A porous-membrane reactor is used to produce H 2 and CO by dry partial oxidation of volatile hydrocarbons distilled from diesel fuel. To eliminate deposition of thermodynamically and kinetically favored carbon onto reactor walls as the fuel is heated, cool air is brought into reactors through porous walls of refractory, zirconia-based ceramic. Flow of air through reactor walls suppresses alkyl-radical polymerization that otherwise leads to formation of tar and soot in the reformer heating zone. Diesel fuel is distilled just below 200 • C to avoid cracking of long-chain n-alkanes. The volatile distillates enter the reformer in the vapor phase, eliminating need for complex liquid-fuel injectors and mixers. Volatile distillates are relatively easily reformed, eliminating soot and most naphthalene in the exhaust, converting 88 mole% of carbon in the distillate into CO, 7% into CH 4 , and 5% into CO 2 . Approximately 75 mole% of the hydrogen is converted into H 2 , 13% into CH 4 , and the remainder into H 2 O. Synthesis gas produced from diesel fuel distillates could fuel solid-oxide fuel cells or regenerate NO x traps used in pollution control. 2009
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