Energetics of Technical Integration of 2-Propanol Fuel Cells: Thermodynamic and Current and Future Technical Feasibility

Braun K, Wolf M, de Oliveira A, Preuster P, Wasserscheid P, Thiele S, Weiß L, Wensing M (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Energy Technology Wiley-Blackwell

DOI: 10.1002/ente.202200343

Abstract

2-Propanol/acetone is a promising liquid organic hydrogen carrier system for fuel cell reactions. Herein, six different concepts for a 2-propanol/acetone fuel cell system are evaluated in MATLAB simulation with respect to their thermodynamic integration and technical feasibility. Four of the concepts use a direct 2-propanol fuel cell while the other two first release molecular hydrogen from 2-propanol and subsequently use a hydrogen fuel cell. The presented liquid phase 2-propanol fuel cell concept is thermodynamically feasible but cannot be realized technically using commercial Nafion membranes, due to membrane dissolution by the 2-propanol/acetone/water fuel mixture. Gaseous 2-propanol fuel cells imply a high heating requirement for the evaporation of the fuel. A direct high-temperature fuel cell using 2-propanol is thermodynamically feasible because there is less water in the overall system but is not technically feasible because of the esterification of phosphoric acid. A very interesting option is the conversion of gaseous 2-propanol to pressurized hydrogen in an electrochemical pumping step followed by a hydrogen fuel cell, because here the waste heat of a sufficiently hot hydrogen fuel cell can drive the 2-propanol evaporation.

Authors with CRIS profile

Katharina Braun Professur für Fluidsystemtechnik Ana de Oliveira Peter Wasserscheid Lehrstuhl für Chemische Reaktionstechnik (CRT) Simon Thiele Professur für Electrocatalytic Interface Engineering (HIERN) Lukas Weiß Professur für Fluidsystemtechnik Michael Wensing Professur für Fluidsystemtechnik

Involved external institutions

Forschungszentrum Jülich / Research Centre Jülich (FZJ) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Braun, K., Wolf, M., de Oliveira, A., Preuster, P., Wasserscheid, P., Thiele, S.,... Wensing, M. (2022). Energetics of Technical Integration of 2-Propanol Fuel Cells: Thermodynamic and Current and Future Technical Feasibility. Energy Technology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ente.202200343

MLA:

Braun, Katharina, et al. "Energetics of Technical Integration of 2-Propanol Fuel Cells: Thermodynamic and Current and Future Technical Feasibility." Energy Technology (2022).

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