Design and Control of an Integrated Bio-Ethanol Processor with PEMFC

LUCAS NIETO DEGLIUOMINI; SEBASTIÁN BISET; MARTA BASUALDO

PEM Fuel Cells with Bio-Fuel Processor System: A Multidisciplinar Study of Modelling, Simulation, Fault Diagnosis and Advanced Control

Springer

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2011; p. 267 - 299

The aim of this chapter is to present the main important aspects taking into account the synthesis of an integrated plant of bio-ethanol processor for hydrogen production with proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems. It is based on performing a proper energy integration to determine the operating point of maximum efficiency. A large review about different techniques for obtaining hydrogen from bio-ethanol are investigated to justify the selection of a process based on steam reforming, followed by high- and low-temperature shift reactors and preferential oxidation, which are coupled to a fuel cell. Applying simulation techniques with HYSYS commercial software and using its specific thermodynamic models, the performance of the complete system has been evaluated for a variety of operating conditions. These models involve mass and energy balances, chemical equilibrium and feasible heat transfer conditions. The main operating point of the variables were determined for those conditions where the endothermic nature of the reformer has a significant effect on the overall system efficiency. Then, a heuristic procedure for defining a preliminary control structure is applied via a sensitivity analysis, evaluating controllability aspects for the most critical disturbances and considering the main objectives of the process.