Ultra-compact steam reforming reactor for SOFC

The military is aggressively pursuing fuel cells for forward deployed logistic fuel powered generators. Partial oxidation and steam reforming technologies have not been able to provide systems that are both compact and efficient, however. A fundamentally new reactor geometry under development by Mesoscopic Devices promises to allow compact, fast response, and efficient steam reforming of logistic fuels. The new reactor achieves highly effective heat transfer and catalytic conversion in an extremely compact and simple design. In this Phase I program, Mesoscopic Devices will build the reactor and demonstrate steam reforming of logistic fuels. Detailed system-level modeling will show that the new steam reformer used in a solid oxide fuel cell system with integrated water recovery will have a higher energy density that other generators and will not require an external source of water for steam reforming.