Kinetics, Simulation and Insights for the CO Selective Oxidation in Fuel Cell Applications

The kinetics of carbon monoxide preferential oxidation were examined to analyze different rate expressions and to simulate the performance of the CO oxidation step of a methanol fuel processor for fuel cell application. Micro-reactor performance was predicted with a scheme in which CO oxidation, hydrogen oxidation, and the water gas shift reaction occurred simultaneously. Empirical power law-type rate expressions fit the experimental data. A comparison of simulation results with corresponding experimental data showed good agreement.