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Abstract: In the present study a small steam–methanol reformer with a colloid nanocatalyst is utilized to produce hydrogen. Radiation from a focused continuous green light laser (514nm wavelength) is used to provide the energy for steam–methanol reforming. Nanocatalyst particles, fabricated by using pulsed laser ablation technology, result in a highly active catalyst with high surface to volume ratio. A small novel reformer fabricated with a borosilicate capillary is employed to increase the local temperature of the reformer and thereby increase hydrogen production. The hydrogen production output efficiency is determined and a value of 5% is achieved. Experiments using concentrated solar simulator light as the radiation source are also carried out. The results show that hydrogen production by solar steam–methanol colloid nanocatalyst reforming is both feasible and promising. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Steam reforming of methanol is investigated numerically considering both heat and mass transfer of the species in a packed bed microreactor. The numerical results are shown to be in good agreement with experimental data [M.T. Lee, R. Greif, C.P. Grigoropoulos, H.G. Park, F.K. Hsu, J. Power Sources Transport in, 166 (2007) 194–201] with a BASF F3-01(CuO/ZnO/Al2O3) catalyst. A correlation for the conversion efficiency of methanol has been obtained as a function of the operating temperature and a dimensionless time parameter which represents the ratio of the characteristic time of the methanol flow to the time for chemical reaction. The results show that for the constant wall temperature condition the steam reforming process of methanol results in a nearly uniform temperature throughout the microreactor over the range of operating conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Methanol-steam reforming can be utilized as a fuel processing system for hydrogen fuel cells. A study of the reacting flow in packed-bed and wall-coated catalytic reactors is presented. The wall-coated reformer has a smaller power requirement for delivering fuel than the packed catalytic bed reformer. Also, the coated catalytic layer has a smaller thermal resistance compared to the packed catalytic bed. This yields enhanced thermal field management for the wall-coated reformer that is essential for reformer performance. Understanding the transport in reformers is essential for improving both the efficiency of the reforming process and the quality of the processed fuel. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the present study, a hydrogen polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) micropowerplant in combination with a steam reformer fed by methanol and a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) micropowerplant are analyzed numerically regarding their exergetic efficiency. The effects of concentration and activation overpotentials, and ohmic resistance on the efficiency are considered in quasi-two-dimensional fuel cell models. The influence of significant operational parameters on the exergetic efficiency is examined numerically. Experimental results are conducted for the steam reformer. This work shows the importance of an exergy analysis of the fuel cell as part of an entire thermodynamic system generating electric power and compares PEFC and DMFC micropowerplants exergetically. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]