Compact, Efficient Water Recovery for Advanced Fuel Cell Power Systems

Fuel cell power systems that run on common, high-sulfur logistics fuel have the potential to meet future demands for distributed, shipboard power generation and generate power at forward deployed bases. A key practical problem with this technology is the need for a continuous supply of high-purity water to the fuel reformer. We propose to develop a compact, efficient, and simple water recovery system that can separate high-purity water from the reformate stream without the need for phase change and complicated purification equipment. In Phase I we will prove the feasibility of our approach through proof-of-concept experiments that demonstrate the key performance aspects of our system, chemical process modeling of the power system that calculates system performance in key operational modes, a 3-D system layout, and specification of interfaces for a range of power system sizes. In Phase II we will build and demonstrate a prototype water recovery system sized for a 50 kWe fuel cell generating system.