Portable PEFC generator with propane as fuel

Propane is a typical widespread fuel, which is often used for camping appli cations, because it can be transported easily and be stored in liquid form in pressure vessels for mobile and portable use. Propane as feedstack for h ydrogen production offers a new way to a cheap fuel for fuel cells. The gen eration of a PEFC hydrogen fuel gas can be perfomed by catalytic cracking o f propane. The decomposition of the liquified hydrocarbon takes place at te mperatures above 800 degrees C at atmospheric pressure. A fuel processor ba sed on this simple concept can be built much smaller and less expensive tha n existing ones using steam reforming technology. A propane cracking system works without shift-conversion, gas purification for removal of CO and wit hout a steam generator. The removal of small amounts of CO from the hydroge n rich gas produced is possible by using a simple methanation step. A low c ost portable fuel cell device is under development consisting of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a hydrogen production system based on catalytic crac king of propane; a propane storage container and an electronic control unit . Combined with a fuel cell providing 200 W gross electric power, a net pow er output of about 130 to 160 W can be achieved. The PEFC used will contain low cost bipolar plates made of carbon-polymer composite materials. (C) 20 00 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.