Elimination of by-products of autothermal diesel reforming

Abstract This paper outlines the design optimization and operation of the Forschungszentrum Julich’s ATR 13 autothermal reformer with conventional diesel fuels. The main objective was to eliminate undesirable by-products that can amass in the reformate. The reforming of conventional, highly aromatic diesel fuels with a high final boiling point presents a particular challenge – these fuels are more difficult to evaporate and are prone to coking; tendencies that can damage both the reformers themselves and downstream components. Here, we present several constructive and operational measures to generate a high-quality reformate from the Swedish Test Diesel SD 10 and, moreover, to prevent the formation of short-chain hydrocarbons and aromatic compounds in the reformate. This will enable the stable, long-term operation of fuel cell-based APUs utilizing conventional diesel fuels on board trucks.

[1]  John P. Baltrus,et al.  Characterization of coke deposited on Pt/alumina catalyst during reforming of liquid hydrocarbons , 2005 .

[2]  Sang Yong Lee,et al.  Spraying of liquid fuel for improvement of reforming performance for hydrogen generation , 2011 .

[3]  A. Outi I. Krause,et al.  Autothermal reforming of simulated and commercial diesel: The performance of zirconia-supported RhPt catalyst in the presence of sulfur , 2008 .

[4]  Anthony M. Dean,et al.  The impact of fuel evaporation on the gas-phase kinetics in the mixing region of a diesel autothermal reformer , 2015 .

[5]  Miroslav Jicha,et al.  Investigation and comparison of spray characteristics of pressure-swirl atomizers for a small-sized aircraft turbine engine , 2014 .

[6]  Jens R. Rostrup-Nielsen,et al.  Steam reforming of liquid hydrocarbons , 1998 .

[7]  Jens R. Rostrup-Nielsen,et al.  Concepts in Syngas Manufacture , 2011 .

[8]  Martin A. Abraham,et al.  Steam reforming of n-hexadecane using a Pd/ZrO2 catalyst: Kinetics of catalyst deactivation , 2007 .

[9]  Daniel Sperling,et al.  Evaluation of Fuel Cell Auxiliary Power Units for Heavy-Duty Diesel Trucks , 2002 .

[10]  M. Krumpelt,et al.  Hydrogen from hydrocarbon fuels for fuel cells , 2001 .

[11]  Vito Specchia,et al.  Diesel fuel processor for PEM fuel cells: Two possible alternatives (ATR versus SR) , 2006 .

[12]  Jean St-Pierre,et al.  PEMFC Contamination - Fundamentals and Outlook , 2014 .

[13]  Scott C. James,et al.  Measuring air core characteristics of a pressure-swirl atomizer via a transparent acrylic nozzle at various Reynolds numbers , 2010 .

[14]  Marcello Contestabile,et al.  Analysis of the market for diesel PEM fuel cell auxiliary power units onboard long-haul trucks and of its implications for the large-scale adoption of PEM FCs , 2010 .

[15]  Philip Engelhardt,et al.  Integrated fuel cell APU based on a compact steam reformer for diesel and a PEMFC , 2012 .

[16]  Jeremy Lawrence,et al.  Auxiliary power unit based on a solid oxide fuel cell and fuelled with diesel , 2006 .

[17]  Werner Lehnert,et al.  Operational Experience from a 5 kWe HT-PEFC System with Reforming of Diesel and Kerosene , 2013 .

[18]  Detlef Stolten,et al.  Optimised Mixture Formation for Diesel Fuel Processing , 2008 .

[19]  Werner Lehnert,et al.  HT-PEFC Systems Operating with Diesel and Kerosene for APU Application , 2012 .

[20]  San-Mou Jeng,et al.  Effect of geometric parameters on simplex atomizer performance , 2004 .

[21]  Werner Lehnert,et al.  Design and test of a 5kWe high-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell system operated with diesel and kerosene , 2014 .

[22]  Stefano Cavallaro,et al.  Hydrogen production by auto-thermal reforming of ethanol on Rh/Al2O3 catalyst , 2003 .

[23]  Detlef Stolten,et al.  Hydrogen Production via Autothermal Reforming of Diesel Fuel , 2004 .

[24]  Detlef Stolten,et al.  A novel reactor type for autothermal reforming of diesel fuel and kerosene , 2015 .

[25]  Detlef Stolten,et al.  Long-term stability at fuel processing of diesel and kerosene , 2014 .

[26]  Detlef Stolten,et al.  Fuel cell systems with reforming of petroleum-based and synthetic-based diesel and kerosene fuels for APU applications , 2015 .

[27]  David A. Berry,et al.  Fuel constituent effects on fuel reforming properties for fuel cell applications , 2009 .

[28]  Theodore R. Krause,et al.  Effect of temperature, steam-to-carbon ratio, and alkali metal additives on improving the sulfur tolerance of a Rh/La–Al2O3 catalyst reforming gasoline for fuel cell applications , 2008 .

[29]  Göran Lindbergh,et al.  Influence of toluene contamination at the hydrogen Pt/C anode in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell , 2010 .

[30]  Ates Akyurtlu,et al.  H2 Production by Autothermal Reforming of n-Dodecane over Highly Active Ru–Ni–Ce–Al2O3 Catalyst , 2012 .

[31]  Lars J. Pettersson,et al.  Full-scale autothermal reforming for transport applications: The effect of diesel fuel quality , 2013 .

[32]  Detlef Stolten,et al.  Operating strategies for fuel processing systems with a focus on water–gas shift reactor stability , 2016 .

[33]  J. Fierro,et al.  Catalysts for Hydrogen Production from Heavy Hydrocarbons , 2011 .

[34]  Klas Engvall,et al.  Promoted RhPt bimetallic catalyst supported on δ-Al2O3 and CeO2–ZrO2 during full-scale autothermal reforming for automotive applications: Post-mortem characterization , 2015 .

[35]  Heinrich Köhne,et al.  Experimental and computational investigations of a compact steam reformer for fuel oil and diesel fuel , 2011 .

[36]  Gunther Kolb,et al.  Review: Microstructured reactors for distributed and renewable production of fuels and electrical energy , 2013 .

[37]  R. C. Samsun,et al.  Fuel Processing of Diesel and Kerosene for Auxiliary Power Unit Applications , 2013 .

[38]  Martin Schmal,et al.  Methane Conversion to Synthesis Gas by Partial Oxidation and CO2 Reforming over Supported Platinum Catalysts , 2003 .

[39]  Sangho Yoon,et al.  The micro-reactor testing of catalysts and fuel delivery apparatuses for diesel autothermal reforming , 2008 .

[40]  Detlef Stolten,et al.  Fuel Processing of Low-Sulfur Diesel for Fuel Cell Systems , 2015 .

[41]  Haji Hassan Masjuki,et al.  Effect of idling on fuel consumption and emissions of a diesel engine fueled by Jatropha biodiesel blends , 2014 .

[42]  R. C. Samsun,et al.  Autothermal reforming of commercial Jet A-1 on a 5kWe scale , 2007 .

[43]  Sangho Yoon,et al.  Suppression of ethylene-induced carbon deposition in diesel autothermal reforming , 2009 .

[44]  Jean St-Pierre,et al.  Focusing Research by Developing Performance Related Selection Criteria for PEMFC Contaminants , 2011 .

[45]  Sangho Yoon,et al.  Effects of ethylene on carbon formation in diesel autothermal reforming , 2008 .

[46]  Hans-Heinrich Carstensen,et al.  Investigation of gas-phase reactions in the mixing region for hydrocarbon autothermal reforming applications , 2012 .

[47]  Zhenguo Wang,et al.  Effect of geometric parameters on the spray cone angle in the pressure swirl injector , 2013 .

[48]  Joongmyeon Bae,et al.  Coupled transport and kinetics in the mixing region for hydrocarbon autothermal reforming applications , 2013 .

[49]  Joachim Pasel,et al.  Technische Entwicklung, Bau und Test von Brenngaserzeugungskomponenten , 2015 .

[50]  Semant Jain,et al.  Techno-economic analysis of fuel cell auxiliary power units as alternative to idling , 2006 .

[51]  Marianna Kemell,et al.  Zirconia-supported bimetallic RhPt catalysts: Characterization and testing in autothermal reforming of simulated gasoline , 2008 .

[52]  Marius Maximini,et al.  Coupled operation of a diesel steam reformer and an LT- and HT-PEFC , 2014 .

[53]  Minli Bai,et al.  Numerical Simulation of Spray Process of Fuel Nozzle , 2011 .

[54]  Detlef Stolten,et al.  Start-up Behavior of Fuel Processing Systems , 2009 .

[55]  Jean St-Pierre,et al.  Quantitative ranking criteria for PEMFC contaminants , 2012 .

[56]  T. Ohsaka,et al.  Poisoning Effect of Selected Hydrocarbon Impurities on the Catalytic Performance of Pt/C Catalysts towards the Oxygen Reduction Reaction , 2013 .

[57]  S. Specchia.  Fuel processing activities at European level: A panoramic overview , 2014 .

[58]  Detlef Stolten,et al.  Investigation of Operating Parameters in Conjunction with Catalyst Deactivation of the Water-Gas Shift Reactor in a Fuel Cell System , 2015 .

[59]  Christie-Joy Brodrick,et al.  Effects of Engine Speed and Accessory Load on Idling Emissions from Heavy-Duty Diesel Truck Engines , 2002, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.

[60]  Xianguo Li,et al.  Effect of contaminants on polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells , 2011 .