Mass-Production of Miniaturised Microstructured Fuel Processors
Special Symposium - EPIC-1: European Process Intensification Conference - 1
EPIC-1: New Concepts (NC)
Keywords: microstructured fuell processor, mass production, fuel processor, microstructured, microreactor
Future sustainable and distributed energy generation will rely in many cases on fuel cell technology. However, especially in case of mobile and portable devices hydrogen supply remains a critical issue owing to the limited energy density of compressed hydrogen and related technology. Fuel processing of fossil fuels addresses this issue and is sustainable in case renewable fuels are applied.
However, a fuel processor is a complex device composed of the reformer itself [1,2], carbon monoxide clean-up [3,4] in case of proton exchange membrane fuel cell applications and balance-of-plant. The application of microstructured plate heat-exchanger reactor technology improves system integration, start-up time demand and system efficiency [5,6].
Examples of fully integrated fuel processor concepts for methanol, LPG and gasoline/diesel fuel processing will be presented, which are under joint development at IMM along with car manufacturers and heating/ power system suppliers.
The mass production of small scale chemical reactors is a challenging task currently addressed at IMM. Fabrication starts with the introduction of microchannels into stainless steel metal foils applying cheap techniques such as wet chemical etching or embossing. The next step is the coating of catalyst onto the structured metal foils applying techniques such as screen printing or spray coating. Then the reactors and heat-exchangers need to be sealed by automated procedures such as laser welding or brazing. The resulting reactors are the one-way products.
A comparison of the different alternative production routes will be presented and their suitability for different markets/ production numbers will be discussed.
References
[1] Kolb, G.; Zapf, R.; Hessel, V.; Löwe, H., 2004, Appl. Cat. A: General, 277, 155-166.
[2] Cominos V., Hardt S., Hessel V., Kolb G., Löwe H., Wichert M., Zapf R., Chem. Eng. Comm. 192 (2005) 685.
[3] Kolb G., Pennemann H., Zapf R., Catal. Today 110 (2005) 121
[4] Cominos V., Hessel V., Hofmann C., Kolb G., Zapf R., Ziogas A., Delsman E.R., Schouten J.C., Catal. Today 110 (2005) 140
[5] Kolb G., Hessel V, Chem. Eng. J. 98, (2004) 1.
[6] Hessel V., Löwe H., Müller, A., Kolb G., 2005, ’Chemical Micro Process Engineering- Processing, Applications and Plants’, Wiley, Weinheim, ISBN-13 978-3-527-30998-6, p.281 ff.
Presented Thursday 20, 16:00 to 16:20, in session EPIC-1: New Concepts (NC).
