steam methane reforming for air‐independent solid … · excavator water cleanup h 2 o h 2 o o 2...

Abigail C. Ryan/NASA JSC 281.483.3260 [email protected] 2014 Fuel Cell Seminar, Los Angeles CA

SteamMethaneReformingforAir‐IndependentSolidOxideFuel

CellSystems

2014FuelCellSeminar

AbigailC.Ryan/NASAJSC

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20140017030 2018-07-08T05:29:15+00:00Z

Abigail C. Ryan/NASA JSC 281.483.3260 [email protected] 2014 Fuel Cell Seminar, Los Angeles CA2

Fuel Cells at NASA

• Gemini,Apollo,andSpaceShuttleusedfuelcellsasmainpowersourceforvehicleandwatersourceforlifesupportandthermal

PEM(Gemini)andAlkaline(Apollo,Shuttle)fuelcellswereused

Idealforshort(lessthan3weeks)missionswhentherequiredO2andH2canbelaunchedwiththevehicle

• Newmissionsthatmightrequirelong‐durationstaysinorbitoratahabitat,cannotrelyontheavailabilityofpure reactantsandshouldaimtobesun‐independent– aproblemforwhichSolidOxideFuelCellsmightbetheanswer


Solid Oxide Fuel Cells for LOX/CH4 Landers

• Recently,NASAhasinvestigated&developedLOX/CH4‐propelledlanders(Altair,MORPHEUS).Inordertopreservemissionflexibility,fuelcellsarebeingstudiedasapotentialpowersource.

• MuchofNASA’sfuelcelldevelopmenthasbeenfocusedoncreatingdead‐headed,non‐flowthroughPEMfuelcells,whichwouldweighlessandbemorereliablethantheexistingAlkalineandPEMtechnology;however,LOX/CH4asapropellantintroducesSOFCsasapoweroptionduetotheirabilitytoaccept“dirty”reactantswithoutmuchreforming.


LOX/LH2 Lander vs. LOX/CH4 Lander

• PreviousworkatJSChasidentifiedthevolumetricandmassbenefitsofLOX/CH4 propelledvehiclesvs LH2/LO2

9.686 m

6.342 m

4.00 m

7.521 m

LH2/LO2 Lander Size LOX/Methane Lander Size


Advantages of O2/CH4 Propulsion

• Improvedspacestorability

• Greatlyreducedspacecraftvolume

• UtilizespropellantsthatcanbeproducedIn‐SituontheMartiansurface(i.e.ISRU)

O2 Only: Solid Oxide Carbon Dioxide [CO2] Electrolysis (SOCE)

CO2Electrolysis

O2O2

CO2Collection CO

CO, CO2

CO/CO2Separation

CO2

2CO2 O2 (+ 2CO waste)

Water Condenser/ Separator

Water Electrolysis O2 Dryer

CO2Reduction (Sabatier)

H2O

CH4

O2

CH4Dryer

CH4

CO2Collectio

n

H2

Mars H2O

CO2

Water Condenser

Soil/Water Reactor

Regolith Inlet/Outlet

Hopper

Excavator Water Cleanup

H2OH2O

O2/CH4: Sabatier/WE with Mars Soil Processing

CO2 + 4H2 CH4 + 2H2O & 4H2O 4H2 + 2O2

CO2 + 4H2 CH4 + 2O2


• Dependingonvariousmissionprofiles,differentpowersourceswillbedesirable.

• Forcontinuousloadsofmultiplekilowattsformorethanaday,fuelcellstradewell,particularlywithbatteries.

• FuelcellscandecreaseoverallsystemcomplexitybytyingintoECLSSandActiveThermalsystems

• Inordertopreservemissionflexibility,providemultiplekilowattsofpower,andbesun‐independent,fuelcellsshouldbeconsideredasapowersourceformanned‐spacecraft.

1 min 1 hour day 1 month 1 year 50yrs

Elec

tric

Pow

er (

amps

)107

106

105

104

103

102

101

Primary Batteries

Fuel cells

Solar Arrays

Nuclear Reactor

RadioisotopicThermal

Generators

Fuel Cells as Power Option


MMHMMH NTO

****

S

S

S

S

S

SS

S

S

SS

S

S

S

S

S

HVHe2

HVHe01

FHe1

RgHe1

FHe2

RgHe2

FHe3

FHe4

HVHe03

HVHe04

CVHe1 CVHe2

RVFu1

LVFu3,4

LVOx3,4

LVFu5,6

LVOx5,6

LVFu7,8

LVOx7,8

LVFu9,10

LVOx9,10

Thruster 1,2,3,4

Thruster 5,6,7,8

Thruster 9,10,11,12

HVFu1

PVFu01

FFu1FOx1

PVOx1

HVOx1

HVOx2

HVFu2

HVOx5,6HVFu5,6

HVOx9,10HVFu9,10

Thruster 13, 14, 15, 16

Function:Service Hand Valve, HVHigh Pressure Latching Valve, HPRegulator, RgCheck Valve, CVFilter, FLow Pressure Latching Valve, LVSolenoid Valve (dual coil), SVBurst Disk/ Relief Valve RVPyro Valve (n/c) PV

Fluids:Helium HeNitrogen Tetroxide (NTO) OxMonomeythhydrazine (MMH) Fu

GHe

* **PVHe1 PVHe2

RVOx1FHe5

LH2LH2

P

HyTank 001

From Propellant Tank Ullage

P

ssL

ssL

ssL

ssL

P

HyTank 001

From Propellant Tank Ullage

P

ssL

ssL

ssL

ssL

T

T

T

T

PEM Fuel Cell

PEM Fuel Cell

ssL

ssL

ssL

ssL

ssL

ssL

LO2LO2

ss

ss

To Vent

To Vent

Fuel Cell Controller

T

T

Cooling Loop Input

T

T

Cooling Loop Output

T

SSTo ECLSS

s Lss L

ss L



T T

T

ss

ss

T T

T

T

T

T

T

P

P

T

T

HyPT 102

HyPT 102A

HyPT 102B

HyRV 103HyRV 103A

HyHX 002

OxPT 102

OxPT 102A

OxPT 102B

OxRV 103OxRV 103A

OxV 201

OxV 201A

OxV 104

OxV 104A

OxHX 109

OxHX 110

GHeV 005

GHeV 003

GHeR 002

GHeTank 001

OxRV 108

OxRV 108A

OxR 112

OxR 112A

OxT 111OxT 111A

OxT 111B

OxF 301

OxF 301A

OxSep 302

OxSep 302AOxPump 303

OxPump 303A

OxPump 413 OxPump 413A

HyV 201

HyV 201A

HyV 104

HyV 104A

HyHX 109

HyHX 110

HyHX 110

HyRV 108

HyRV 108A

HyR 112

HyR 112A

FCT 113FCT 113AFCT 113B

FCStack 111

FCStack 211

FCT 213FCT 213AFCT 213B

FCController 112

FCController 112A

FCController 112B

HyV 401A

HyV 401

VH2T 002

VH2T 002A

VH2T 002B

VH2HX 001

VH2HX 001A

OxV 411

OxV 411A

OxF 412VO2HX 001

VO2HX 001A

VO2T 002VO2T 002AVO2T 002B

OxV 414 OxV 414A

OxHX 415 OxHX 415A

OxTS 416 OxTS 416A

OxT 417 OxT 417A OxT 417B

TemperaturePressureVoltageCurrent

InputsControlsSolenoid ValvesHeaters, PumpsProportional ValvesSeparators

HyT 111HyT 111A

HyT 111B

pp

pppp

fuel cellFC

gas feedHX

T

Reg

en.

H/X

T

coldplates(12)

pump Apump A

pump Bpump B

T

T

p

p

subl

imat

orsu

blim

ator

T

T

subl

imat

orsu

blim

ator

subl

imat

orsu

blim

ator

FW ta

nk

FW ta

nk

fuel cellelectronics

T

T

p

water bus

FM

pp

Acc

um.

radiator A

radiator B

dedicatedradiator (1)

heatersheatersheaters

HFC-245fa

filterfilter

sublimatorpressureregulator

water tankiso valves

sublimatorfeed

iso valves

pump check valves

filter bypass valve

FC FCViso valves

FC flow control valves

regenerator FCViso valves

regenerator flow control valves

radiator FPViso valves

radiator flowproportioning valves

radiator inletiso valves

radiator outletcheck valves

sublimator Abypass

GSE check valve

Separate Lander Systems

Main Prop RCS

ThermalPower


SS

t1

LCH4tp2

SS SSSS SSSS SS

SS

p1p1

p2p2

RVFu1

HVFu3

LVFu2

HVOx3FFu1 FOx1

LVOx2

t2

t4

LCH4 LO2 LO2

Ascent Engine

tp1

tp4

tp3

tp6

tp5

tp8

tp7

Bleed valvesBleed valves

Eric Hurlbert/JSC

Vent / Pre-press

Load Disconnect / valve Load Disconnect / valve

GHeGHe GHeGHetHe2tHe1

Ox

**

Fu

**

pp2 pp2

pHe1

S

S

S

S

S

SS

S

S

SS

S

S

S

S

S

SMRCO2

Scrubber

SOFC

SOFC

Integrated Propulsion and Power System


SOFCs at NASA JSC

• NUWChasshownviabilityofair‐independentSOFCsusingoxygenandamethane‐richfuelsourceviaPROX‐reforming,whichuses25%moreoftheO2 requiredforpowerproduction

• TestingandcharacterizingasteamreformeroutputflowisfirststeptocreatingamoreO2efficientanddead‐headedSOFCsystem


SOFCs at NASA JSC

Gas concentrations (after water has been dropped out)48% H227% CH422% CO3% CO2


DI H2O Supply

CH₄Supply

Steam generator & gas preheater

Dual Syringe Pumps

SMR Outlet to RGA Cart

Reactor

HEAT

CH4

CH4

H2O

H2OH2 CO CO2

Improved Test Stand Design


Initial Results


Initial Results

Initialtestingshowsthat:

• Catalystisnotsufficientlyreduced

↔

• Needtoincreasethermalmasstoheatupfluidstodesigntemperatures

• Needtominimizehotspotsthatpromotecarbondeposition


Switching Catalysts: Metal Foam

Heat Transfer Mass Transfer

Higher thermal conductivity minimizestemperature gradients & hot spots

Porous structure provides more tortuous path for gas molecules

Helps favor the reactions we want and prevent those we don’t

Better dispersion of the active metals coated on the metal foam structure

CH4 conversion vs. temperature for different catalysts [5] Catalyst activity for SMR as a function of wt% active metal [1]

Moreactivenoblemetalsforbetterconversionefficiency:

OrderedPd/RhcoatedSICmetalfoamcatalyst,machinedtoSMRphysicaldimensionswiththrough‐holeforhightemptemperatureprobe


Future Work: SOFCs at NASA

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