STEAM REFORMING OF FUELS IN A REFORMER FOR PHOSPHORIC-ACID FUEL-CELLSAND ITS DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR WHEN SWITCHING FUELS

We clarified experimentally that a Ni-Al2O3 catalyst is active for ste am reforming of methanol at 450-750 degrees C, and that it results in a different reaction to that obtained when using a CuO-ZnO catalyst, W e also analyzed the characteristics of Ni-Al2O3-catalyzed steam reform ing in a reformer when snitching fuel from methane to methanol or prop ane, and vice versa, The flow rates of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the steam-reformed gas can be kept almost constant by controlling the supply rates of fuel and steam, The methanol decomposition reaction a nd the propane steam reforming reaction occur mostly near the gas inle t of the catalyst bed, unlike the methane steam reforming reaction, We demonstrated experimentally that by regulating the rates of fuel and steam supplied to a reformer and by using a Ni-Al2O3 reforming catalys t, a phosphoric acid fuel cell power plant generates a continuous cons tant power of 9.6 kW or 26 kW when the pipeline gas 13A fuel is switch ed to methanol or propane respectively, and vice versa.