Experimental Evaluation of a Pt-based Heat Exchanger Methanol Reformer for a HTPEM Fuel Cell Stack

Fuel cell systems running on pure hydrogen can efficiently produce electricity and heat for various applications, stationary and mobile. Storage volume can be problematic for stationary fuel cell systems with high run-time demands, but it is especially a challenge when dealing with mobile and automotive applications. Using a liquid hydrocarbon as e.g. methanol as the hydrogen carrier and reforming it to a hydrogen rich gas can solve some of these storage issues. The work presented here examines the use of a heat exchanger methanol reformer for use with a HTPEM fuel cell stack. Initial experimental results and conclusions are presented for this reformer.