PETR 140 |
| Methanol, produced from a variety of biomass sources, is a good feed-stock for the production of hydrogen. In fact, methanol and methane have the highest hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of and hydrocarbon, with methanol being much easier to transport and store. Hydrogen can be utilized as a fuel in the “hydrogen economy” or use to fuel PEM fuel cells. Fuel cells are rapidly being recognized as an alternative source of electricity to power automobiles, light-duty trucks and in small stationary applications. Fuel cells, powered by hydrogen, have the potential to be the cleanest and most efficient source of electricity for use by the automotive industry. The goal of this project is to develop a process that utilizes a biogenerated liquid hydrocarbon fuel as the hydrogen source for an on-board fuel cell. One of the major problems in current reforming processes is the byproduct carbon monoxide (CO), a poison to the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell platinum based catalyst. The objective of this research is to reduce the quantity of CO produced during hydrocarbon reforming to near-zero levels under mild reforming conditions. To accomplish this, two major topics must be examined: the composition of the catalyst and the type of liquid hydrocarbon that is being reformed. Currently, methanol is favored as the chemical carrier for hydrogen for fuel cell applications. Methanol can be produced from a variety of fossil fuels and has a high energy density. Since it is a liquid, methanol is more easily adaptable to the existing fuel infrastructure, requiring similar transportation and storage facilities as those already in use. |
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Symposium on Clean Fuels from Biomass
1:30 PM-4:50 PM, Wednesday, 13 September 2006 Palace -- Telegraph Hill, Oral
Division of Petroleum Chemistry |