Recently, the project "Key Technologies and Systems for Methanol-Reformed Hydrogen Fuel Cells," a key special project under the National Key R&D Program "Intergovernmental International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation," led by the SPIC Research Institute of Science and Technology Co., Ltd., successfully passed the assessment of project technical indicators.
Experts from Beihang University, Nanjing Normal University, Shanxi University, Huairou National Laboratory, and the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, heard the project team's report on the testing of assessment indicators, reviewed third-party test reports and raw data, and witnessed on-site the testing and operation of the project outcome "Integrated Methanol Reforming for Hydrogen Production and Fuel Cell Power Generation Prototype."
40 Nm³/h hydrogen production + 40 kW power generation, integrated module operating stably
The integrated high-efficiency methanol reforming hydrogen production module developed by the project team achievedstable hydrogen production operation at 40 Nm³/h, and combined with the fuel cell stack developed by the Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, achievedstable power generation operation at 40 kW. After questioning and discussion, the experts unanimously agreed that the technical indicators met the assessment requirements specified in the task document.
To overcome the shortcomings of traditional methanol reforming hydrogen production equipment, such as large size, high energy consumption, slow startup, and system complexity, while also meeting the hydrogen demand for distributed fuel cell power generation, the project team adopted the"high-temperature reforming + metal membrane purification" technical route, combined with the equipment design of a "mixed-fuel combustion heating unit + integrated reforming reactor," achieving a device volume of only 2.2 m × 1.5 m × 1.8 m at a hydrogen production rate of 40 Nm³/h, with high equipment integration and fast startup,and hydrogen production energy consumption below 0.15 kWh/Nm³ H₂.
Through the coupled design of membrane purification and the hydrogen production process, the device's dependence on external utility conditions was reduced, making it easier to transport and deploy, and suitable for distributed fuel cell power generation scenarios such as backup power stations and off-grid power stations.
The research results achieved by the project will help further expand the application scenarios of hydrogen power generation and are of great significance for realizing the conversion of green methanol to electricity and promoting the achievement of the "dual carbon" goals.
