Partial oxidation reformer development for fuel cell vehicles

A bench-scale partial oxidation reformer that is compact (1.8 L) and light-weight has been demonstrated with methanol fuel. The hydrogen output from the reactor had a lower heating value of 12 kW. The gas contained over 50% hydrogen and less than 1% carbon monoxide. A novel class of catalyst materials has been identified which is able to convert various hydrocarbons, including gasoline, to a hydrogen-rich product gas. Tested in a micro-reactor with gasoline and oxygen at 760°C, these catalysts yielded a product gas containing over 60% hydrogen