Abstract
Hydrogen has the potential for storing and supplying clean energy in various sectors, but the method of obtaining hydrogen needs to be sustainable. Currently, most of the hydrogen is produced by reforming fossil fuels, with only a small portion coming from water electrolysis. However, there is an alternative method called ethanol steam reforming (ESR) that has a lot of potential and should be explored further. To make progress in this area, studies focused on process optimization are necessary to improve the efficiency of the ESR process. To this end, this investigation aims to analyse the influence of catalytic composition and temperature on hydrogen production for mobility applications, evaluating the responses of hydrogen productivity and selectivity, ethanol conversion, and reaction yield in a microchannel reactor. The results showed that the main statistical factor influencing the responses was temperature and the relevance of the response to the composition of the catalytic support and the relationship between temperature and catalytic support. The use of bimetallic active phases capable of having a positive effect on the water-gas shift reaction favours the ethanol conversion and thus provides positive results.This study suggests that to enhance onboard hydrogen production and reduce coke formation in a microchannel reactor, a catalyst consisting of ceria/zirconia support and Ni-Co active phase should be used at 700°C for steam reforming.
