Sulfer-Tolerant Water-Gas-Shift Catalysts

Fuel cell systems are being considered for naval vessels, including surface ships and submarines, for propulsion, auxiliary, and emergency power generation. The primary advantages of fuel cell power generation include increased efficiency, lower weight and smaller size, less pollution, and reduced acoustic signature. Another potential advantage for ship service fuel cells is the concept of “distributed power” – with multiple fuel cell power plants at different locations on a ship, backup power would be available if the primary fuel cell system was damaged. Currently, a single diesel-fueled turbine engine provides power, which makes ships vulnerable if the engine is damaged. Fuel cell based power generation is intrinsically more efficient than current turbine-based systems (~40 percent versus ~25 percent). This provides a key strategic advantage of longer mission durations without re-supply. For ship-service applications, logistic (diesel) fuels, which are laden with sulfur, are required. Thus, fuel processors are required to convert the logistic fuel into a hydrogen-rich gas with little or no carbon monoxide or sulfur. In this project, NexTech Materials, Ltd. is collaborating with Power and Energy, Inc. on the water-gas-shift reactor of the fuel processor, specifically the combination of a sulfur-tolerant water-gas-shift catalyst and a sulfur-tolerant hydrogen separation membrane. If successfully, developed this WGS membrane reactor will provide a high-purity stream of hydrogen for operating fuel cell systems at high efficiency.