Thermodynamics and Kinetics Analysis of Gasoline Reforming Assisted by Arc Discharge

Onboard hydrogen production out of hydrocarbons for fuel cells is subject to problems when using traditional catalytic reformers. High device weight, a relatively long transient time, and catalyst poisoning all serve to make their integration in a vehicle complex. In response to these challenges, reforming processes based on cold plasma have been recently implemented . This paper presents a theoretical analysis of hydrogen production out of gasoline assisted by arc discharge. A wide range of O/C and H2O/C ratios (including partial oxidation and pure steam reforming) have been investigated, together with different forms of injected power and reactor conditions. Both thermodynamic equilibrium and kinetic calculations (e.g., perfectly stirred reactor, plug flow reactor) were performed. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations provide theoretical upper limits of the process via input parameters, while the kinetic computations provide a more realistic estimation of both output composition and process efficiency.