Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD) has been developing an Alkaline Enhanced Reforming (AER) process which uses alkaline material as a reactant. The process allows generation of high purity hydrogen gas from a variety of organic fuels at significantly lower temperatures (130¢ªC vs 350-800¢ªC) than that of the conventional steam reforming. In cases of oxygenated organic fuels such as methanol, ethanol, glycerol, sugar etc., the temperatures required for reforming using the AER process are low enough that it can be accomplished in a liquid phase. The AER process is a unique method that generates hydrogen in a simple one step reaction compared to two or more steps in a conventional steam reformation. The reaction produces pure hydrogen and solid by-product (i.e. carbonate) rather than the CO and CO2 gases generated in conventional steam reforming.

We have demonstrated the AER process using a variety of fuels. Methanol, Ethanol, Glycerol and Sugar have been reformed at low temperatures in a liquid phase with high efficiencies and excellent kinetics. Biomass fuels (Corn, starch, grass, wood chips etc.) have been reformed using the AER process at temperatures lower than conventional gasification yielding pure hydrogen and solid by-product (i.e. Na2CO3), without forming CO or CO2 gases.

ECD is currently developing prototype AER reactors for methanol and ethanol fuels that produce 200 grams H2 gas per day (200 watts electrical power) in a continuous fashion. Scale up of the technology should be straightforward. Cost calculations conducted using DOE H2A economic analysis tool, projects hydrogen production cost competitive with the DOE target of $2/kg hydrogen. The AER process uses inexpensive catalysts without the use of any noble metals.

In this paper we will discuss some of the fundamentals of the Alkaline Enhanced Reforming (AER); thermodynamic and kinetics of the process and its advantages in comparison with conventional steam reforming will be discussed. We will present results from the testing of laboratory and prototype reactors using methanol and ethanol fuels in the liquid phase. Effect of different operating parameters (temperature, pressure, catalysts and liquid hourly space velocity) on reforming rate will be reported. Results from reformation of different grades of ethanol, including crude ethanol and denatured ethanol (E95) will also be presented. The results show the AER process is an economically sound method to reform bio-ethanol to hydrogen gas.