Conceptual Design Development of a Fuel-Reforming System for Fuel Cells in Underwater Vehicles

Seung-Kyo Jung, Won-Sim Cha, Yeong-In Park, Shin-Hyung Kim and Jungho Choi
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Seung-Kyo Jung: Naval & Energy System R & D, Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering, Gyeonggi-do 15011, Korea
Won-Sim Cha: Naval & Energy System R & D, Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering, Gyeonggi-do 15011, Korea
Yeong-In Park: Naval & Energy System R & D, Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering, Gyeonggi-do 15011, Korea
Shin-Hyung Kim: Naval & Energy System R & D, Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering, Gyeonggi-do 15011, Korea
Jungho Choi: Department of Naval Architecture and Offshore Engineering, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Korea

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 8, 1-15

Abstract: 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 2 generated as a byproduct, and the amount of water required to dissolve the CO 2 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 2 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 2 generation amount.

Keywords: underwater vehicle; fuel cell; fuel reforming; methanol; CO 2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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