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2010
Conference Paper
Titel
Selectivity and stability for catalytic partial oxidation of ethanol to synthesis gas
Abstract
Ethanol is a promising energy carrier for fuel cells as it has a high energy density, is non toxic and simple to transport and store. If used in SOFCs, one major task is to produce synthesis gas from ethanol with a high percentage of H2 and CO. Dry partial oxidation (POx) is the simplest reforming principle for SOFC systems. Thermodynamic calculations showed that simple SOFC setups should be possible with an ethanol POx reformer. Thermodynamic equilibrium for partial oxidation of ethanol was calculated with respect to coke formation. It has been shown that with air ratios above lambda= 0.28 and ethanol (96 Vol%) sooting does not occur for temperatures above 700°C. Currently, the most important task is to identify effective, long term stable catalysts for the partial oxidation of ethanol. Experiments with low cost base metals like nickel on aluminium oxide support showed great promise for ethanol conversion.