Andrew Robert Marchesseault Micro Surface Discharge for Plasma-Assisted Catalysis in Portable Fuel Cell Reforming Applications Band 33 ISBN: 978-3-8440-1219-4 Price: 45,80 € / 57,25 SFR |
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The production of non-equilibrium plasma at atmospheric pressure has and continues to prove advantageous for low-temperature applications where use of vacuum pumps is not feasible . Microplasmas, plasma generated in sub-millimeter dimensions, have proven capable of producing such characteristics for homogeneous chemical reactions and, as of late, have been designed to allow a portable operation with low power requirements. In this work, the novel design and application of a barrier type electrical discharge reactor, a so called micro surface discharge (MSD) reactor, is presented for application in plasma-assisted catalytic fuel reformation for a portable High-Temperature (HT) Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC). The reactor is optimized for temperature durability and leak tightness based on material choice and geometry. The generation of the high electric fields needed for electrical breakdown were simulated and analytically contemplated. Using micro-technological processes, the combination of electrical and fiuidic components was realized monolithically. The practical feasibility of the device was strongly taken into consideration, with focus on the device-fuel cell integration and minimal reactor volume, which was dependent on the adjustment of the reactor design with respect to the smallest industrially available generator components. The reactor was optically, electrically and thermally analyzed in order to characterize the breakdown mode and plasma properties. The use of the MSD reactor for the reformation of methane into hydrogen for application in fuel cells was investigated, using a purpose built enclosure to connect the micro-structured reactor to various macroscopic interfaces, such as standard pneumatic and electrical Connections. The conversion rate, product selectivity and reaction efficiency were examined with varying flow rates, inlet gas compositions, heterogeneous catalyst presence and plasma power loads. Significant methane conversion, as well as thermal, mechanical and chemical durability of the reactor was observed. Specifically, a synergistic effect was discovered where the production of hydrogen was significantly higher with a combination of plasma and catalyst than the addition of their productions separately. Future experiments with other fuels and at elevated temperatures could continue to develop and prove the feasibility of this reactor in portable reforming applications. This case study has proven significant potential for portable power generation applications and is the first truly miniaturized portable reactor optimized for such applications. The results from this work should serve as a basis for further research of even more compact systems with even higher efficiency. ( orig.) |
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Source: FIZ Karlsruhe, Leibniz-Institut für Informationsinfrastruktur. ETDE - Energy Database-production no.: DE13G0443 | |
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