Performance of a Diesel, JP-8 Reformer
Abstract
Under a U.S. Army program, Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI) has developed and demonstrated an ultra compact and lightweight 2 5 kWe diesel reformer and desulfurizer producing <1 ppm sulfur in reformate. The prototype includes a steam generator, fuel/air/water pumps, premixer, atomizer, igniter, sulfur cleanup and a controller to enable stand-alone operation. The reforming reactor was based on a small, modular catalytic reactor, which utilized patented Microlith substrates and catalyst technology. It uses an auto thermal reforming (ATR) approach. The reformer has been tested with JP-8 and Jet-A fuels. It can also be adapted and thermally integrated to use various fuels and fuel cells. The primary characteristic of PCI's ATR is that it operates on very low water flows (S:C d 1) without coking and the reforming catalyst is sulfur tolerant. This permits meeting water needs via recycling from the stack exhaust as well as the long-term use of a ZnO desulfurizer. The reforming efficiency is >70%. Two brassboard prototypes were developed a 5 kWe (12 kWth) and a 2 kWe (5 kWth) sized unit and tested over hundreds of hours.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA481763
Entities
People
- Dennis Walsh
- Deryn Chu
- Erik Kallio
- Subir Roychoudhury