Conversion of Animal Waste to Hydrogen by Unmixed Reforming

Animal waste is a potentially valuable energy resource, but it cannot be shipped economically. If the waste could be converted to hydrogen, the hydrogen could be used in fuel cells to provide electricity and space heating to farms and other rural facilities. Unfortunately, the only presently available technology for doing this conversion, steam reforming, is not economical for small installations. This project will adapt a new technology, unmixed reforming, for animal waste and show that it is economical at small facilities. The process will recover the nitrogen in the waste as urea and the wastes¿ heat of combustion as hydrogen for fuel cells. Phase I will conduct a laboratory scale demonstration of the use of unmixed reforming with animal waste to show that the process is operable and can produce hydrogen of fuel cell quality.