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Fuel Processing Technology

H2 PowerTech's patented fuel processors create hydrogen on-demand from liquid fuel and are used to power H2 PowerTech's product line of backup power fuel cell systems. For telecom and infrastructure networks backup power applications, this technology offers several advantages:

Easy Fueling
Customers can enjoy the benefits of fuel cell technology - reliable, quiet, and environmentally friendly - without the challenges of hydrogen delivery, installation, and storage.

Long Run Times
H2 PowerTech's fuel cell system with a fuel processor can power a site for days without refueling while a fuel cell system that runs on compressed hydrogen typically can power a 5 kW wireless base station for 10 hours.

Large-Scale Deployments
Fuel cell systems can now be deployed in regions where access to hydrogen is not available by generating onsite and on-demand from readily available fuels.

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems are proving capable at addressing the needs of today's telecom and infrastructure networks that demand highly reliable, cost effective backup power for extended periods of time. Key to meeting this need is a readily available source of hydrogen to fuel the PEM fuel cell system, even during power outages and other disruptions. H2 PowerTech is solving the need for on-demand hydrogen with its fuel processors, which convert readily-available hydrocarbon fuels into purified hydrogen for use by the fuel cell to produce electric power. H2 PowerTech's fuel cell systems with integrated fuel processors yield immediate savings in footprint, weight, regulatory setbacks (clear-space requirements), simplified refueling, and enable extended run times.

H2 PowerTech's fuel cell products include fuel processors. The 5kW Methanol System includes a 59-gallon fuel tank that runs on Methanol (methanol/water liquid fuel), and is equivalent to 24 high pressure hydrogen cylinders that enable 40 hours of operation at 5 kW before refueling is required.
Picture
Liquid Fuel vs. Bulky Hydrogen Cylinders.
H2 PowerTech fuel processing expertise includes:
  • Production of hydrogen, including design and implementation of novel steam reforming, partial oxidation reforming, and auto-thermal reforming reactors.
  • Hydrogen-purification technologies (membrane, PSA, and selective chemical processes) including metal membrane technology and research.
  • Combustion research, modeling, catalyst screening, sulfur removal, pressure vessel design, and materials selection and fabrication technology.
  • Process development and fuel cell system integration including comprehensive analyses to determine the commercial feasibility of reactor and system designs.
H2 PowerTech's commercial fuel processors rely on steam reforming followed by purification with, for example, metal membrane separation followed by catalytic cleanup of CO slip. This process enables a scalable, compact, efficient and reliable product for on-demand production of fuel cell grade hydrogen.

A blend of methanol and water is used as fuel for H2 PowerTech's commercial fuel processors. Methanol is an ideal source of hydrogen to power fuel cells due to its consistent quality, extremely low freezing point (‐71°C), low reforming temperature compared to other hydrocarbons, biodegradability, and readily available supply options. Its low sulfur content (< 0.5 ppm) simplifies the reforming process, reduces the capital, operating and maintenance costs of the fuel cell system and greatly reduces the risk of fuel cell damage. Methanol's low reforming temperature ensures a fast start up, efficient operation, low system cost, and a long product life.

Water and methanol are stable and completely miscible, and H2 PowerTech employs fuel tanks and tank enclosures to maintain fuel quality for years of operation even at elevated temperatures. Methanol offers other important advantages:
  • Available in many consumer products
  • Naturally occurring in the environment and biodegrades rapidly in air, soil and water
  • Liquid at atmospheric conditions
  • Made from renewable and non‐renewable resources
  • Supplied globally and distributed locally
  • Cost competitive
H2 PowerTech was originally founded on the development and commercialization of fuel processor technology, and our designs and technology form the basis of integrated fuel cell systems meeting the needs for many applications requiring power for the long run.

Video from our parent company CHEM, showing their Green Energy, Hydrogen, and Fuel Cell Technology.
H2 PowerTech is now part of the Chem Group
Part of the Chem Group - Taoyuan City, Taiwan

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Bend, Oregon, USA

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