Fabrication and characterization of a fuel flexible micro-reformer fully integrated in silicon for micro-solid oxide fuel cell applications

D. Pla; M. Salleras; I. Garbayo; A. Morata; N. Sabaté; N. J. Divins; J. Llorca; A. Tarancón

doi:10.1117/12.2178860

21 May 2015 Fabrication and characterization of a fuel flexible micro-reformer fully integrated in silicon for micro-solid oxide fuel cell applications

D. Pla, M. Salleras, I. Garbayo, A. Morata, N. Sabaté, N. J. Divins, J. Llorca, A. Tarancón

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9517, Smart Sensors, Actuators, and MEMS VII; and Cyber Physical Systems; 95172D (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2178860
Event: SPIE Microtechnologies, 2015, Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

A novel design of a fuel-flexible micro-reactor for hydrogen generation from ethanol and methane is proposed in this work. The micro-reactor is fully fabricated with mainstream MEMS technology and consists of an array of more than 20000 through-silicon vertically aligned micro-channels per cm² of 50 μm in diameter. Due to this unique configuration, the micro-reformer presents a total surface per projected area of 16 cm²/cm² and per volume of 320 cm²/cm³. The active surface of the micro-reformer, i.e. the walls of the micro-channels, is homogenously coated with a thin film of Rh- Pd/CeO₂ catalyst. Excellent steam reforming of ethanol and dry reforming of methane are presented with hydrogen production rates above 3 mL/min·cm² and hydrogen selectivity of ca. 50% on a dry basis at operations conditions suitable for application in micro-solid oxide fuel cells (micro-SOFCs), i.e. 700-800ºC and fuel flows of 0.02 mLL/min for ethanol and 36 mLG/min for methane (corresponding to a system able to produce one electrical watt).

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D. Pla, M. Salleras, I. Garbayo, A. Morata, N. Sabaté, N. J. Divins, J. Llorca, and A. Tarancón "Fabrication and characterization of a fuel flexible micro-reformer fully integrated in silicon for micro-solid oxide fuel cell applications", Proc. SPIE 9517, Smart Sensors, Actuators, and MEMS VII; and Cyber Physical Systems, 95172D (21 May 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2178860

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