Use of non-thermal plasma for hydrocarbon reforming

Fuel cell systems for automotive applications are nowadays an important research activity. No infrastructure for distributing hydrogen still exists and the research efforts are thus focused on on-board hydrogen generation from hydrocarbon reforming. Experimental catalytic reformers have already been developed but their cost, their low time of life due to sulphur and carbon pollution problems make these reformers unusable for a commercial application. This paper presents a non-thermal gliding arc system designed to convert gasoline into hydrogen-rich gas in auto-thermal or steam reforming conditions for car application. In a first part, the chemistry of hydrocarbon reforming is briefly explained. The technology and design of the plasma reactor composed of two gliding arc in series is detailed in a second part. Finally, we demonstrate the feasibility of producing hydrogen in both auto-thermal and steam reforming conditions. The attention is focused on the influence of the different operating parameters (pressure, temperature, air and steam ratio, inlet flow rates) on the reformer efficiency and the composition of the produced gas. The experimental results are then compared to the performances of other non-thermal plasma reformers. This new plasma reformer is at its first stage of development and several technological optimisations can be performed to improve its chemical efficiency. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.