Hydrogen-Methanol SOFCs for Transport

The paper discusses the possibility of creating an energy plant with high-temperature solid fuel cells (SOFC) working on hydrogen-containing gas mixture (synthesis-gas) obtained in the required for the engine small volumes of liquid fuel – methanol. In this case, all problems related to the need to obtain, store and transport hydrogen are removed, as the rate of its production and consumption by the engine are equal.

The 10 kW power plant, where direct conversion of hydrogen oxidation chemical reaction energy in SOFT anode into electrical energy is based on the products of air conversion of methanol in a catalytic burner using aluminumnickel catalysts, is considered. Methanol enters the boiler-recycler to heat up to boil and evaporate, then steamedly enters the catalytic burner. There is also air heated in the boiler-recycling. At the air consumption factor of 0.5, methanol is converted with the production of synthesis-gas. Then the synthesis-gas is cooled from 988 °С to 700 °С air fed into the cathode channel. The air is heated from 20 °С to 600 °С. Synthesis gas enters. Then from the anode canal hydrogen diffusion enters the anode, where oxygen is oxidized by air fed into the cathode channel. Hydrogen oxidation products enter the anode channel. Products from the anode canal and oxygen-depleted air from the cathode canal enter the boiler-recycling, where the hydrogen, which is not entered into the anode and contained in the synthesized carbon monoxide, is oxidized. The heat of oxidation is used to heat primary air and evaporate methanol.

The physical and chemical analysis of the energy efficiency of the high-temperature fuel cell plant, which works on synthesis-gas obtained in the catalytic process directly in the car made of liquid fuel-methanol. The resulting energy is used for the electric vehicle engine. The electrical efficiency of the installation is 42.1%, which in terms of energy efficiency exceeds the level of the best modern internal combustion engines.

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