Gasoline “reformer” may speed energy-efficient, clean fuel-cell-powered cars to the streets

Before fuel cells replace spark plugs and cylinders under the hood of 21st century cars, scientists must find a practical and economical way to supply the hydrogen gas needed to power them.

Chemical engineers at Argonne have developed and patented an R&D 100-award winning system to do just that — a compact fuel processor "reforms" ordinary gasoline into a hydrogen-rich gas to power the fuel cell.

"You can think of fuel cells as batteries that can be operated continuously by supplying fuel," said engineer Shabbir Ahmed. Fuel cells convert hydrogen gas into electricity and water and are clean and efficient compared to internal combustion engines.

Argonne researchers Ahmed and Mike Krumpelt lead a team that developed a reformer and catalyst for use in the fuel processor of an automotive fuel-cell system. This will enable fuel cell cars to operate on gasoline, but achieve more miles per gallon.

Ahmed’s team built an inexpensive, easy-to-manufacture fuel-reforming reactor similar to catalytic converters used in cars today. Vaporized fuel is mixed with steam and air and sent through a catalyst-packed cylinder. The process releases hydrogen to feed the fuel cell. The carbon monoxide produced in the gas mixture is passed through a secondary processor where it is converted to carbon dioxide and used to make additional hydrogen.

Krumpelt and his coworkers turned to Argonne’s more than 20 years of research in fuel-cell technology for new catalyst ideas. They developed the new catalyst based on a unique combination of selected metals and an oxygen-conducting ceramic material. When the fuel/air mix contacts the catalyst, hydrogen is released from the fuel at temperatures several hundred degrees lower than withconventional catalysts.

Researchers are testing an engineering-scale reformer that produces about one-fifth the amount of hydrogen needed for a conventional car — a major step towards the realization of commercially available, fuel-cell-powered automobiles. Commercial developers will build full-scale units.

The reformer and catalyst efficiently convert a wide variety of hydrocarbon fuels, including methanol, natural gas and gasoline, into a hydrogen-rich gas. In addition to this fuel flexibility, the novel catalyst has demonstrated excellent resistance to sulfur in the fuel, a property essential for reliable, long-term operation.

Argonne licensed the catalyst technology to Süd-Chemie Inc. (formerly United Catalysts Inc.)

In addition to powering cars, fuel cells may be used to provide electricity for residential buildings and remote locations. Research funding was provided by the Department of Energy’s Office of Advanced Automotive Technologies.

For more information please contact Evelyn Brown