Development of Light-Weight, Low-Cost Multichannels Catalytic Membrane Reformer

Efficient on board reformer using battlefield fuel (diesel and JP-8 fuels) to producehigh purity hydrogen is needed for fuel cells deployment. It is proposed to investigate the feasibility of developing compact, low cost, lightweight, highly effectivemultichannels membrane reformer. Micron size channels (50-100¿m) will be fabricated using proprietary technology developed by MER of porous materials such as alumina. Alternative channels will be coated with membranes that is hydrogen permeable. Theother channels will be packed with catalyst. The incorporation of multichannels membrane reformer would have the advantage of very high surface area membrane for high hydrogen flux, enhancing the conversion equilibrium, eliminating fuel coking as resultof lower temperature operation, and producing sulfur and CO free hydrogen. The feasibility of fabricating multichannel membrane reformer will be investigated in Phase I. This technology will be demonstrated by reforming dieselto produce CO free hydrogen.Multichannels membrane-reactor would have the advantage of large conversion of hydrocarbon in a small, simple, inexpensive and lightweight reactor system. This technology can be applied to a vast majority of equilibrium limited reactions and speciallysuited for onboard applications such as reformer for fuel cell.