PLASMA REFORMER-FUEL CELL SYSTEM FOR DECENTRALIZED POWER APPLICATIONS

A plasma-driven process is described for the reforming of hydrocarbon fuels into hydrogen-rich gases for use in fuel cells. High temperature non-catalytic reforming offers many advantages over thermal catalytic reforming. The high gas temperatures obtained via plasmas reduce the volume and weight of the reformer, due to the fast kinetic rates. In a ddition, it allows fast response to changing fuel requirements, a char acteristic needed in mobile applications. A plasma reformer-fuel cell system could provide a means to increase fuel flexibility and cost red uction of systems for both stationary and mobile fuel cell systems, ov er a wide range of operating modes. In addition to steam reforming and partial oxidation, thermal decomposition could be used to provide hyd rogen-rich gas with greatly reduced production of carbon dioxide. Plas ma reformer-fuel cell systems could utilize a wide range of hydrocarbo n fuels including diesel, gasoline, biomass, natural gas and alcohols. Copyright (C) 1996 International Association for Hydrogen Energy