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Porous media for catalytic renewable energy conversion

Publication ,  Conference
Hotz, N
Published in: AIP Conference Proceedings
January 1, 2011

A novel flow-based method is presented to place catalytic nanoparticles into a reactor by sol-gelation of a porous ceramic consisting of copper-based nanoparticles, silica sand, ceramic binder, and a gelation agent. This method allows for the placement of a liquid precursor containing the catalyst into the final reactor geometry without the need of impregnating or coating of a substrate with the catalytic material. The so generated foam-like porous ceramic shows properties highly appropriate for use as catalytic reactor material, e.g., reasonable pressure drop due to its porosity, high thermal and catalytic stability, and excellent catalytic behavior. The catalytic activity of micro-reactors containing this foam-like ceramic is tested in terms of their ability to convert alcoholic biofuel (e.g. methanol) to a hydrogen-rich gas mixture with low concentrations of carbon monoxide (up to 75% hydrogen content and less than 0.2% CO, for the case of methanol). This gas mixture is subsequently used in a low-temperature fuel cell, converting the hydrogen directly to electricity. A low concentration of CO is crucial to avoid poisoning of the fuel cell catalyst. Since conventional Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells require CO concentrations far below 100 ppm and since most methods to reduce the mole fraction of CO (such as Preferential Oxidation or PROX) have CO conversions of up to 99%, the alcohol fuel reformer has to achieve initial CO mole fractions significantly below 1%. The catalyst and the porous ceramic reactor of the present study can successfully fulfill this requirement. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

Duke Scholars

Published In

AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI

EISSN

1551-7616

ISSN

0094-243X

Publication Date

January 1, 2011

Volume

1453

Issue

1

Start / End Page

57 / 62
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Hotz, N. (2011). Porous media for catalytic renewable energy conversion. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 1453, pp. 57–62). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4711153
Hotz, N. “Porous media for catalytic renewable energy conversion.” In AIP Conference Proceedings, 1453:57–62, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4711153.
Hotz N. Porous media for catalytic renewable energy conversion. In: AIP Conference Proceedings. 2011. p. 57–62.
Hotz, N. “Porous media for catalytic renewable energy conversion.” AIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 1453, no. 1, 2011, pp. 57–62. Scopus, doi:10.1063/1.4711153.
Hotz N. Porous media for catalytic renewable energy conversion. AIP Conference Proceedings. 2011. p. 57–62.

Published In

AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI

EISSN

1551-7616

ISSN

0094-243X

Publication Date

January 1, 2011

Volume

1453

Issue

1

Start / End Page

57 / 62