Design of Steam Reforming Reactor for Converting Methanol into Hydrogen Using an Ultrasonic Nebulizer as Liquid Feeder and Polymer Liquid Processed CuO/ZnO/Al2O3 Particles as Catalyst

Abstract

A catalyst of CuO/ZnO/Al₂O₃ has been synthesized using the simple heating of a nitrates precursor in a polymer solution. A steam reforming reactor for converting methanol into hydrogen using an ultrasonic nebulizer as a liquid feeder and the prepared catalyst was also be designed. The produced catalyst particles had relatively small sizes (ranging from about 70 – 120 nm) and were softly agglomerated. Testing of the conversion reacting performance showed the presence of the starting temperature for methanol to hydrogen conversion to be 300^oC, above which the conversion occurred and below which the conversion disappeared. These two works (synthesis of catalyst and design of reactor) are promising developments of direct methanol fuels cells to be used in automobiles technology.