FUEL CELL FUEL STUDIES

Processes to remove jet fuel components harmful to fuel cell performance were tested in simulated and actual cyclic operation using improved molecular sieves. Improved aromatic absorption performance on the lithium X sieve was achieved by pretreating the sieve with high water loading at elevated temperatures. The adsorption performance of processes using displacing agents, as opposed to burning, for desorption was simulated by preloading sieves with displacing agents. An investigation was also made of the feasibility of reforming high molecular weight fuels in the liquid phase for hydrogen generation for fuel cells. The effects of temperature, pressure, hydrocarbon and water feed rates, hydrocarbon drop size and catalyst geometry on the performance of a fixed bed liquid phase reforming reactor were examined. Good selectivity for hydrogen production has been achieved at low hydrocarbon conversion levels. Preliminary data on the use of palladium diffusers to separate the hydrogen product directly from the condensed phase stream leaving the reforming reactor show substantially lower hydrogen extraction rates are obtained from the liquid phase reformer effluent compared with diffusion from a clean hydrogen stream.