Single Step Conversion of Logistic Fuels to Pure Hydrogen

Presently available technology for converting logistic fuels to hydrogen for use in fuel cells is unsatisfactory in three fundamental ways. First there is the problem that the hydrogen that is produced in the initial fuel gasification step contains impurities such as CO, H,S and NH, which must be removed since they would poison the fuel cell. Secondly the hydroden is diluted with CO, and N2 which make it unsuitable for use in some types of fuel cells and reduce the efficiency with which it can be used in the others. Thirdly to achieve any reasonable efficiency a complex heat recovery system is needed. This proposal describes a new technology for producing hydrogen from high molecular weight liquid fuels which avoids all these problems, i.e. fuel and water are fed to a single reaction vessel and the product coming out is, except for some excess water, virtually pure hydrogen. As is discussed in detail in the proposal there are good reasons to expect that this new technology will be highly efficient at full and part load, have low capital and operating costs relative to presently available technologies, have excellent transient response, near zero emissions of NOx and soot, and will have no materials of construction problems. Anticipated Benefits: Successful development of this technology will greatly increase the number of situations in which fuel cells are the method of choice for generating electricity.