HySA Infrastructure Centre of Competence, North-West University, Faculty of Engineering, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa; School of Chemical and Minerals Engineering, North-West University, Faculty of Engineering, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa
Chiuta, S., HySA Infrastructure Centre of Competence, North-West University, Faculty of Engineering, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa, School of Chemical and Minerals Engineering, North-West University, Faculty of Engineering, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa; Everson, R.C., HySA Infrastructure Centre of Competence, North-West University, Faculty of Engineering, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa, School of Chemical and Minerals Engineering, North-West University, Faculty of Engineering, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa; Neomagus, H.W.J.P., HySA Infrastructure Centre of Competence, North-West University, Faculty of Engineering, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa, School of Chemical and Minerals Engineering, North-West University, Faculty of Engineering, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa; Bessarabov, D.G., HySA Infrastructure Centre of Competence, North-West University, Faculty of Engineering, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa
In this work, the prospect of producing hydrogen (H2) via ammonia (NH3) decomposition was evaluated in an experimental stand-alone microchannel reactor wash-coated with a commercial Ruthenium-based catalyst. The reactor performance was investigated under atmospheric pressure as a function of reaction temperature (723-873 K) and gas-hourly-space-velocity (65.2-326.1 Nl gcat -1 h-1). Ammonia conversion of 99.8% was demonstrated at 326.1 Nl gcat -1 h-1 and 873 K. The H2 produced at this operating condition was sufficient to yield an estimated fuel cell power output of 60 We and power density of 164 kWe L-1. Overall, the microchannel reactor considered here outperformed the Ni-based microstructured system used in our previous work. © 2015 Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC.