505a Low-Cost H2 Production for Fuel Cells Using Adsorption Enhanced Reforming

Kandaswamy DuraiSwamy1, Armin D. Ebner2, James A. Ritter2, Court Moorefield3, Donovan Pena3, and Anand Chellappa3. (1) Intelligent Energy, Inc, 2955 Redondo Ave, Long Beach, CA 90806, (2) Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, (3) Intelligent Energy, 2955 Redondo Ave, Long Beach, CA 90806

Rapid Adsorption Enhanced Cyclic Reformer is being developed at Intelligent Energy for producing low-cost hydrogen at high thermal efficiencies for use in fuel cells for combined heat and power application as a part of a DOE program (DE-FG36-07GO17013). Modeling and simulation is being done at University of South Carolina.

Experimental tests are progressing for ethanol and methane reforming using Rhodium-zirconium stabilized ceria catalyst and potassium-promoted hydrotalcite as sorbent. Results indicate that by adsorptive reforming at ~500 C high thermal efficiencies (~80%) are achievable. The paper will present experimental results and simulations predicting the behavior of the rapid cycle enhanced cyclic reformer.