2001 Technology for a Sustainable Environment: Novel Hydrogen Reactor/Separator Design for a Fuel Cell Vehicle Infrastructure to Maintain a Sustainable Environment

可持续发展的环境技术：燃料电池汽车基础设施的新型氢反应器/分离器设计本项目探讨了一种用于高温氢净化的新型膜的优点，这种膜可以直接从碳氢化合物蒸汽重整器中获得纯氢。这种新膜是由一类叫做钙钛矿的陶瓷化合物制成的，钙钛矿可以被配制成电子和质子导体。这些导电性使得重整反应产生的氢在膜的一个表面转化为电子和质子，在另一个表面转化为纯氢。除了生产供燃料电池使用的纯氢外，直接从重整器中提取氢会改变反应平衡，有利于形成更多的氢。正在制作这些膜材料的样品，并确定其性能以用于该应用。氢气渗透率的测量和计算进行了设计一体化转化-净化器。目前的质子交换膜燃料电池系统需要一个复杂的燃料处理器，其中包含几个组件，以产生用于燃料电池的合适纯度的氢气。这种新型氢反应器/分离器为燃料电池系统提供了一种更小、更简单的燃料处理器。对于车载汽油制氢，燃料电池系统的功率密度将增加，启动时间和瞬态热响应将得到改善，并降低成本。此外，对于车辆或固定发电，该装置将允许利用现有的天然气基础设施，通过一个小型、低成本的天然气重整器网络形成氢气基础设施。这些进步可能会对燃料电池商业化的速度产生重大影响，以维持可持续的环境。现在由燃料燃烧造成的污染将得到防止。

Technology for a Sustainable Environment: Novel Hydrogen Reactor/Separator Design for a Fuel Cell Vehicle Infrastructure James M. FentonUniversity of ConnecticutAbstractThis project explores the merits of a new type of membrane for high-temperature hydrogen purification so that pure hydrogen can be obtained directly from a hydrocarbon steam reformer. The new membrane is fabricated from a class of ceramic compounds called perovskites that can be formulated to be both electron and proton conductors. These conductivities allow the hydrogen produced by the reforming reaction to be converted to electrons and protons on one surface of the membrane and converted to pure hydrogen on the other surface. In addition to producing pure hydrogen for fuel-cell use, extracting the hydrogen directly from the reformer shifts the reaction equilibrium to favor the formation of more hydrogen. Samples of these membrane materials are being fabricated and their properties determined for use in this application. Hydrogen permeability is measured and calculations performed to design an integrated reformer-purifier.Current proton-exchange-membrane fuel-cell systems require a complex fuel processor containing several components to produce a hydrogen gas of suitable purity for use in the fuel cell. This new hydrogen reactor/separator provides a smaller, simpler fuel processor for use in fuel cell systems. For on-board vehicular hydrogen production from gasoline, fuel-cell-system power density will be increased, startup time and transient thermal response will be improved, and cost reduced. Also, for either vehicles or stationary power generation, this unit will allow use of the existing natural-gas infrastructure for the formation of a hydrogen infrastructure through a network of small, low cost natural-gas reformers. These advances could have a significant impact on the rate of fuel cell commercialization to maintain a sustainable environment. Pollution that now results from fuel combustion will be prevented.