An Integrated Chemical Reforming Microplant for Fuel Cell Applications

这个工程微系统：“芯片上的XYZ”项目的目标是研究微制造燃料电池。用于原位制氢的微型燃料处理器对紧凑型燃料电池特别感兴趣，目前紧凑型燃料电池被认为是便携式设备的替代能源。在该项目中，将对甲醇燃料重整催化微反应原型系统进行集成设计，包括微制造和控制。燃料处理器的主要部件是混合器/汽化器、催化蒸汽重整装置、水-气变换反应器以及带有控制电子设备的集成加热器/传感器。这些组件将在单个硅片上进行微细加工。对集成微型植物的基本了解和表征将是实验计划的补充。对于鲜为人知的催化微反应器结构和基于膜的反应/渗透微反应方案的特点，将开发严格的模型。将从测量的输入/输出数据开发低阶模型，用于通过微型工厂的电子接口合成和实施基于外部监控模型的多变量反馈控制算法。根据研究结果，将在催化和膜基催化微反应器、微反应器反馈控制和燃料电池微型燃料处理氢输送系统方面开发新的概念。预计这些新的跨学科概念将在微型集成催化化学处理系统中开辟基础和应用研究的新领域，同时引入电子加工、微制造、反应工程、过程设计和过程控制的新教育主题。

The goal of this Engineering Microsystems: "XYZ" on a Chip project is to investigate microfabricated fuel cells. Miniature fuel processors for in situ hydrogen production are of particular interest in compact fuel cells, which are currently being considered as alternative power sources for portable devices. In this project an integrated design including microfabrication and control of a prototype catalytic microreaction system for methanol fuel reforming will be carried out. The main components of the fuel processor are mixer/vaporizer, catalytic steam reformer, water-gas shift reactor, and integrated heaters/sensors with control electronics. These components will be microfabricated on a single silicon wafer. A fundamental understanding and characterization of the integrated microplant will complement the experimental program. Rigorous models will be developed for the poorly understood characteristics of catalytic microreactor structures and membrane-based reaction/permeation microreaction schemes. Low-order models will be developed from measured input/output data for synthesizing and implementing external supervisory model-based multivariable feedback control algorithms through the electronic interface of the microplant. From the results of the research, new concepts in catalytic and membrane-based catalytic microreactors, microreactor feedback control, and miniature fuel processing hydrogen delivery systems for fuel cells will be developed. It is anticipated that these new interdisciplinary concepts will open new areas of fundamental and applied research in miniature integrated catalytic chemical processing systems, while introducing new educational themes in electronic processing, microfabrication, reaction engineering, process design, and process control.