Decentralized hydrogen production from diesel and biodiesel

Abstract

Assuming that from 2015 onwards an increasing amount of fuel cell powered vehicles will enter the market, hydrogen production from liquid fuels offers a promising option to meet short- and midterm hydrogen fuelling requirements. Besides, on-board hydrogen generation from logistic fuels for auxiliary power applications has attracted increasing attention. The German Aerospace Center acts as coordinator of the 3-year project NEMESIS2+ (www.nemesis-project.eu), a collaborative project funded by the FCH JU. NEMESIS2+ addresses decentralized, on-site hydrogen production from feedstock diesel and biodiesel by means of steam reforming. The consortium is developing a pre-commercial 50 m3/h hydrogen generator ready to be integrated into existing refuelling stations. Results of the experimental work packages and CFD simulation are presented including fuel characterization (diesel, biodiesel), liquid desulphurization, steam reforming, water gas shift testing, dual fuel burner development and envisaged prototype system setup.