Conceptual Design Development of a Fuel-Reforming System for Fuel Cells in Underwater Vehicles
An air-independent propulsion system containing fuel cells is applied to improve the operational performance of underwater vehicles in an underwater environment. Fuel-reforming efficiently stores and supplies hydrogen required to operate fuel cells. In this study, the applicability of a fuel-reformi...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/8/2000 |
| _version_ | 1797570331624341504 |
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| author | Seung-Kyo Jung Won-Sim Cha Yeong-In Park Shin-Hyung Kim Jungho Choi |
| author_facet | Seung-Kyo Jung Won-Sim Cha Yeong-In Park Shin-Hyung Kim Jungho Choi |
| author_sort | Seung-Kyo Jung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An air-independent propulsion system containing fuel cells is applied to improve the operational performance of underwater vehicles in an underwater environment. Fuel-reforming efficiently stores and supplies hydrogen required to operate fuel cells. In this study, the applicability of a fuel-reforming system using various fuels for underwater vehicles was analyzed by calculating the fuel and water consumptions, the amount of CO<sub>2</sub> generated as a byproduct, and the amount of water required to dissolve the CO<sub>2</sub> using aspen HYSYS (Aspen Technology, Inc., Bedford, MA, USA). In addition, the performance of the fuel-reforming system for methanol, which occupies the smallest volume in the system, was researched by analyzing performance indicators such as methanol conversion rate, hydrogen, yield and selectivity, and reforming efficiency under conditions at which pressure, temperature, steam-to-carbon ratio (SCR), and hydrogen separation efficiency vary. The highest reforming efficiency was 77.7–77.8% at 260 °C and 270 °C. At SCR 1.5, the reforming efficiency was the highest, which is 77.8%, and the CO<sub>2</sub> generation amount was the lowest at 1.46 kmol/h. At high separation efficiency, the reforming efficiency increased due to the reduction of reactants, and a rate at which energy is consumed for endothermic reactions also decreased, resulting in a lower CO<sub>2</sub> generation amount. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:23:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a47452ade8cf4ca29a8a135b5bc175f6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:23:27Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-a47452ade8cf4ca29a8a135b5bc175f62023-11-19T21:58:19ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732020-04-01138200010.3390/en13082000Conceptual Design Development of a Fuel-Reforming System for Fuel Cells in Underwater VehiclesSeung-Kyo Jung0Won-Sim Cha1Yeong-In Park2Shin-Hyung Kim3Jungho Choi4Naval & Energy System R & D, Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering, Gyeonggi-do 15011, KoreaNaval & Energy System R & D, Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering, Gyeonggi-do 15011, KoreaNaval & Energy System R & D, Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering, Gyeonggi-do 15011, KoreaNaval & Energy System R & D, Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering, Gyeonggi-do 15011, KoreaDepartment of Naval Architecture and Offshore Engineering, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, KoreaAn air-independent propulsion system containing fuel cells is applied to improve the operational performance of underwater vehicles in an underwater environment. Fuel-reforming efficiently stores and supplies hydrogen required to operate fuel cells. In this study, the applicability of a fuel-reforming system using various fuels for underwater vehicles was analyzed by calculating the fuel and water consumptions, the amount of CO<sub>2</sub> generated as a byproduct, and the amount of water required to dissolve the CO<sub>2</sub> using aspen HYSYS (Aspen Technology, Inc., Bedford, MA, USA). In addition, the performance of the fuel-reforming system for methanol, which occupies the smallest volume in the system, was researched by analyzing performance indicators such as methanol conversion rate, hydrogen, yield and selectivity, and reforming efficiency under conditions at which pressure, temperature, steam-to-carbon ratio (SCR), and hydrogen separation efficiency vary. The highest reforming efficiency was 77.7–77.8% at 260 °C and 270 °C. At SCR 1.5, the reforming efficiency was the highest, which is 77.8%, and the CO<sub>2</sub> generation amount was the lowest at 1.46 kmol/h. At high separation efficiency, the reforming efficiency increased due to the reduction of reactants, and a rate at which energy is consumed for endothermic reactions also decreased, resulting in a lower CO<sub>2</sub> generation amount.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/8/2000underwater vehiclefuel cellfuel reformingmethanolCO<sub>2</sub> |
| spellingShingle | Seung-Kyo Jung Won-Sim Cha Yeong-In Park Shin-Hyung Kim Jungho Choi Conceptual Design Development of a Fuel-Reforming System for Fuel Cells in Underwater Vehicles Energies underwater vehicle fuel cell fuel reforming methanol CO<sub>2</sub> |
| title | Conceptual Design Development of a Fuel-Reforming System for Fuel Cells in Underwater Vehicles |
| title_full | Conceptual Design Development of a Fuel-Reforming System for Fuel Cells in Underwater Vehicles |
| title_fullStr | Conceptual Design Development of a Fuel-Reforming System for Fuel Cells in Underwater Vehicles |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conceptual Design Development of a Fuel-Reforming System for Fuel Cells in Underwater Vehicles |
| title_short | Conceptual Design Development of a Fuel-Reforming System for Fuel Cells in Underwater Vehicles |
| title_sort | conceptual design development of a fuel reforming system for fuel cells in underwater vehicles |
| topic | underwater vehicle fuel cell fuel reforming methanol CO<sub>2</sub> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/8/2000 |
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