Simulation on Methanol Reformed High-Temperature PEM Fuel Cell System and the Experimental Verification

Abstract

Abstract A mathematical model of the SRM-HTPEM power generation system was developed to simulate the effects of parameters such as temperature and molar water to methanol ratio on the performance of the reformer and the power stack in the system. The SRM-HTPEM power generation system was built at a mobile communication base station, and the energy efficiency of the system was 45.5% at an output power of 2.8 kW. The correctness of the simulation results was verified by experiments. It finds that increasing the reaction temperature and decreasing the weight hourly space velocity will enhance the conversion of methanol and increase the CO content in the reforming gas. Increasing the molar water to methanol ratio of the feed can improve the methanol conversion and reduce the CO content. However, if the molar water to methanol ratio is too high, the energy efficiency of the system may reduce. Appropriately increasing the operating temperature of the stack, anode hydrogen concentration and hydrogen excess ratio will increase the performance of the fuel cell.