydrocarbon concentration in the reformate was measured using logistic diesel, which is related to the catalyst deactivation from sulfur. Consequently, during LT-PEFC operation cell voltage remained stable using the diesel surrogate, but decreased over operating time using logistic diesel due to deactivation of both reformer and fuel cell catalyst. At a reformer temperature of 800 °C, residual hydrocarbon concentration and cell voltage of the LT-PEFC remained stable during operation with logistic diesel. It was concluded that residual hydrocarbons deactivate the LT-PEFC catalyst more severely than sulfuric compounds.During HT-PEFC operation, cell voltage remained stable in spite of an increasing hydrocarbon concentration. The HT-PEFC showed no indication of anode catalyst deactivation during operation with reformate from steam reforming of logistic diesel and therefore has great potential for coupling with the fuel processor without the need for a PROX reactor.

Techno-Economic Study of Hydrogen Production via Steam Reforming of Methanol, Ethanol, and Diesel

AbstractA large portion of industrial hydrogen is generated from the steam reforming (SR) of hydrocarbons.1–7 A rational choice of fuel for hydrogen production from hydrocarbons is controversial due to the disadvantages of the fuels, including the cost, infrastructure development, and energy efficiency of the corresponding reforming process.8–10 The optimum selection should be made considering all the above factors. A techno-economic analysis of the steam reforming of strategic fuels, including methanol, ethanol, and diesel, is carried out. The produced gas molecules, equilibrium composition of the products, appropriate operating conditions, and energy efficiency of the system operating on corresponding fuels are studied applying the minimization of Gibbs free-energy technique. It is concluded that steam reforming of methanol yields the most facile conversion. The appropriate steam reforming operating temperature for the studied fuels vary from low to high temperatures, being 180–220°C for methanol and up...

Diesel steam reforming: Comparison of two nickel aluminate catalysts prepared by wet-impregnation and co-precipitation

γ-Al2O3 supported Ni–Al spinel catalysts, prepared by co-precipitation and wet impregnation, were produced, analysed and tested on commercial diesel steam reforming. The study of the preparation method's effect on the catalytic activity, builds on a previously patented Ni–Al spinel (NiAl2O4) catalyst supported on alumina (Al2O3) and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). This non-noble metal-based NiAl2O4/Al2O3–YSZ catalyst demonstrated high activity for commercial diesel and biodiesel steam reforming.Diesel steam reforming experiments were performed in a fixed-bed reactor setup, with a proprietary diesel–water emulsion mixture at 760°C. The two tested catalytic formulations yielded the same overall conversion while the products obtained were significantly different. Thus, the catalyst produced via the co-precipitation method (Copr) (a) suffered rapid deactivation from carbon deposition; (b) produced 5 times more methane than the catalyst produced via the wet impregnation method (Impr) and (c) showed a decreasing hydrogen production. The Impr catalyst exhibited a higher stability for diesel steam reforming with no signs of carbon formation or activity loss. The difference between Impr and Copr catalyst activities is related to the Ni-aluminates dispersion: located on the surface for the Impr catalyst, whereas located in the bulk of the Copr catalyst.In order to correlate their activities to their physicochemical properties, both new catalytic formulations presented in this work were characterized before and after steam reforming tests, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) as well as temperature programmed reduction (TPR).

Integrated fuel cell APU based on a compact steam reformer for diesel and a PEMFC

This paper presents experimental results of a diesel steam reforming fuel processor operated in conjunction with a gas cleanup module and coupled operation with a PEM fuel cell. The fuel processor was operated with two different precious-metal based reformer catalysts, using diesel surrogate with a sulfur content of less than 2ppmw as fuel. The first reformer catalyst entails an increasing residual hydrocarbon concentration for increasing reformer fuel feed. The second reformer catalyst exhibits a significantly lower residual hydrocarbon concentration in the reformate gas.Coupled operation of the fuel processor/gas cleanup with a PEM stack shows the impact of residual hydrocarbons on fuel cell performance. Using the second reformer catalyst, the fuel processor/gas cleanup was successfully coupled to an 80-cell stack generating an electric power output of up to 1.5kWel. The system is foreseen to be used as a mobile auxiliary power unit (APU) for caravans and yachts or as a stationary energy supply.