Ethanol-diesel blend for on-board fuel reforming for hydrogen production in heavy-duty vehicle applications

Abstract

Oxygen enrichment in fuel reforming was first proposed by Haldor Topsoe in 1958. Today, E-diesel, a type of oxygenated fuel blend, has gained popularity because of its beneficial impact on emissions in vehicles (Boruff, Schwab, Goering, & Pryde, 1982), (Minteer, 2006), but there is little understanding of its properties within the fuel processing technology. E-diesel can facilitate the implementation of fuel cells into the automotive industry in the shape of on-board fuel reforming systems. On-board fuel reforming is currently viewed as a highly promising technology for the commercial entry of fuel cells. Since it will most likely operate with the fuels available today, it would be beneficial to understand the operating conditions and challenges associated with the on-board reforming of E-diesel. Parameters are varied, and their influence are evaluated such as temperature, oxygen to carbon ratio, oxygen influence in harsh conditions, and variation of ethanol at commercial standards, with the assistance of a surrogate E-diesel fuel in order to address the challenges associated with the development of a commercial on-board reforming system and achieve good operating conditions and performance. Due to its advantages regarding volume, efficiency and conversion, most developers for mobile applications are focusing on autothermal reforming. The experiments conducted in this study showed that E-diesel can be reformed with satisfying results in terms of fuel conversion, reformate product composition, and fuel efficiency, throughout a wide range of operating conditions. Furthermore, the oxygenated fuel allows reliable operation at lower temperatures and lower oxygen to carbon ratio, than non-oxygenated fuels. Challenges and problems encountered are compared with other studies, plausible solutions and expected outcomes are remarked.