Characteristics of hydrogen production via iso-octane autothermal reforming for fuel cell vehicles

An autothermal reforming test rig was built for the purposes of studying the effects of several variables on the autothermal reforming process. In particular, this dissertation presents the manner of rig construction and results from experimentation on the effects of space velocity, air ratio and inlet temperature on the catalyst bed temperature, and the conversion and specific efficiency of the reformer using iso-octane. Specifically of interest was the separation of the effects of the inlet temperature from the definition of space velocity. The manner of rig construction and results of the experimentation are of significance for the introduction of fuel cell vehicles since the autothermal reforming of available fossil fuels is the best near term solution for hydrogen generation and little has been published on this process. As part of the study, background information was given on various hydrogen storage and production techniques and several possible fuels for reforming. The study as well outlines many difficulties and limitations of the autothermal reforming process as well as its implementation into the design of a reformer. The experimental facility was built to include sections necessary for the storage, conditioning and reforming of the reactants as well as the conditioning and testing of the effluent.; Although the test facility was not optimized for maximum conversion or specific efficiency, several effects and interactions of the independent variables were found for the dependent variables. In particular, the interaction between inlet temperature and space velocity had a significant effect on the conversion and specific efficiency of the autothermal reformer. As a result of these findings, additional theories have been proposed as to the limiting steps in the autothermal reforming process, which are expected to aid in the reduction of autothermal reformer size and enhance the production of hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles. Finally, conclusions and recommendations for further study are drawn from the presented results.