Modeling and Demonstration of a Sub-Watt Scale Methanol Reformer

Thesis (Ph.D.), Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State UniversityA micro-scale methanol fuel processor was designed, modeled, built and tested for the production of hydrogen for a small fuel cell (99.5% conversion. In addition, the inlet flow rate could be increased by 2.7x at approximately equivalent temperatures. Finally, the model clearly showed the reactor was heat transfer limited. Therefore a new design which had the combustor exhaust envelope the steam reformer. This would not only better insulate the methanol reformer, but the exhaust gases could heat the sides of the reactor.Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State Universit